When Customers act like they're from the Board of Health

[BigJ]

Damn do these people piss me off. Background info: I work at a pizzeria and restaurant. Our counterpersons and pizza maker do not wear gloves. Been so for the past 14 years in NY.

So I'm working as a waiter in the restaurant when I overhear a commotion going on in the front. Some older gentlemen approached our pizza guy and started yelling at him for not wearing gloves. This guy is acting calmly at first, and the counterperson tells him if he has a complaint with it to take it up with our manager. So he goes and sits down, waiting for his pies.

So a few minutes pass by, I'm waiting on my tables, and one of the counterpersons (a younger girl) comes into the back trembling. I've already overheard the commotion up front, so I proceed to go up there. This guy is back at it arguing with the pizza man, saying he's going to call the board of health, this and that, being a real arse. Seeing as this has happened before, I calmly walk up front. I take out a piece of paper and write the number for the Nassau County Board of Health(its write by the sink on the little pieces of paper that reminds employees to wash their hands), hand it to the man, and I tell him this:

Here's the number for the BoH. Ask them about the food handling and prepartion laws. If you were actually bright enough to learn the exact laws, you only have to wear gloves if its ready-to-eat food or raw meat. Seeing as the food gets thrown into a 500 degree oven, I wouldn't exactly call it ready to eat.

By this time, the guy is beet red. Sweating up a storm, real embarrassed. So his food is finally ready, he pays for it, says a few words under his breath, and storms outta the pizzeria. After that everyone was cracing up at the friggin arse.

Link to NY BoH Rules

I'd like to ask you guys how many times at a pizzeria have you seen all of the people wearing gloves? Because out of all the places I've seen and worked at, none of 'em have (about 3 different places I worked at, and about 7 other I've been to).

 

[ElFenix]

i've never seen the guy wear gloves.


tastes better when the sweaty paisano gets his hands right in there

 

[minendo]

Here's the number for the BoH. Ask them about the food handling and prepartion laws. If you were actually bright enough to learn the exact laws, you only have to wear gloves if its ready-to-eat food or raw meat. Seeing as the food gets thrown into a 500 degree oven, I wouldn't exactly call it ready to eat.

Even if it is thrown into a 500 degree oven, the product never reaches near that temperature.

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: minendo

Here's the number for the BoH. Ask them about the food handling and prepartion laws. If you were actually bright enough to learn the exact laws, you only have to wear gloves if its ready-to-eat food or raw meat. Seeing as the food gets thrown into a 500 degree oven, I wouldn't exactly call it ready to eat.

Even if it is thrown into a 500 degree oven, the product never reaches near that temperature.

It's not cooked till it's reached 500?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: minendo

Here's the number for the BoH. Ask them about the food handling and prepartion laws. If you were actually bright enough to learn the exact laws, you only have to wear gloves if its ready-to-eat food or raw meat. Seeing as the food gets thrown into a 500 degree oven, I wouldn't exactly call it ready to eat.

Even if it is thrown into a 500 degree oven, the product never reaches near that temperature.

Is the food ready to eat when we touch it? Especially uncooked pizza dough and cheese.

 

[T2T III]

I'd like to ask you guys how many times at a pizzeria have you seen all of the people wearing gloves? Because out of all the places I've seen and worked at, none of 'em have (about 3 different places I worked at, and about 7 other I've been to

I've never seen gloves being worn by the pizza makers at the shops I've frequented. Well, maybe that is not entirely true - the people at Costco seem to wear gloves when making their pies, but they basically just put a round ball of dough in a press and then top it with sauce and toppings and don't really "toss" the dough like a real pizza shop.

 

[Joker81]

Originally posted by: Tiles2Tech

I'd like to ask you guys how many times at a pizzeria have you seen all of the people wearing gloves? Because out of all the places I've seen and worked at, none of 'em have (about 3 different places I worked at, and about 7 other I've been to

I've never seen gloves being worn by the pizza makers at the shops I've frequented. Well, maybe that is not entirely true - the people at Costco seem to wear gloves when making their pies, but they basically just put a round ball of dough in a press and then top it with sauce and toppings and don't really "toss" the dough like a real pizza shop.

Costco still has the best Bake at home pizza tho.

 

[Feldenak]

Best pizza I ever had was made by the old Italian guy. He wore no gloves, I never saw sink in his pizzaria, and he smoked while making your pie.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

fvcking New Yorkers

 

[Ness]

I don't see why people get all upity about seeing people not wearing gloves. Some states DO require it, but the point you make about ready to eat is exactly right. Besides, if it's that much of a concern for you, I don't see what the problem is in politely asking if the person making it can put on gloves to do it. I've never prepped food without gloves, I stick to them almost religiously, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a customer request for something as simple as that if I didn't, because it's not like it's a big hold up to ALL the customers.

pissy customers need to learn that no one likes their attitude and you get what you give.

Now, if the employees are trashy and dirty looking, I don't give a crap if it does cook or not, because cooking it won't stop me from losing my appetite.

