# Fast Food "Nastyness"—featuring Shiva418 **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 17, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753 "2003-08-17T11:43:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/21 "2003-08-17T21:05:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe K \* > \*\*I wish you were the only person who advocated such behavior. Unfortunately, you are not, and you are joined in your deplorable ways by countless thoughtless restaurant staff members who haven’t a care beyond their own well-being, at best. \*\* What the hell are you talking about here, **Joe K?** Who are the “countless” hordes of restaurant staff members who fuck with peoples’ food? I never thought I’d say this, but CITE? I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for eight years. I have _never_ seen anyone intentionally contaminate a customer’s food. Get over it! This is sheer paranoia. I’ve seen coworkers, when they’re in a huge hurry, forget to get the order right, but that’s about as far as the “deplorable ways” go. Please. As far as **Shiva** goes… :shrug: Putting too much sauce on someone’s burger hardly equates vandalism. What goes around comes around; if you’re an unpleasant person, you will undoubtedly have unpleasant experiences as a result. I find it hard to get outraged over tartar sauce. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/22 "2003-08-17T21:22:34Z")
I see an advertising opportunity! Tartar Sauce: It’s Like Karma.™ ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/23 "2003-08-17T21:23:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\*As far as **Shiva** goes… :shrug: Putting too much sauce on someone’s burger hardly equates vandalism. What goes around comes around; if you’re an unpleasant person, you will undoubtedly have unpleasant experiences as a result. I find it hard to get outraged over tartar sauce. > > :rolleyes: \*\* putting sufficient quantities intentionally so that it’ll spurt out when bitten into, can stain clothing, the car or wherever it lands. Intentionally putting stuff on that the customer **didn’t** order can be a problem if the person is allergic. If you don’t like dealing w/members of the public, get a job where that’s not the primary function. There’s positions in restaurants that don’t deal w/members of the public. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/24 "2003-08-17T21:28:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\* > As far as **Shiva** goes… :shrug: Putting too much sauce on someone’s burger hardly equates vandalism. \*\* Putting too much sauce on someone’s burger by accident? Not bad. Intentionally putting a boatload of sauce on it and stating that your **intention is to stain someone’s clothes**? Pretty fucked up, IMHO. Also note **Guinastasia** ’s comment about alergies. If I was alergic to a specific food item, but that item didn’t come on the burger I was ordering, I surely wouldn’t think to tell them I’m alergic and not to include it. “Yeah, I’d like a cheeseburger without tartar sauce, please.” :rolleyes: You know, tartar sauce does have eggs in it. When the asshole customer brings home that burger to his young son who’s allergic to eggs, how the fuck are you going to feel, **Shiva418**? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/25 "2003-08-17T21:31:04Z")
> [@](#): > > You know, tartar sauce does have eggs in it. When the asshole customer brings home that burger to his young son who’s allergic to eggs, how the fuck are you going to feel, Shiva418? Yes, and the customer could choke on a slightly undercooked burger. It’s all about percentages. Also: maybe the buns have egg in them? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/26 "2003-08-17T21:35:38Z")
> [@](#): > > If you do this on a regular basis, be sure that you WILL get some nastyness in your food. I have a vague suspicion that this meant something other than tartar sauce when it was originally written. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/27 "2003-08-17T21:43:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > Yes, and the customer could choke on a slightly undercooked burger. It’s all about percentages. Also: maybe the buns have egg in them? Some bread is okay for those with egg allergies, some isn’t. The customer is perfectly free to request that information from the restaurant, and, unless he’s incredibly stupid, he should know that a burger comes with a bun. No so with covert tartar sauce. Yes, burgers can be undercooked and that’s certainly a danger, but how would you feel about a cook who _intentionally_ undercooked his burgers? The key here, in case I hadn’t bolded it in my last post (oh wait, I did), is **intent.** ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/28 "2003-08-17T21:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > \*\*Yes, and the customer could choke on a slightly undercooked burger. It’s all about percentages. Also: maybe the buns have egg in them? \*\* nope, not at all. In your scenario, everyone has approximately the same amount of risk. in the other (where a restaurant worker is _intentionally_ putting something on that the person did not order), some one else is acting in such a way as to **increase** the other persons risk. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mullets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@John\_Mullets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mullets)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/29 "2003-08-17T21:53:00Z")
Why’s everyone going easy on Shiva? It’s obviously worse than that! She gets twently burly black men from the local jail to jack off in the burgers, then she slowly kills the customers with cheese graters! Then when she gets home, she drop-punts the cat through a window! What’s more, she planned 9/11! She set her cousin on fire! Obviously that smiley means she rips off people’s heads and sticks them on pikes in her front yard! Just joking. Seriously, I believe Shiva’s behaviour is that of an arsehole, but you fellas are blowing this way out of proportion. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/30 "2003-08-17T21:55:16Z")
Okay, so my undercooked burgers comment was a bit idiotic. Should Shiva do it? Probably not. Should she be dragged out into the street and shot for it? Probably not. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/31 "2003-08-17T22:06:27Z")
who’s dragging her out in the street? we seem to be commenting that these specific actions are assholic in nature and shouldn’t be continued. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva418](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shiva418](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva418)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/32 "2003-08-17T22:08:44Z")
