# Tanstaafl **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183 "2014-01-31T04:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/1 "2014-01-31T04:58:51Z")
[There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/30/22504777-utah-school-district-apologizes-for-seizing-kids-lunches-for-unpaid-bills?lite). > [@](#): > > One of Utah’s biggest school systems apologized Thursday and told angry parents it was investigating why dozens of elementary school children had their lunches seized and thrown away when they didn’t have enough money in their accounts. So… They gave the kids lunches. Then they took the lunches away and threw them in the trash. Then they gave each kid an orange and some milk. This is cost-effective… How? They could have not served the food in the first place. Or they could have ensured that the parents knew that no food would be served after a certain date unless their accounts were paid up. But some Super Genius decided that the parents would get the message better if they humiliated the kids. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/2 "2014-01-31T05:16:58Z")
Yeah, I didn’t pay attention to the story completely, but I remember hearing something about not knowing who owed on their account until AFTER the food was served. Well, OK dumbass, so send notices home with those kids - put the pre-printed notice on their damn tray if you need to. Send emails to the parents that afternoon, and \*then \*cut them off. At least the kids themselves would have a chance to try and take from home the next day. Whoever came up with that idea should be fired. They wasted all that food and _more money_, plus humiliated those kids and literally took food away from hungry children. (Not that there isn’t a very gray and very fine line between taking it away verses not giving it in the first place) I can’t imagine the kids with accounts in arrears are the ones with no hunger issues at home, either. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/3 "2014-01-31T05:28:59Z")
That there are those who’s greatest fear is the spectre of someone, somewhere, getting something for free would be laughable if it were not so damned pathetic. For fuck sakes, is feeding children such a crime? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/4 "2014-01-31T05:31:54Z")
Although I totally disagree with what the school did, their reasoning as to why they didn’t re-use the food was that their regulations don’t allow food once given to a student to be given to another student. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/5 "2014-01-31T06:21:38Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Although I totally disagree with what the school did, their reasoning as to why they didn’t re-use the food was that their regulations don’t allow food once given to a student to be given to another student. Something they keep repeating in the articles I’m reading about it. And frankly, that just highlights their cluelessness. The problem isn’t that they threw away food. That’s a teeny-tiny problem. They have lots of problems here, ranging from bad recordkeeping, poor communication with home, perceived bullying, and as **Johnny L.A.** points out, a strange idea that spending more money will save money. Throwing away the food after taking it away from the kids to give them alternate food is just the icing on the shit(storm) cake here. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/6 "2014-01-31T06:22:36Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Although I totally disagree with what the school did, their reasoning as to why they didn’t re-use the food was that their regulations don’t allow food once given to a student to be given to another student. Why would they give it to another student? Just let them go ahead and eat it and deal with the lunch account issue afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/7 "2014-01-31T07:36:42Z")
Out-fucking-rageous. Heads need to roll over this incident. You do not put food in front of a hungry child and then snatch it away to shame their parents over unpaid bills. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/8 "2014-01-31T07:50:39Z")
Forget it, Jake. It’s Utah. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/9 "2014-01-31T12:44:34Z")
Its truly cruel, if you think about it. Kids drink the milk and then peel and eat the orange. Somewhere in their tiny lil stomachs some truly nasty cheese begins to form. Cite: Make a cup if tea, stir in milk. Then add lemon. “Miss Simons, I don’t feel so good.” 😕 “Miss Simons, can I have a Hall Pass? I really gotta go potty.” ☹ :o :o :o :o “I’m really sorry about your shoes, M’am…” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/10 "2014-01-31T14:48:37Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > You do not put food in front of a hungry child and then snatch it away to shame their parents over unpaid bills. No, you do that if you’re in a third world country shooting a commercial for a charity, and you need to extract a really pathetic look from a child. 😃😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/11 "2014-01-31T15:07:54Z")
Already had two congressmen talking about their outrage, speaking AT the school, and the school apologizing because the person clearly overstepped their bounds. If it were local, I would expect to be one of the many people who would probably be stepping up to pay off those children’s lunch debts. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/12 "2014-01-31T16:17:50Z")
It was probably some underpaid cafeteria drone. No need to shoot the messenger. Just fix the policy and move on. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/13 "2014-01-31T16:34:21Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > It was probably some underpaid cafeteria drone. No need to shoot the messenger. Just fix the policy and move on. I’m not sure what the euphamistic job titles are these days. The article in the OP states “a child nutrition manager had decided to withhold lunches to deal with the issue.” So…wtf is a “child nutrition manager”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/14 "2014-01-31T16:37:23Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > So…wtf is a “child nutrition manager”? Some tit. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/15 "2014-01-31T16:41:45Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I’m not sure what the euphamistic job titles are these days. The article in the OP states “a child nutrition manager had decided to withhold lunches to deal with the issue.” So…wtf is a “child nutrition manager”? I believe we used to call them “Lunch Ladies” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/16 "2014-01-31T16:51:55Z")
Maybe her hairnet was a little too tight that day. Unbe-freakin’-lievable. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/17 "2014-01-31T17:02:14Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > I believe we used to call them “Lunch Ladies” Awww…here I was hoping it was someone who would ensure that children are properly nutritious and delicious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/18 "2014-01-31T17:09:57Z")
We had something like this come up in our school district not long ago when a child was only allowed bread. It was partly responsible for a regime change. The new principal and superintendent said that if the child’s account was short, they would dig in their own pocket to buy them lunch. Obviously that won’t work for a large number of students or too often, but we’re a small community and I don’t think parents would be able to overcome the shaming if they refused to reimburse the staff for long. Besides, the PTO has some discretionary funds and would be likely to handle it discretely. In short, there are better ways to feed kids than throwing food in the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/19 "2014-01-31T18:32:20Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > It was probably some underpaid cafeteria drone. No need to shoot the messenger. Just fix the policy and move on. Underpaid or not, drone or not, the person responsible should be fired. Or shot. Stupidity that large should not be left unchecked. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183/20 "2014-01-31T18:36:29Z")
kids learn a valuable lesson that good things do get put into the garbage. that wasting is stupid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanstaafl/680183.md?page=2)