Subway - the KNIFE and other disgusting practices

I work at subway, and though some of my other employees do this. I completely understand being a fitness enthusiast and just a clean person in general. I go through about 100 knives or more through out the day and always change my gloves and wash my hands after each customer no matter how long it takes. Some customers in the line find it annoying though. that being said I will encourage other employees to do the same more often:).

I did this as well when I use to work at Subway

I'm in Tennessee and every Subway I've ever visited uses the squeeze bottles for condiments, too. Who'd have thought that us hillbillies would be on the cutting edge of sanitation? Anyway, and maybe someone else has already pointed this out & I missed it, but at least at Subway everything's out in the open. What about what you DON'T see at every other fast food restaurant, or any restaurant, for that matter?

Generally speaking, if you're overly concerned about sanitation I wouldn't suggest fast food.

This is what I was thinking the whole time I read this thread..I'm completely and thoroughly grossed out right now! Ugghh..

How do you uptight people live thru the day? By taking handfuls of anxiety pills, I guess. Trash hole? Do you think they are putting used diapers in there? They are pushing bread crumbs and spinach in there that hasn't been touched by human hands yet. And you want them to use a new knife on every sandwich? Really?

I love how people think this is how fast food gets made. THIS IS HOW ALL FOOD GETS MADE. Even in your own homes. Do you think your mom used a fresh knife on your PB&J sandwich after she cut your brother's? Good luck at Thanksgiving.

Can one of you alarmists please stop by your local ER and count how many people are there because of Subway, McDonalds or any other food place before you panic?

I've got to go with this too. Unless you've got specific food allergies, you gotta relax a bit or only eat food you prepare with your own hands (assuming you learn and adhere to all the correct practices).

^^^all of this^^^

People just need to calm the F*** down. If sanitation was such a paramount concern to you, you would take the hours waited in the week waiting in line at places like subway and invest it in making and packing your own lunches, and please don't vomit out all your lame excuses why you can't do this, I have heard them all before and assure you they are all stupid

At the end of the line - when they have all the glop on your sandwich (note here - I despise mayonnaise and most dressings) they need to fold the sandwich up so they reach for - the KNIFE. The knife that is dripping with mayo and other dressings from the last 50 sandwiches they've made that day. They lay it on your sandwich to hold the toppings in place, fold over the top, and extract the knife such that those remnants get scraped onto your pristine, veggie patty, pepperjack on wheat sub with everything but cucumbers and carrots and a touch of red salsa sub.

The other thing that disgusts me - the server standing there, waiting for the next sandwich on the assembly line. They are wearing those plastic gloves - for our protection I presume - and they proceed to wipe the counter and push leftover stuff into the trash hole using just the glove, then turn to you and ask what you'd like on your sandwich.

I'm sure much worse happens behind the scenes at a McDonalds, Hardees, etc. but it's 1) not where you can see it, and 2) I don't eat at those meat-factories.

What is more disgusting, the Knife or a " veggie patty, pepperjack on wheat sub with everything but cucumbers and carrots and a touch of red salsa sub"?

Acg, you totally read my mind!

Now I want to watch "Waiting". LOL

THE GOAT!!

Here's my subway gross out story. I was getting a tuna sandwich there (before I learned from MFP that it was evil) and there were these little gnats or some kind of little bugs hovering around the meat counter. The girl scooped out some tuna and this bug was hovering over the bread. When she glopped the tuna onto the bread, the bug was trapped between the bread and tuna. The expression on the girl's face gave away that she saw the bug and knew it was in my sandwich. She paused for a moment staring at it, then looked at me and said "what do you want on it?"

Sometimes eating at home can be gross too. I am constantly wiping down my counters. But as a Mom of kids you never know what is put on the counter. I have seen my kids put a utensil in the sink and then get it out and reuse it. I also make sure my cutting boards are always put in the dishwasher. I constantly using new Dish rags as well. Just the thought of it laying on the sink and then touching the counters it disgusting to me. I have seen my kids drop something on the floor and then wipe it up with the rag then put it back on the sink. My husband is a strict vegeterian so he has his own pans, cutting board. He once suggested his own silver ware and that is something I said I wouldn't do for him. I have been at relatives or friends house and they aren't any cleaner. Hopefully I didn't gross anybody out.

