One of my goals for the year was to shop local

[Deleted]

What. The. Fuck!?

I started reading this list and thinking, "go Stan, support local businesses!" Then I was like, WHAT THE FUCK?

[justjen]

Holy crap. Team Subway.

.

[tine]

Wow. Poor kids. I'm glad you got out of there safe! I'm sure there are other local businesses to support...

[kadams767]

Feb 5, 2015 5:36:28 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

Ugh. Awful.

Ftr, I like supporting local businesses too (and DH and I are trying to do that restaurant-wise) but I get annoyed when the food/service isn't stellar.

Isn't that true at non-local businesses also, though? I'd be annoyed going anywhere with subpar food, lol.

[Deleted]

Oh, that's sad. Yuck.

Subways are franchised. Although they're often franchised by people who own a gazillion franchises and may or may not be local.

I have this problem with a lot of the local joints in my rural area though. I think many of them are only open because local options are so limited.

My worst sandwich buying experience ever was in a Subway. lol

[compassrose]

That's so awful. I'm so sorry.

[emilyinchile]

That's awful. And my desire to buy local does not trump my desire to avoid supporting people/causes that I find abhorrent, so I think you're good to buy your next sandwich anywhere but there.

[maddiepaddy]

This is horrible, those poor kids! However, it really rubs me the wrong way that you are insinuating that the apparent pervasive acceptance of child abuse in your region only exists within the locally owned sandwich shop. I am sure that Subway and the local place are hiring from the same pool of potential employees and also serve the same rural population. This exchange could have been just as easily been overhead next door in the Subway. This event has way more to do with the region you live in than the sandwich shop you happened to be in and heard the exchange.

[spunkarella]

I hate when local places aren't good quality. I joke that I live in the land of chain restaurants. We have almost every chain you can think of, but very few good local places.

I recently overheard someone saying they always try to go to local restaurants. And then said they drive to a town about 35 minutes away for lunch almost every day so they can "eat local." I'm pretty sure the footprint of driving that far, that often negates much of the benefit of avoiding chains. Maybe she also only buys gas at locally owned stations?

[raangoli]

That is terrible! I think that in this case it's OK to patronize Subway over the local sandwich shop.

[UnderProtest]

Yeah, the rural South is like being in a different dimension.

[spunkarella]

Stan hold the phone...you live in a relatively diverse area of the rural south, near a military base? Are we neighbors? If so, I'm gonna need your recs for local places. YGPM.

[spunkarella]

Feb 5, 2015 14:20:08 GMT -5 Stan said:

Sadly I don't think so, we're not super close to a base (about 90 minutes away) as this assignment is living among the people! Lol. 

Boo!

[mich1]

Tonight I went to the local sandwich shop instead of Subway. They're next door to each other. Not only was the food subpar,



Subway doesn't set a very high bar anyway, so subpar to that does not bode well.

I have no problem paying more money for better food, especially if it is buying locally.  But it had better at least be comparable!

[UnderProtest]

Feb 5, 2015 14:29:44 GMT -5 Stan said:

Feb 5, 2015 14:21:08 GMT -5 spunkarella said:

Boo!

Seriously! I would love to be close to an MMer. I haven't had a lot of success meeting people here. We've only got two meetup groups and one is no longer meeting and the other requires ownership of a kayak, which I'd love but can't justify right now. No rental places. 

You didn't meet up with me when I was close!  Should I take this as a personal insult?  

[maddiepaddy]

Feb 5, 2015 13:49:03 GMT -5 Stan said:

Feb 5, 2015 11:18:20 GMT -5 maddiepaddy said:

This is horrible, those poor kids! However, it really rubs me the wrong way that you are insinuating that the apparent pervasive acceptance of child abuse in your region only exists within the locally owned sandwich shop. I am sure that Subway and the local place are hiring from the same pool of potential employees and also serve the same rural population. This exchange could have been just as easily been overhead next door in the Subway. This event has way more to do with the region you live in than the sandwich shop you happened to be in and heard the exchange.

Wait, what? The only thing any of that has to do with buying local is that that's the only reason I was in this particular sandwich shop last night. I'm not going to stop trying to buy local because of this one bad experience. I just won't be buying local at this particular shop. Partially because it was a crappy sandwich but mostly because of that conversation. And I was pretty clear that the customer is the one who initiated and customers were the ones giving child abuse tips.

I've been in that Subway a million times and never heard anything like that conversation. The least professional thing they've ever talked about was being tired of the muzak. The owner's daughter also works there so I feel pretty content that my dollars are still local there. I just wanted to try a local, non-chain since I always just drive by.

And I feel like maybe I should defend the rural South or something, but I agree with you so I won't. I really like a lot of the people here, and it's nice to live in a really diverse part (I'm from Southern California, so our diversity was there, but different), but there are a lot of negatives. 

Gotcha, I totally see what you're saying. I felt like the OP read with a different tone. I thought you were putting much more weight on the experience having happened at a local business, especially with the title being 'One of my goals for the year was to shop local.'

I am a small business owner and I may be a bit overly sensitive to things like this... 

[UnderProtest]

Feb 5, 2015 17:50:25 GMT -5 Stan said:

Feb 5, 2015 17:15:55 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

You didn't meet up with me when I was close!  Should I take this as a personal insult?  

Wait, when was this? I genuinely don't remember. This is the first time I've ever not been go go go in the last few years. I would meet up with any MMer! I've met les only from MM and that was a great experience.

It was in a conversation with the one that shall not be named talking about her visiting you and all of us getting together.

[les]

Feb 5, 2015 17:50:25 GMT -5 Stan said:

Feb 5, 2015 17:15:55 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

You didn't meet up with me when I was close!  Should I take this as a personal insult?  

Wait, when was this? I genuinely don't remember. This is the first time I've ever not been go go go in the last few years. I would meet up with any MMer! I've met les only from MM and that was a great experience.

It was great! I hope we can see each other again!

[tacosforlife]

Stan, a subpar sammich is just so disappointing.

If you're ever in DC, I will take you to THE BEST sammich shop. Bonus: it is run by super nice people.