Bought a donut and coffee - lost my temper

[Cuda68-2]

I was up at the local convience store at 4:30am getting a cup of coffee and a donut on the way to work and the clerk decides to engage me in conversation. He tells me story that he thought was rather amusing. This is about how a homeless guy asks for some of the stale donuts they are throwing away and he refers the guy to the dumpster. Little did this homeless guy know that he is under dirctions from his manager to spray the donuts with bleach or window cleaner to prevent people from stealing the donuts out of the garbage. I snapped at this kid that maybe he should spend a week being homeless and broke and he might not find poisening the garbage to be very funny. This kid {early 20's} procedes to tell me it is against federal law for them to give there old donuts to the homeless and they have to sabatoge any food that is thrown away. I kinda blew up at that remark and told him that poisening people is against the law and feeding the homeless is an act of kindness and its a shame that a capitalistic society could even try to justify such an act is a shame and if I ever hear of someone getting sick over his old donuts I would be happy to inform the police of his actions, weather he is instructed by his manager or not to do these things.

It is now 1 hour later and I am still fuming over it - grrrr

[whuppinboy]

that's just pathetic. that clerk needs his ass kicked.

[CDN_Merlin]

Welcome to western society where if you don't make aprofit, fack anyone who needs your product.

[roid]

This kid {early 20's} procedes to tell me it is against federal law for them to give there old donuts to the homeless

what aload of ★■◆●

[Hahnenkam]

Forward the story to a local newspaper.

[woodchip]

Well guys, before you get your sensibilities all in a wad, think....how long does a dumpster sit before it is empty'd? Two weeks, a month? Maybe the stores are required to spray the food prior to trashing it to keep rats and other vermin from hanging around. Maybe the kid clerk just didn't understand what he was talking about. Maybe you guys should learn a lesson from Newsweek.

[Pebkac]

Some of you with the more volatile suggestions for dealing with this kid need to spend a couple of years living among the homeless.

They are right to spray the garbage. Unless you have a very strong stomach and don't mind cleaning up other peoples' puddles of urine and piles of feces, you don't ever want a local homeless population to designate your alley as a good hangout.

Additionally, contrary to popular belief, you aren't doing the homeless any favors by giving them handouts. If you want to actually help them, donate money to your local homeless shelter.

[Dedman]

I was up at the local convience store at 4:30am

That alone would be enough to piss me off.

[Iceman]

Cuda that is a sad story. Wether there is good reason for the guy to prevent the homeless from getting the donuts, his attitude still reeks from a lack of compassion for the homeless. Unfortunately, there are many people with this attitide in our country and there is little we can do about it other than do our part and help those in need.

Maybe you can contact the store manager and make arrangements to pick up the expired food and deliver it to the nearest shelter?

[DCrazy]

Law may very well require them to contaminate food. They have that law here, but they also have exemptions. Bagel places, for example, donate all their unused bagels over 24 hours old.

[bash]

Lots of places donate their day-old food to homeless shelters, etc., but for obvious reasons (food poisoning, for example) they do NOT just set up a buffet for any human/animal that wants to dumpster dive. Yep, it seems cold-hearted but waste disposal in a society has to be strictly controlled to avoid disease/illness and other social ills. Not to mention that (as was said earlier) any store that would suddenly become a hangout for homeless/mentally ill/bums/panhandlers due to free food availability would quickly find it's regular customer base shopping elsewhere. There's just too many potential downsides.

[dissent]

... it is against federal law for them to give there old donuts to the homeless ...

Hmm. Where's Bold Deceiver for this question? Really?! A federal law regarding food disposal in dumpsters? Shazbatt!! We never did that when I worked for McD's (albeit eons ago). Judging from the smelly and animal picked over trash dumpters I see on occasion, we will simply have to build many more prisons to house these miscreants.

[Lothar]

I know my local grocery store gives all of their unsold meat to a homeless shelter when it gets within a couple days of the "use or freeze by" date.

Plenty of organizations do that. The local doughnut shop can figure out a way, too -- they don't need to refer homeless people to their dumpster.

The thing that's really lame about this is, if I understood it right... the kid knew the doughnuts had been sprayed, and then he told a guy to check the dumpster for them anyway. That's messed up. Tell the guy "we put bleach on everything we throw out, so you won't want to eat it" instead of sending him around to find out for himself, possibly by way of getting poisoned.

[Ferno]

"This kid {early 20's} procedes to tell me it is against federal law for them to give there old donuts to the homeless"

bull-sh!t

[Juggernaut]

Homeless people can get food at shelters. Eating food our of a dumpster is only inviting sickness and disease, Also, I agree with Pebkac, if you've ever had homeless live near you, you know how disgusting they can be. I've seen them drop their pants and squirt ★■◆● all over and just walk away. I personally know of six various shelters that have beds and food and showers. Most homeless dont care enough to even go get these free things. I have had alot of hard times in my life, I have been homeless. But I didnt sit on my ass and grow filthier and lazier everyday, begging for handouts. I went to a shelter and got back on my feet. Now, thank God, I have my own place and the means to support myself. I personally believe there is no excuse for homelessness other then laziness and lack of responsibilty.

[MD-2389]

Oh, I can understand you getting pissed over that Cuda. However, instead of getting pissed at the stupid clerk, just get even. Tell everyone you know about what happened. Hurt the worthless troll where it hurts the most, in the wallet.