# Wendy's gives a woman the finger! In their chili! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 24, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029 "2005-03-24T13:17:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/101 "2005-04-22T16:25:55Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > My initial reaction was “Bullshit!” Unlike staples and bugs and rats and other stuff allegedly cooked into fast food, a human finger will be missed. Especially by the person who lost it. I hate to say I told you so. . . Who’m I kidding? I love to say “I told you so”! Soooo Toldja so! ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/102 "2005-04-22T16:58:21Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Wow, two grifters exposed in one week. First, Michael Jackson’s accuser’s mom is exposed as a lying cunt in her prior lawsuit against J.C. Penney in which she claimed that the security guards who had detained her for shoplifting beat her up. She got $150k out of J.C. Penney for that Oscar worthy performance. She must study the “method” approach to acting because she went so far as to actually get the shit beaten out of her for that scam. That the accuser’s mother is a flake (at least) doesn’t weaken the prosecution’s case at all. Think about it. Who else is a predator more likely to target? If the kid’s mom was balanced, she wouldn’t have given Jackson access to her child. And if the kid came from a healthy home, he wouldn’t have been as vulnerable. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/103 "2005-04-22T18:39:44Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > What really nauseated me this morning was not the photo they showed of the finger on the news—it was the brief clip of Wendy’s Chili! Is it really simultaneously so watery and so lumpy? > > Urgh. I’d think a finger could only _improve_ it. Looks pretty good to me. [http://www.wendys.com/food/Product.jsp?family=7&product=28](http://www.wendys.com/food/Product.jsp?family=7&product=28) While “lumpy” might be a bad thing for Cream of Wheat, it’s usually called “hearty” or “chunky” when referring to chili, and is generally a _good_ thing. If you like the “pasty, viscous goo with no identifiable pieces of actual meat in it” kind of chili, try Tommy’s Burgers. That’s good too, but it’s a different kind of good. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/104 "2005-04-22T18:42:03Z")
Tommy’s Burger -\> [http://www.originaltommys.com/burger.html](http://www.originaltommys.com/burger.html) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/105 "2005-04-22T19:28:17Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > That the accuser’s mother is a flake (at least) doesn’t weaken the prosecution’s case at all. Think about it. Who else is a predator more likely to target? If the kid’s mom was balanced, she wouldn’t have given Jackson access to her child. And if the kid came from a healthy home, he wouldn’t have been as vulnerable. Ah, but proving that she lied in a previous lawsuit, one that netted her $150k, will definitely weaken her case. It makes her look not only like an extortionist but a lying extortionist to boot. That does not mean for one second that I believe Michael Jackson isn’t a nutcase, possibly a pedophiliac nutcase. But these people are _terrible_ witnesses. If Jackson is a pedophile, however, she is guilty of prostituting her children for money. I’m as pro-prosecution as they come. This case stinks to high heavens, for many reasons. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/106 "2005-04-22T20:36:49Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Anna Ayala was taken into custody at her home, San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia said. He said police would not give any details until a news conference Friday afternoon. Las Vegas police also refused to comment. Well, time for the news conference came at went, 1pm pacific. I’m not near a TV, and there doesn’t seem to be anything on the Internets. Anyone catch the news conference? What was said? ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/107 "2005-04-22T20:58:14Z")
News conference is now scheduled for 4 p.m. PDT. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/108 "2005-04-22T22:30:30Z")
[http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050422/ap\_on\_re\_us/wendy\_s\_finger](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050422/ap_on_re_us/wendy_s_finger) Cops say it was a hoax but didn’t give out further details. Haj ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/109 "2005-04-23T00:19:41Z")
Hmm, there seems to be all kinds of dirt being piled on Ayala, but nothing that furthers the origins of the finger or where the thing came from or proves that Ayala planted it. Other than the mobile home incident (which does look pretty serious), I don’t see what grounds the police have for charging Ayala with grand theft against Wendy’s. [Linky linky](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/22/finger22.TMP) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/110 "2005-04-23T00:24:10Z")
[A better-written story](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/11465877.htm), same subject. That SFGate story was just a mess. I still want to know what evidence they have for charging Ayala in the Wendy’s matter. I’m coming around to the feeling that Ayala did pull a scam, but I’m not seeing diddly on what evidence they have to press charges. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/111 "2005-04-23T00:29:32Z")
