# Free sample abusers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 26, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578 "2014-08-26T18:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/41 "2014-08-27T13:35:33Z")
I will also say castigating because it seems to be on the word of the day calendar here at the Dope. He was wrong, but then you were just angry because he stopped you from eating one. Did you intend to eat one to see if you’d like to purchase, or just to eat it? You’re lucky he didn’t chew up a cookie and spit it on you ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/42 "2014-08-27T13:50:01Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > There’s a guy that shops at my store, we call him “the sample king”. If we see him pull into the parking lot, we pull the samples from the store. This is actually deeply funny. **Crowsnes** t: “Greedy Bastard on the port bow !!” **Store Manager** : “_Clear the decks, Mr. Christian._” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/43 "2014-08-27T13:58:05Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > My mother is a sample lady at Costco - there are LOTS of people who are rude and inconsiderate the moment something “free” is involved (well, they are probably rude and inconsiderate always). I always say “no thank you” when offered a sample. Do sample-pushers take it personally, or are they relieved? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/44 "2014-08-27T14:05:22Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > There’s a guy that shops at my store, we call him “the sample king”. If we see him pull into the parking lot, we pull the samples from the store. Do you have a secret code you announce over the PA when he pulls in? “Attention employees… Situation Purple!” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/45 "2014-08-27T14:20:56Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > My mother is a sample lady at Costco - there are LOTS of people who are rude and inconsiderate the moment something “free” is involved (well, they are probably rude and inconsiderate always). What I’ve noticed is that _whatever_ Costco offers at the sample tables will sell big that day. Usually it will be sold out by the time we get there. I think they use the sample tables to clear the slow-selling stock. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/46 "2014-08-27T14:37:12Z")
I don’t understand why _anyone_ eats the free samples. All those grubby hands from snot nosed kids rooting around in a bowl of chips? mmmmm, can you taste the influenza on that chip? It’s the flavor of the month! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/47 "2014-08-27T14:48:02Z")
Generally the samples aren’t in a shared bowl but instead in individual, tiny paper cups. No sharing whatsoever. And the sample-lady is wearing gloves. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/48 "2014-08-27T14:51:40Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And the sample-lady is wearing gloves. [Not the right kinda gloves, though.](http://themetapicture.com/everything-looks-much-cooler-when-youre-wearing-leather-gloves/) ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/49 "2014-08-27T15:02:33Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Hmm. There must be \*some \*way he isn’t responsible for his actions, so we can finger-wag you for your insensitivity. Maybe he has whatever the opposite of a peanut allergy is? Peanut deficiency ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/50 "2014-08-27T15:05:10Z")
Why? We’re following the rules. If it has a toothpick in it, it’s free! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/51 "2014-08-27T15:14:35Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You are the one at fault for not shanking him. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > You should have gone all honeybadger on his ass!! No need for violence. Just reach out, grab a pocket, and turn those cookies into crumbs. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/52 "2014-08-27T15:41:56Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > I don’t understand why _anyone_ eats the free samples. All those grubby hands from snot nosed kids rooting around in a bowl of chips? mmmmm, can you taste the influenza on that chip? It’s the flavor of the month! When I was younger (and still working at this same place), I would eat the samples every time I walked past them, we make a lot of really good stuff. Then one day I was running the register for the better part of the day and watching what happened to those samples turned me off them. Seeing an old man walk away with dip _on his ear_ was the end of it for me. Knowing that he put his fingers in the dip and then in his ear without even realizing it was happening you have to wonder where his fingers were before he stuck them in the dip. Multiply that by the 50 other people that scooped something out of there. Now, if we have samples out, I’ll just grab a few before the customers get to them. Sometimes when we have cheese samples out, we put toothpicks in them, which is gross because people will leave the toothpicks _everywhere_. On shelves, between wine bottles, behind boxes, under displays where you can see them but have to move a 60 pound jelly belly case to get them back out because it’s gross to just ignore them (ya know, all the same places they spit cherry pits). FFS people, the garbage was right there and another one right there and another one right there. I keep telling them not to use toothpicks, I promise, the customers will have no issues with just grabbing a cheese cube with their fingers and we won’t have to find little piles of toothpicks all over the place. There’s a trick, when I see someone eat a cheese sample, there’s about a 2 second window when you’ll see them holding the toothpick and looking around with a blank stare, that’s when you say ‘ma’am/sir, there’s a garbage right there (in front of you) if you want to get rid of that toothpick’. After that they’ll carry it around and a few minutes later you’ll notice they don’t have it (or the 9 of them) anymore. I’ve been in retail way too long. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/53 "2014-08-27T17:25:02Z")
