Food stamps!

[Fermion]

I have a good one too! When we were building our RV I went to the local Subway to get lunch. I was filthy from crawling around welding the frame, my hair looked like Don King, and I was wearing the oldest shirt and pants imaginable.

They offered me a free sub thinking I was homeless.

(I politely declined and assured them I had cash)

 

[FUEGO]

I have a good one too! When we were building our RV I went to the local Subway to get lunch. I was filthy from crawling around welding the frame, my hair looked like Don King, and I was wearing the oldest shirt and pants imaginable.

They offered me a free sub thinking I was homeless.

(I politely declined and assured them I had cash)

You sure it wasn't "Dress like an ER'd Millionaire" day at Subway? Free 6" for the first 100 dressed like a bum?

 

[David1961]

You sure it wasn't "Dress like an ER'd Milionaire" day at Subway? Free 6" for the first 100 dressed like a bum?

If that happened, I wonder how many of the first 100 would be members of this forum?

 

[FUEGO]

If that happened, I wonder how many of the first 100 would be members of this forum?

I think most of us are too high-brow for that offer. It would take at least a free footlong to get me through their doors.

 

[MRG]

I have a good one too! When we were building our RV I went to the local Subway to get lunch. I was filthy from crawling around welding the frame, my hair looked like Don King, and I was wearing the oldest shirt and pants imaginable.

They offered me a free sub thinking I was homeless.

(I politely declined and assured them I had cash)

Years ago, 1974 I(single handed) dismantled a 1932 sawmill that had been used till the 1950's and shut after a major flood. For ten years it had been used to warehouse coal!

An entire day of dismantling old bolts, heating and or cutting, careful not to set the place in fire. Grease and coal dust over most of my body. I looked like a dirty sewer rat.

I stopped in a 7 11 on the way home. People backed up to stay away.

 

[audreyh1]

How would someone with an EBT card be able to use any of those self-checkout lanes in supermarkets and other stores like Wal-Mart? They would have the burden of separating EBT-eligible items from the rest, unless the self-checkout monitor has to assist them.

Our self-checkout lanes take the EBT card so I assume the machine software has it all figured out.

 

[Badger]

Gone are the days where Ward would relax at home wearing a sports coat and tie and Mrs. Cleaver would vacuum the house wearing pearls.

I'm usually wearing shorts, an old t-shirt, and sandals. I'm count myself lucky if I remember to pull up my zipper. As the years go by it becomes more of a challenge to keep that in mind.

Cheers!

 

[braumeister]

At least I think that's how it works down here in the gentile south.

I have a couple of Jewish friends in Florida. Will they have to move now?
[emoji849]

 

[Winemaker]

Reminds me off the time where I finished my midnight shift working underground at the coal mine. Normally, I would do my paperwork then take a shower, check with maintenance and safety departments and go home. I had to skip the usual routine when I got a call from DW that she was sick, and couldn't pick up the kids at summer story reading camp. So I finished my paperwork, and went to pick up kids, filthy from working 9 hours in a coal mine; and NOBODY batted an eye, kids, parents, counselors. Mind you I looked like Al Jolson in black face!

 

[lwp2017]

I'm used to people assuming I'm poor. I don't have my nails done, my hair is in a ponytail, no makeup, my clothes have no fancy labels, and I don't carry a purse or wear jewelry. So basically not a single social cue salespeople rely on to determine wealth. .

My wife came home mad as a wet hen a few years ago. She went shopping "dressed casual, hair in ponytail, no makeup" to a local furniture store, planning to buy a new living room set, recliners, and other items with cash.

She happened to stop and look at a rocking chair as she walked in, first words out of the sales lady's mouth was " we can finance that for you if you want it". Proceeded to assume DW couldn't afford a pillow.

 

[growing_older]

Not sure where you live, but that is definitely not the case by me. Where I live, the EBT cards are very unique looking and obvious for anyone to see. And in my local grocery store the cashiers use a dedicated EBT card reader and a surprisingly large number of shoppers use them. Far more than the national stats indicate.

I don't think I'm being snoopy, but it's almost impossible not to notice people using EBT cards with a distinctive design and often two transactions, one for the EBT card, one for non-EBT items. Likewise, it's impossible not to at least casually see what is being bought by the person ahead and behind while waiting in an grocery checkout line. To not notice would require me to close my eyes and actively direct my attention to the floor or ceiling. Maybe that's just me.

But as for the items being bought, I've not seen any pattern of extravagance or unusual thrift by EBT users. They seem like regular people, buying regular things. People buy weird things at grocery stores. Someone may buy nothing but six kinds of potato chips, or nothing but chocolate and potatoes. There's far too much variation and strangeness to make critical judgements.

She happened to stop and look at a rocking chair as she walked in, first words out of the sales lady's mouth was " we can finance that for you if you want it". Proceeded to assume DW couldn't afford a pillow.

As a long time frumpy dresser, I'm well used to this. Sales people, especially at expensive places don't go out of their way to help me. Suits me fine. I'd rather browse around on my own. Luckily I think it's amusing that the loss prevention guy sometimes tries to casually follow me around. When I am actually ready to ask a question, I'll sometimes turn to loss prevention guy and ask him, which I guess I'm not supposed to do, but seems like fair payback for the judgemental treatment.

 

[Surewhitey]

Not snoopy, just observant. The EBT cards were issued to reduce the stigma of actual paper stamps and making the people using them feel less-than...

Another observation is WIC benefits, two boxes of cereal, milk, cheese, etc...

I worked in a grocery store as a young lad and learned the process...not snooping.

 

[97guns]

The worst part is, I see these people on EBT cards buying junk food, soda pops, crab, T bone steaks, they are eating better than I am. If these people truely needed assistance then they would be buying rice, beans, bread and milk. They take advantage of the system like my aunt, may she Rest In Peace, she used to get free milk, flour, sugar, eggs and butter from sime local govt handout place, my neighbor even bragged about getting 2 free turkeys during thanksgiving, he went back twice!!! Too many people taking advantage.

The best thing we could do is cut assistance, save money by cutting programs, force these people to work and drive the economy by spending their own money on food. Problem is people don't want to work, they'd rather have their hands iut to take rather than working for it.

 

[MichaelB]