Comments on: The Robin Hood Conundrum

By: MyMoneyDesign

MyMoneyDesign — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:16:23 +0000

Touching story! Hands down – I would have given her the food. Like a lot of these other comments, I don’t think I thought about the consequences of ANYTHING at age 15. My first job was at a restaurant at age 16 and they had a similar rule. I somehow worked out a “deal” with my manager where if I bought a meal, that meant I got to eat pretty much anything extra that night. Oh to be 16 again ….

By: Leanne

Leanne — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:55 +0000

That’s so sad! I don’t know what I would have done. If it happened now, I probably would have said: “Hey, you should take some of this food.” packed it up in all the new boxes and forced it on her, in front of the cameras, going on about how I wish it were better quality. But I’m more confident now than I was when I was 15, and less afraid of consequences. It’s taken years of slogging away and following the rules for me to be able to break them.
What did you do?

By: Kris @ Simple Island Living

Kris @ Simple Island Living — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:45:38 +0000

I would have either given it to her or bought it for her. I really like From Shopping to Saving’s idea of changing the garbage bags, throwing the food into a clean bag and taking it to the “dumpster”.

I got in trouble once for driving a temp employee I had assigned to a client to the event. It was the weekend, it was a 20 min drive or an hour bus ride, and he was a tiny 60+ year old black man going to the whitest of white neighborhoods. He was totally confused as to how to get there (I got lost driving there), and I just wanted to make sure he got there and knew where the bus stop was so he could get home (he had to walk back to the bus stop at 11pm in pitch black suburbia). I was told never to do that again. I wish people would think with their hearts instead of their pocketbooks.

By: From Shopping to Saving

From Shopping to Saving — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:53:36 +0000

I’m sorry but I would TOTALLY give it to her and risk my job. I would probably empty out the trash, put in a new garbage bag, and then toss in the food that should be sent home with her. That is just ridiculous. Who wastes food like that???? STUPID COMPANY!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:19:06 +0000

At 15 these things can be hard to deal with. I had some trouble when I helped out a person who had come into the clothing store I was working at and was buying something for a child she had adopted who had been abused and left in a closet for weeks at a time, and was malnourished. The child needed a new belt, because her clothes couldn’t fit and they couldn’t buy too many new things for her. I saw the girl with my own eyes, so it was hard not to help her. She was so sweet, and looked so hurt. I gave my own belt that I was wearing, and had bought. My boss yelled at me and told me we can’t do that later on in the staff room. My consience told me otherwise. And I did what I felt was right. I would have given that lady the food.

By: Squirrelers

Squirrelers — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:59:51 +0000

Great story, even if sad. What a total joke that policy was. Though it was of course a few years ago, I feel bad that this lady you describe had such troubles in general, and that an obvious source of help was not there to do that – even to the point of surveillance cameras. Have to show kindness and help those in need.

By: American Debt Project

American Debt Project — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:19:16 +0000

There has to be a better way to deal with restaurant food waste. On the one hand, there is safety concerns in donating it, on the other hand, we go a little crazy with rules and regulations and end up tossing hundreds of pounds of food. I hope this lady got something to eat that night.

By: starvingartistcanada

starvingartistcanada — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:17:30 +0000

A friend of a friend was once in a similar situation but she opted to go on welfare. Her welfare officer told her that she would need to find employment that paid $20/h or better with a substantial benefits package to even consider going off welfare.

That woman should have considered asking for help since minimum wage isn’t enough for anybody to live on in Canada let alone a single parent of 3 children.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:52:03 +0000

Wow that is very sad. I’m not a fan of companies who would rather throw it away then help others, especially if they can. I used to work at a retail store where we would donate EVERYTHING that didn’t sell. I would make weekly trips to drop off clothes at youth centers.