OK, finally something to hang your hat on. In [this story](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=695380) we get: > [@](#): > > At a news conference, police refused to say where the finger originated and exactly how the hoax was carried out. > > But according to a person knowledgeable about the case who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attempted larceny charge stemmed from San Jose police interviews with people **who said Ayala described putting a finger in the chili.** The source said the interviews were with at least two people who did not know each other and independently told similar stories. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/112 "2005-04-23T01:04:50Z")
I will be very annoyed if we never find out where the finger came from. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/113 "2005-04-23T15:04:31Z")
Was perusing the morning paper and the article there had the most information yet: [http://www.freep.com/news/nw/finger23e\_20050423.htm](http://www.freep.com/news/nw/finger23e_20050423.htm) Apparently, they deduced that the finger couldn’t have been in the chili the whole time, because it was not cooked. :smack: Simple, and obvious, once you think about it. Also, nobody actually saw her spit it out, just that she pointed it out in the bottom of her cup. Also also, she said she threw up when she found it, but there wasn’t any vomit at the scene. Add all that to the couple of witnesses who independently said she talked about putting the finger in the cup, and you apparently have a pretty solid hoax. Guh. The whole incident is disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/114 "2005-04-23T17:21:43Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Was perusing the morning paper and the article there had the most information yet: [http://www.freep.com/news/nw/finger23e\_20050423.htm](http://www.freep.com/news/nw/finger23e_20050423.htm) > > Apparently, they deduced that the finger couldn’t have been in the chili the whole time, because it was not cooked. :smack: Good article, thanks for the link. One minor point of clarification though; it doesn’t exactly say the finger wasn’t cooked, it says > [@](#): > > The Santa Clara County coroner’s office also concluded that the finger “was not consistent with an object that had been cooked in chili at 170 degrees for three hours.” which could mean it was cooked, but just not enough. Or cooked differently (maybe she used the microwave or a George Foreman grill…). I bring this up, because I could have sworn earlier accounts said they confirmed it was cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/115 "2005-04-23T18:33:59Z")
Wendy’s is giving out a free milkshake today and tomorrow. We’re going over to get lunch there to show solidarity. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/116 "2005-04-23T20:58:14Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I could have sworn earlier accounts said they confirmed it was cooked. They did. [Cite](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/26/BAG1KBUNUU1.DTL) . > [@](#): > > Saturday, March 26, 2005 > > …It had been widely reported after a news conference Wednesday that the finger had been cooked with the chili, but officials acknowledged Friday – after questions were raised by Wendy’s – that no conclusive evidence had been found. I would think that a very small “meat with bone-in” object that has been cooked at 170 for 3 hours would resemble a very small meat with bone-in object that has been cooked in a crockpot for 3 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/117 "2005-04-23T21:39:47Z")
Now you’re just trying to make me hungry. It’s interesting to note that if a finger did get in some Chili and was cooked at 170 for three hours, perhaps the customer would be unable to recognize it was a finger and just think a shard of beef bone got in there somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/118 "2005-04-23T22:44:04Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Now you’re just trying to make me hungry. > > It’s interesting to note that if a finger did get in some Chili and was cooked at 170 for three hours, perhaps the customer would be unable to recognize it was a finger and just think a shard of beef bone got in there somehow. I’ve cooked some tough meat in my life, but even game meat wouldn’t survive 3 hrs at that temperature and still resemble the body part it came from. I am sure we humans are easier to cook. But we’ll need an expert 😉 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/119 "2005-04-23T23:29:12Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Apparently, they deduced that the finger couldn’t have been in the chili the whole time, because it was not cooked. :smack: Simple, and obvious, once you think about it. Also, nobody actually saw her spit it out, just that she pointed it out in the bottom of her cup. Also also, she said she threw up when she found it, but there wasn’t any vomit at the scene. Add all that to the couple of witnesses who independently said she talked about putting the finger in the cup, and you apparently have a pretty solid hoax. I saw all of that (correcting your “not cooked” comment to “not cooked in chili”) in some of the other articles. I thought it was interesting, but did little to establish that Ayala had put the finger in the Chili. Sure, the finger apparently wasn’t cooked in chili. Somehow it made its way into the chili after the chili was prepared. All of this doesn’t point the finger (heh) at Ayala having been the person who did so. Its interesting, but not damning or exculpatory towards Ayala. That having been said, I’m pretty sure she put it there herself. I just don’t see damning evidence in these stories that establish that this is the case. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029/120 "2005-04-24T00:10:30Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I am sure we humans are easier to cook. But we’ll need an expert 😉 Unfortunately, Alfred Packer has been dead for some time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wendys-gives-a-woman-the-finger-in-their-chili/296029.md?page=7)