You feel ‘entitled’ because you buy the product regularly? And you know he’s not buying three times as much product as you, how? He had slob written all over him? Which trumps entitled ass, how exactly? And the state of his truck, his hairstyle and weight have what bearing on your whine exactly? Better hair, a slimmer build and a tidy truck would make it better how? Maybe he was hungry, ever think of that? Maybe you should count your blessing you don’t need to seek out free samples to ease your hunger. Or maybe pretend you’re a Christian and try not to judge others, like that book is always saying. Generosity of spirit means not assuming the worst about others. Even if they are overweight and their car is messy. No one did anything to you, get over yourself already. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/54 "2014-08-27T17:41:17Z")
Annnnnnnd _SCENE_! ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/55 "2014-08-27T18:06:37Z")
One of the guys on my team and I had to work late one Friday, so we went to a Chipotle to grab some food. I put it on my company card. I got my usual veggie burrito, and a beer. Privileges of working on Friday. He got a burrito and beer, too, only his burrito had: [ul] [li]Rice[/li][li]Chicken[/li][li]Steak[/li][li]Pork[/li][li]Black Beans[/li][li]Pinto Beans[/li][li]Hot Salsa[/li][li]Medium Salsa[/li][li]Mild Salsa[/li][li]Cheese[/li][li]Sour Cream[/li][li]Guac[/li][/ul] Effectively, everything on the menu. The burrito required three tortillas. It was fucking embarrassing enough to have to stand next to him while he ordered it, but then he proceeded to eat maybe half a normal-sized burrito’s worth and then _throw the rest away_. All because he was fucking getting it for free. Like a kid at the ice cream bar at Golden Corral or something. Ironically enough, his works as a sample hander outer at Costco. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/56 "2014-08-27T18:13:27Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > No one did anything to you, get over yourself already. You must have missed the part where he stated that he doesn’t like when people fuck with his food. Food that belonged to the store he was shopping in. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/57 "2014-08-27T18:16:58Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > You must have missed the part where he stated that he doesn’t like when people fuck with his food. Food that belonged to the store he was shopping in. Yep, that’s a shanking. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/58 "2014-08-27T18:17:14Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > On I put it on my company card. > > _snip_ > > All because he was fucking getting it for free. You’re lucky. I’m only allowed to put company expenses on my company card. I’d definitely get in trouble if I was using it to get free food and booze for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/59 "2014-08-27T18:39:46Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > He would never notice, his old work truck is a pig pen. > [@QuickSilver](#): > > You know way too much about this guy. > You may be looking at a restraining order if you keep this up. I could potentially write this off as they both ended up in the parking lot at the same time & saw the truck he got into. However, > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I actually have a long standing problem with this prick aside from the cookies. Every time he visits the checkout counter he talks to the black checkers in his cool, very loud, black street voice as if he expects them to relate to that. He is a first class prick who really needs his ass kicked. this is scary! To see someone often enough, at the checkout, to know how they treat different cashiers? I’ll help fat, disgusting, pig, slob guy apply for the restraining order. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/60 "2014-08-27T18:40:11Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > One of the guys on my team and I had to work late one Friday, so we went to a Chipotle to grab some food. I put it on my company card. > > I got my usual veggie burrito, and a beer. Privileges of working on Friday. > > He got a burrito and beer, too, only his burrito had: > > [ul] > [li]Rice[/li][li]Chicken[/li][li]Steak[/li][li]Pork[/li][li]Black Beans[/li][li]Pinto Beans[/li][li]Hot Salsa[/li][li]Medium Salsa[/li][li]Mild Salsa[/li][li]Cheese[/li][li]Sour Cream[/li][li]Guac[/li][/ul] > > Effectively, everything on the menu. The burrito required three tortillas. > > It was fucking embarrassing enough to have to stand next to him while he ordered it, but then he proceeded to eat maybe half a normal-sized burrito’s worth and then _throw the rest away_. > > All because he was fucking getting it for free. Like a kid at the ice cream bar at Golden Corral or something. > > Ironically enough, his works as a sample hander outer at Costco. My store deals with a lot of restaurants and because of that we know a lot of the owners and discuss some of this kind of stuff with them. Many years ago (back in the '70’s). My dad was chit chatting with the owner of a local supper club when one of the young employees came up to the owner to let him know that he was going on break, he was going to have some spaghetti and meatballs and here was his quarter. My dad said “John, you give them a half hour _paid_ break, I know you let them have any entree they want on their break (even if it’s steak), you treat them pretty well here…but why are you charging him 25¢ for a $10 meal, why not just make it free?” His reply was that they can have all the food they want, but they have to pay a quarter, otherwise they take it just to take it because it’s free. If he charges them a quarter, they’ll eat when they’re hungry and they’ll eat what they’re hungry for instead of just having 4 steaks over the course of their 8 hour day because ‘free steak’. It’s basically the same as your insurance company charging you a $5 copay. It keeps you from going to the doctor every week. Do you want to pay $5 to have the doctor tell you to put some benedryl on the little red bump on your finger or do you want try putting some benedryl on it first and save the $5.00. Basically, it keeps you from going to the doctor because it’s free. Even if something is really cheap, there’s a big difference between free and not free. If samples were free for the first one and 1¢ for each additional one, you’d hardly see anyone take a second one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578.md?page=4)