Don't come to my house. I let my dog eat off my fork.

ha so do i!!

I went to culinary school and let me tell you I have heard HORRIBLE stories, so when I go to a restaurant I just shut my eyes and enjoy and I try not to go to the restaurants that are the worst...

I understand that people want it to be clean as possible... but it's like any job, sometimes your going to be the best worker and sometimes you will be the worst.

If we start to think about all the germs, bacteria and everything, we woudn't eat, wouldn't breathe and probably live in a plastic bubble.... If you are afraid of everything, you will not live!

So I say, I eat, I breathe, let the cat lick the plate after you are finished !!! LIVE!!!

I just copied and pasted these comments onto Subway's corporate web page. I assumed they would want to know what concerns us about eating at their establishments -- hope you don't mind.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

I think that a great idea!

Can one of you alarmists please stop by your local ER and count how many people are there because of Subway, McDonalds or any other food place before you panic?

There are probably more people there that had aneurysms from watching them wipe the knife on a paper towel that had been exposed to the air. The AIR for chrissakes! Do you know how many contagions are in the AIR at Subway?

The AIR! I almost forgot about the air. But how do they even get inside the Subway to breathe the air? Because the DOOR HANDLES!!!! I imagine before they request a fresh knife before each slice of honey oat bread they spend 10 mins outside trying to open the door with their elbows.

Can one of you alarmists please stop by your local ER and count how many people are there because of Subway, McDonalds or any other food place before you panic?

There are probably more people there that had aneurysms from watching them wipe the knife on a paper towel that had been exposed to the air. The AIR for chrissakes! Do you know how many contagions are in the AIR at Subway?

The AIR! I almost forgot about the air. But how do they even get inside the Subway to breathe the air? Because the DOOR HANDLES!!!! I imagine before they request a fresh knife before each slice of honey oat bread they spend 10 mins outside trying to open the door with their elbows.

I like to watch those displays.

It's not the responsibility of the restaurant to make sure customers avoid allergens. It's your responsibility as a parent and an individual to speak up. All they can do is try to reasonably accommodate you.

I was just about to type this, and then found out a reasonable person was already on top of it. Good to know there are at least 16 of us on this site.

For the rest, Welcome to Earf.

A subway local to were I work did this as well as handling change (which is full of bacteria! :sick: ) and taking other things from the shelves like crisps and cookies without changing gloves or using alcohol gel. They even served me OUT OF DATE CRISPS! :noway:

So I emailed their head office and they sent the details to the manager of the store who personally contacted me apologising offering a free subway meal and that he will speak to the staff.

Since then they change gloves, wipe knives between sandwiches with alcohol wipes etc. They have one person on sandwiches only and one on the till only who also gets you drinks and crisps etc. They've been doing it properly now for 3 months :happy:

Worst thing that happened to me in a subway was asking for pickle on my sandwich and getting jalepeno's instead! As they were next to each other on the veggie bit I understand how the mistake was made but it ruined my sandwich so i complained and got 4 free subs and drinks! :oD Never been in a subway in my city since that has pickles and jalepeno's next to each other lol!

i would have zero problem looking across the counter and asking them to use a fresh knife or new gloves if i saw something that grossed me out. and i totally get the concern about this for food allergies (i.e. cut a tuna sandwich and move on to a person who is allergic to fish)... but in all honesty, reusing a knife is no different than what happens in most restaurants (fine or otherwise) around the world. in a nice restaurant, the chef is wiping the knife on his apron because it is there and fast and convenient. also, in a nice restaurant, the chef isn't wearing gloves as she prepares meal after meal. and i think it's crazy to expect people to ruin their hands by washing between every single sandwich. they didn't suddenly pick up an infectious disease between that ham sandwich and this turkey sub.

which leads me to a somewhat related rant. people are far too consumed with wiping away every germ. more and more studies are showing that we are doing ourselves far more harm than good by trying to remain so germ-free all of the time. our immune systems need practice. without exposure to germs, our immune systems can't learn how to protect us and keep us protected. stop washing away every germ! let your kids reuse a fork! why work so hard to be physically fit if you are going to prevent your body from learning how to keep you healthy?