May 28, 2014

18 DIRTY FOOD ON SALES TRAY FOR UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS - FROM FLOOR TO TRAY

Every once in a while I frequent this bakery for some fresh from the oven Jamaican patty. One afternoon I stopped by and inquired about particular donut – vanilla glazed (seems likes it’s being phased out for the more fancy decorated, filled donuts). The employees, one didn’t seem to know what I was talking about and the other didn’t seem to understand clearly and help up a honey glazed in question. I answered no and explained the vanilla glazed donut as a simple donut with a plain white glaze on the top. In the process of trying to put back Donutsthe honey glazed donut, it dropped on the floor. She picked it up and set it aside while she organized the food trays. Then I noticed she looked up, side to side decided that no one could see her and she placed the dirty donut with the rest on the tray for sale. I did a double take but didn’t say anything in that moment as bakery started to fill with people.  I waited to get a moment alone with her but the opportunity didn’t come. I left but it bothered me to no end.
The next day I went to speak with the other woman I am friendlier with to alert her to what I saw. The same women who pick up the dirty donut and put it back on the sales tray was putting Jamaican patties on the tray to place in the oven. As she picked them from the bag to load unto the oven tray one dropped. Again she put it of to the side and as soon as she thought no one was looking she slipped it into the tray with the others Jamaican Pattyfor the oven. I thought, ‘what the hell is this and why am I witnessing this crap.’ I know of course. I was there to see because I was being challenged to speak up. Just as I called the women I am on friendlier terms with the store was flooded with people (rush hour). All hands had to be on deck to serve the customers taking away my opportunity to say something, so l left, this time more disturbed than the last time as I realized that this particular employee had a practice of bad hygiene practices. I was haunted with questions that refuse to let my mind rest, ‘how do you know that the patties you have bought weren’t ones that were dropped on the floor and put back on the tray for your unsuspecting ass to eat?’
Deeply disturbed I sat brooding in my living room that evening flicking through the stube-tube (TV) when I daughter asked, “mom what are you watching?” “Nothing I said.” “What’s wrong.” she asked and I told her.  “eeeeeewwwwwwwww, that’s nasty, mommy you have to say something, that is my favourite place to buy patties plus they can lose their food license.” Sighing I know she is right. So today I left determine to call the woman I am friendlier with aside and explain even if I have to wait a bit.
I reached the bakery and immediately called my friend aside and explained the occasions I saw that other employee exercising poor hygiene practices that is hazardous to people’s health and detrimental to their business should health inspectors observe the practice. She told me thank you and said she would report it to the owners. I left feeling much better.
The moral of my story?
There are times when we will be called upon to bear witness to the things we have seen and when that time arises we have a choice to make. To pretend we didn’t see or hear or rise up and speak the truth of what we’ve seen because it is the right thing to do.
The truth is….
So many of us on so many occasion bear witness to things and we do nothing, saying nothing, never thinking have any accountability, that it has anything to do with us or that it would affect us or happen to us.
Know Fact: 
Bacteria clings to food instantaneously, hence once that contaminated food is ingested it immediately begins to impact ones health. 

Ask yourself this….
How many times you could have unknowingly eaten something off the ground because someone has poor hygiene practices? ( How would you even know that you have?
Mindfulness Thought:
Yeah at times it feels as if it would be easier, less complicated to keep quiet, to go alone to get along, to pretend you don’t know, to forget, feign amnesia. Who is going to suspect? Especially if no one else saw what you saw, who is going to know? But never give thought to or simply forget that life is a circle and what goes around comes around and ultimately each choice we make has a consequence, a price we’ll be forced to pay when we least suspect it.

18 comments:

  1. What you did can save another person a whole lot of medical expense.

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    Replies
    1. yes and hopeful those who witness such poor hygiene practices would follow through and do the same to save others. With us all watching out and caring for each other we would be a lot safer.

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  2. It takes a lot of courage to report this type of incident however you saved yourself, a family member or a stranger from falling ill due to someone's bad hygiene manners

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    1. Thank you, i never though of it in terms of courage per say, rather i was worried about offending the woman in question. Isn't that funny how we worry about upsetting and hurting others while their actions can very well be doing just that-hurting someone. I had to weigh it out and understand just as someone will unknowingly consume the contaminated food so could I unknowingly on some other occasion. Its that "what goes around, comes around" thing, so I had to do/say something.

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  3. A bold and right step you took.
    Agree to the moral and truth behind the story.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was disturbing. I'm glad you spoke up about it. Hopefully, the woman you spoke to is also not guilty of practicing bad hygiene.

    Now I'm having second thoughts about a place where I get patties from. One day I looked into their kitchen through an open door, and I didn't like what I saw. Hm.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it truly disturbed me. I certainly hope not, I have never seen the one I told do that and I have been frequenting this bakery for a while.

      You gotta follow that gut. I am of a theory that we are place to witness/experience things for a particular reason, its just not random.

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  5. Bear Withness! You have a chose to make she toled me thants you and said she would report it to the owners I left feeling much better.
    That is word affelt us or happen to us. food is ingested it immediately to impait ones health.
    Some one has poor hygiene preacties?
    You don't know to forget, what you saw who is going to know?
    Life s a circle comes arownd and ultimatily each choice a price we'll be forcad to pay when we least suspeet it.
    It was lovely actions was very practicing!
    We has raining for so many days but I love to watching TV in Golf and Tennes.
    I hope you having a nice day!
    Michiko

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blessings and thank you
      I did feel better once i reported the unhealthy practice that put people's health at risk

      Delete
  6. Well Rhapsody you certainly did the right thing, I bet this kind of thing goes on quite a lot.
    Well done.
    Sheila x

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    Replies
    1. Unfortunately i am sure it does. We have a saying in Trinidad, "what the eye does not see, the heart will not grieve but what they eyes see it will grieve."

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  7. Wow, goog of you to have reported the incident. Many have gotten sick without knowning the cause and this might have been a reason.

    Thank you.

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    1. Thanks....
      I was so tempted to just say nothing, then i started thinking that it can easily be me eating the food of the ground unknowingly. The thought was nauseating, I had to say something.

      Delete
  8. Oh yuuuuck! You were so good to follow up and say something. I remember our school custodian telling me once that he never orders fresh salad at restaurants because he used to work in restaurants. He said he only buys things that are cooked. I guess you never know...

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    Replies
    1. I know right....
      Some people have some poor hygiene practices that can really put people health at risk. It never occurs to them that the same can happen to them as well.

      Delete

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