Take what you want

[Writer Cath]

If it hadn't been for my insane schedule (full time work, helping parents part time and on the weekends, going to school and riding six times a week) I would have worked the midnight shift all the time.

For one thing, it was super peaceful as there were only a couple of rushes here and there, usually when the nearby factory changed shifts. The cleanup and trash duties really weren't that bad and you could take your breaks whenever you wanted, provided it wasn't busy.

There was also the super awesome "Take what you want policy." Or doughnut shop was a 24 hour one, so while we never closed, the baker came in around five thirty and the new stuff was ready in about an hour. That meant that the stuff that had been out for the evening was good to grab, because otherwise it just got thrown out. We're talking garbage bags worth of perfectly good food just tossed out. I know it was for legal issues, but it was still troubling.

So I took advantage; garbage bag, my house, didn't matter to the store.

After working a midnight, I grabbed so many doughnuts, bagels, muffins and croissants that my mother had to give some to the neighbors. Except for Sundays, we're pretty much on hour own for breakfast, but my parents used to be so happy to come home and see all kinds of delicious free baked goods waiting.

Another time, I was leaving for a trip to Toronto the next morning (ex-best friend drove all the way there while I slept) and we had so much food, we were eating for not just the trip, but most of our stay. My brother was always mad that he was never at home while I worked at Tim's.

What about you guys? Any good take home stories?

[iradney]

Well, I didn't really get to take stuff home to KEEP, but back in the good ol days when I worked in a CD store, we got to book out CD's to take home and listen to. The manager allowed this because it increased our product knowledge, which in turn increased sales.
Of course, I only discovered MP3s AFTER I left my job at the CD store...damn you Murphy!

[AFpheonix]

I'd get fired if I took home any of the stuff I sell

We do occasionally get some good pens and whatnot from drug reps if someone goes to a continuing education event.

[Fera Festiva]

I work in a library, so I can take home whatever I want. Downside is, I have to bring it back.

When I worked at a bookstore, the annual stocktake was voluntary - we didn't get paid, but we didn't have to do it. But if we did do it, we got to pick any free book to keep, plus any out-of-date promotional signage if we wanted it. I got a whole bunch of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire posters and cutouts one year, which was ace.

[hawkchick11]

I got to do the same thing when I worked at Panera Bread. We usually donated all of the items that we had at the end of the night to the homeless shelter or other charities, but occasionally they would call and say they wouldn't be picking up the leftovers. When that happened, the employees got to take whatever they wanted. It never failed, they always seemed to call on holidays, like the night before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, so I always made sure I requested to work those nights

My family was so mad when I quit working there.

[draftermatt]

When I worked at Quizno's I made a 2 pound sausage sub.

The sausage was too old to sell so I kept piling it on the bread.

[MadMike]

While we technically weren't supposed to eat any merchandise even if it was damaged and unsellable, everyone did it anyway. Even management didn't care.

I remember one night, we discovered a whole cart full off assorted snack stuff (cookies, crackers, etc.) that were about to be thrown out because they were one day past the expiration date. Everyone, including the night manager, gathered around it and just started grazing. Somewhat comical now that I look back at it.

[BlaqueKatt]

boss at one of the pizza places used to bag all the leftover slices/breadsticks and hand us each a bag on the way out--or tell us to give out extra pizza to the last car-he refused to throw it out-I lived off nothing but pizza for two months!!!

[AirHostess]

We can take home uneaten crew food (sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, fruit) and drinks-bottled water, fruit juice and milk.

And any magazines and newspapers left behind by passengers. I save a small fortune now!

[Fera Festiva]

We can take home uneaten crew food (sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, fruit) and drinks-bottled water, fruit juice and milk.

A friend's boyfriend is an air steward - whenever they throw parties, all the drinks are miniatures of alcohol and those tiny cans of juice that he nicks from planes. I love their parties - partly because there is so much drink and partly because I like to hold miniatures and pretend I'm a giant.

[BookstoreEscapee]

BN lets employees sign out hardcover books, which is very cool. I miss that the most not being in the store anymore. And sometimes we'd get advance copies from publishers that we got to keep. Random House used to send reps around to all the stores before the holiday season to show us all the stuff they were pushing and we'd get freebies from them. I have a $40 children's book collection I snagged free.

When stuff goes on clearance it goes 50%, 75%, then down to $1. Eventually any leftovers get marked to 0 and tossed. We'd get to take whatever we wanted at that point (not that there was anything good by then..).

We got to take stripped books and magazines, too. Technically there was a limit (I think 5) for what you could take in a day, but I've never seen it enforced. I've got bags worth of stripped books. I don't think they strip the magazines anymore, though. I miss that.

Usually food from the cafe gets tossed, but sometimes they'd let us have it. Usually it was cheesecake that was on its last day (mm..Cheesecake Factory). Once we got a batch of chocolate chunk cookies that was apparently missing whatever ingredient makes them spread out when you bake them. They were perfectly fine to eat but looked more like chocolate chunk hockey pucks. They gave them to us rather than toss a whole batch. And when they roll out a new drink or pastry they usually sample it for us at the morning meeting so when customers ask we can tell them how it is.

[HYHYBT]

First half

Here are a few of the things I've gotten from work, the ones I could get at and snap pictures of quickly*...

Some old Translites:


As much as I could get in my car of the old (~1980) menu board:

[HYHYBT]

A "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" fence banner:

(The full banner is about 20 feet long, but there isn't space there to unroll the whole thing and it wouldn't fit in the picture anyway)

Panels from the entrance arrow sign, replaced by ones that say "Dollar Menu" and "24 Hour Drive-Thru")


And this. Not the snowman, the door behind it. It was the "employees only" door until the store got remodelled and they removed it, walling in the hole.

[MystyGlyttyr]

When I worked at the candy store, we got to graze all we wanted while we were at work. Sometimes, I would graze some stuff into a bag and graze it on home with me, heh. Once I swiped a big bag of chocolate covered cookie dough for my brother for his birthday and a bunch of sugar daddies for my sister-in-law.

We were supposed to throw out the old bakery stuff at the deli I worked at, but I usually packed some up and took them home with me anyway, heh.

[ZumZum]

When I worked for Pizza Hut they let us eat the mistakes. Occasionally when we were REALLY hungry, we encouraged the cooks to make a "mistake". LOL

Where I work now, I get free product. It's pretty cool.