I'm not going to go on any more, 'else CTrain and me will end up pissing each other off (I :heart: U CTrain )

Props to you for handling it so perfectly :beer:

 

[Adul]

pwned

 

[nan0bug]

In situations like that, asking politely goes a long way. I try to make it a point not to get in arguments with complete strangers I am trusting to prepare my meals.

 

[GeekDrew]

Here in Ohio all food prep personnell are required to wear gloves and hair nets or ball caps at all times - but yes, there are quite a few exceptions. I know what most of them are, for several reasons. I used to work in a concession stand for a high school music department, and we were always under scrutiny of the public eye - every little mistake we would ever make was made public. And we didn't even make any food mistakes. It was all elsewhere. :-/

There are a *lot* of people around here that say they are from the county board of health. I don't any more, but I used to know all of the employees that did inspections for the county board of health where I did most of the concessions work. When people would smart off and say something about the board of health, I would pull out my cell phone, bring up the entry labelled "Fairfield Health Dept", and inform them that the green button dialed their main phone line. Nobody ever took me up on the offer to call the health dept

What's more was that I was part of a program in which teenagers were allowed to unofficially look around places for health violations, and call the health department for an "emergency inspection" if we found anything inappropriate. We also worked in association with the sheriff's office - we were allowed to attempt to get people to sell us cigarettes (while we were under 18), and if they did sell to us, they were handed a citation.

 

[deftron]

Throw water on them

 

[PowerMacG5]

Hey what part of Nassau County you from? Also, I have never seen anybody who makes pizza wear gloves, and I don't expect them to. As long as they wash their hands after taking a leak, or coming on duty, that's fine.

 

[SweetSweetLeroyBrown]

The only reason customers have to get to the point of yelling inside a business is because the dumb fvck employees don't own the business.

The employees don't have any financial interest in the store, so what the hell do they care if the customer leaves mad. No skin off their back.

 

[Bleep]

As long as they wash their hands after taking a leak, or coming on duty, that's fine

Just stay in a restroom at a resturant for a while and I guarntee you will see a employee take a leak and go wash his hands and while they are doing that some guy comes in and pees all over the floor and probably his hands, wipes his hands off on his pantleg and grabs the door knob or opener. Now the employee that just washed his hands grabs the door knob to go out, did it do any good for him to wash up?
Gloves for the employee doing anything with food.

Bleep

 

[NetGuySC]

You should of have refused service to the person

 

[Ness]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Here in Ohio all food prep personnell are required to wear gloves and hair nets or ball caps at all times - but yes, there are quite a few exceptions. I know what most of them are, for several reasons. I used to work in a concession stand for a high school music department, and we were always under scrutiny of the public eye - every little mistake we would ever make was made public. And we didn't even make any food mistakes. It was all elsewhere. :-/

There are a *lot* of people around here that say they are from the county board of health. I don't any more, but I used to know all of the employees that did inspections for the county board of health where I did most of the concessions work. When people would smart off and say something about the board of health, I would pull out my cell phone, bring up the entry labelled "Fairfield Health Dept", and inform them that the green button dialed their main phone line. Nobody ever took me up on the offer to call the health dept

What's more was that I was part of a program in which teenagers were allowed to unofficially look around places for health violations, and call the health department for an "emergency inspection" if we found anything inappropriate. We also worked in association with the sheriff's office - we were allowed to attempt to get people to sell us cigarettes (while we were under 18), and if they did sell to us, they were handed a citation.

Ohio is required to use either gloves OR a sanitizing handwash... although most places use gloves because most handwashes cause allergic reactions.

Like I've said before, wearing gloves on a regular basis is at the bottom of the concern list for most DoHs... they focus more on making sure that the conditions of the store are safe, that the equipment is in working order, and that foodborne illnessess can't survive because the food is kept at proper temp. People aren't likely to catch life threatening illnesses from workers having a little dirt on their hands.

But again, I'd prefer that people wear gloves because it kills my appetite to see other people's hands on what I'm going to put in my mouth.


...sigh...


thank god I'm done with food service.

 

[miniMUNCH]

As long as the guy washes his hands and doesn't scratch his nuts or pick his nose while preping my food, I don't care.

It is utterly senseless to be bacteriophobic...most peoples mouths are almost as dirty as their hands, if not worse, anyhow.



<-- used to do some microbiology work in pharmaceutical indsutry

 

[JoeMomma]

mmmmm.....germs.....

 

[arcenite]

bacterium are what gives food their taste... can't have a pizza w/ out mushrooms... well.. you can.. but you get the idea

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: aRCeNiTe
bacterium are what gives food their taste... can't have a pizza w/ out mushrooms... well.. you can.. but you get the idea

Right because Staph aureus tastes great.

Mushrooms are fungus by the way.

 

[dquan97]

wait a minute, I'll be working for the Dept of Health in a few weeks!

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: aRCeNiTe
bacterium are what gives food their taste... can't have a pizza w/ out mushrooms... well.. you can.. but you get the idea

Right because Staph aureus tastes great.

Mushrooms are fungus by the way.

You can't have cheese without bacteria, though!