Think of me an my actions what you will. Also, FYI, I’ve worked in three stores in my area, I am a low-level manager, AND my actions towards asshole customers are far tamer than what some of MY managers have done. Now, I’m not trying to say that it’s ok for me to do it just 'cause they do, rather, I’d like all of you to understand that this is standard fast food behavior. I would also like to thank **Gadfly** for giving me my new SDMB signature! ---
**Author:** ![Shiva418](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shiva418](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva418)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/33 "2003-08-17T22:10:19Z")
Incidentaly, I’m a he. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/34 "2003-08-17T22:10:50Z")
You’re very welcome. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/35 "2003-08-17T22:18:20Z")
Oh, good, you’re a **manager**? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/36 "2003-08-17T22:36:25Z")
Hi, I’d like to respond to this thread and clear up some misunderstandings. I started the original thread referred to in the OP. For one thing, I used to work in food service; first in a fast food restaurant, then as a waitress in a sit down restaurant. So I know about crazy customers, and unreasonable demands. For the record, I’m very polite when I deal with fast food employees and I’m very clear when ordering. I wouldn’t think of yelling at someone who was handling my food. Whenever I’ve not gotten what I ordered in sit down restaurants, I politely point out the mistake and give the employee an opportunity to fix the problem. I also tip nicely, as I’m very happy that I don’t have to waitress at this stage in my life. In the past, I haven’t checked fast food orders, because it’s been so cheap mistakes haven’t bothered me. Nowadays, with orders approaching $6.00-$7.00 total, I feel I should get what I’ve ordered and paid for. So in conclusion, I think I’ll start checking my order at the window to make sure the order was correct. I don’t think I should go through the line again as I wanted **fast food**. Hope this explanation helped. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/37 "2003-08-17T22:37:29Z")
I never outlined a method of retaliation, for those who may be thinking so. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Audrey Levins_ > \*\*What the hell are you talking about here, Joe K? Who are the “countless” hordes of restaurant staff members who fuck with peoples’ food? I never thought I’d say this, but CITE? > > I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for eight years. I have never seen anyone intentionally contaminate a customer’s food. Get over it! This is sheer paranoia. I’ve seen coworkers, when they’re in a huge hurry, forget to get the order right, but that’s about as far as the “deplorable ways” go. Please. > > As far as Shiva goes… :shrug: Putting too much sauce on someone’s burger hardly equates vandalism. What goes around comes around; if you’re an unpleasant person, you will undoubtedly have unpleasant experiences as a result. I find it hard to get outraged over tartar sauce.\*\* As for you, **Audrey** —you seem a bit enthusiastic, even for the Pit. Perhaps you take offense at being thought of as a food-defacer? Please know that I do not think of you as such (you haven’t made yourself suspectable, anyway), and that your rebuttal to the contrary is of comfort to me. That said, I will now address your request for a cite: (By the way, I referred to “countless” employees in that I knew not how many, and I _certainly_ never said there were “hordes”.) [http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/news/805537/detail.html](http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/news/805537/detail.html) [http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030611spit0611p3.asp](http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030611spit0611p3.asp) [http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,5961,00.html](http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,5961,00.html) (I also found an account of Jesse Jackson’s admitting to such behavior, but I question the credence of the site/cite.) Along with these are accounts from my father (who witnessed such repugnant behavior when he worked at a fast food place, and duly reported) and a couple accounts that I have heard, here and otherwise, pertaining to pissing in the pickle bucket. Here are some threads containing cites from this board itself: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=139363&highlight=fast+food+spitting](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=139363&highlight=fast+food+spitting) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68289&highlight=fast+food+spitting](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68289&highlight=fast+food+spitting) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182769&perpage=50&highlight=fast%20food%20spitting&pagenumber=3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182769&perpage=50&highlight=fast%20food%20spitting&pagenumber=3) Your point addressing tartar sauce has been sufficiently covered, I’m guessing. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/38 "2003-08-17T22:45:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shiva418 \* > \*\*Think of me an my actions what you will. Also, FYI, I’ve worked in three stores in my area, I am a low-level manager, AND my actions towards asshole customers are far tamer than what some of MY managers have done. Now, I’m not trying to say that it’s ok for me to do it just 'cause they do, So you know it’s wrong and a potential danger, yet you do it anyway because you’ve seen other people do worse. Well, at least you’re honest. > [@](#): > > rather, I’d like all of you to understand that this is standard fast food behavior. Not when I worked in fast food, it wasn’t. When customers gave us shit, we’d do a little thing called “grin and bear it.” Radical concept, huh? Somebody doing the shit you’re talking about would have gotten fired on the spot. If you work for a chain restraurant, what do you think the corporate office would think of such behavior? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/39 "2003-08-17T22:49:28Z")
Well, I can’t post photos or sworn afidavids or anything, but I can assure you **Audrey** , I’ve seen loads of people put loads of shit into peoples food. Spit. Snot. Dirt from the garbage. Is it nice? Hell no. Is it sanitary? Hell no. Is it _legal_? Hell no. But it still happens. **NEVER** by me. Never ever ever - I find it appalling. But I’ve certainly seen it happen. I could give you the names of the people I saw do it too. So. I’m always **REALLY** nice to wait-staff/servers. _ **REALLY** _ nice. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753/40 "2003-08-17T22:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neutron star \* > \*\* > If you work for a chain restraurant, what do you think the corporate office would think of such behavior? \*\* He does mention the restaurant he works for in the OT. Great advertisng, I tells ya. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-food-nastyness-featuring-shiva418/195753.md?page=3)