March 27th - 6:00p.m
Driving down Cook st after a busy day and contemplating what to eat for dinner. Do I put something together at home or do I stop and grab something easy and already prepared? Common question I find myself asking as of late.
I notice the Burger Crush food truck looming ahead through the passenger side of the windshield. I start thinking to myself "nah not a burger, I ate one yesterday." As sudden as the thought of a burger is leaving my mind, a new one enters. TACO JUSTICE! And look at that. Parking available right on the street. Alright then.
I bring up the familiar website from the warm comfort of my small pickup truck. Brutus burrito - Mmmmm. Yes please. Paid and tipped. Super convenient. Nice.
I notice one person waiting for an order. OK cool, this probably won't take too long. I'll sit in my truck for 10 minutes and then go wait by the food truck.
Door dasher comes up to the food truck, announces their presence and is promptly dismissed and pointed in a direction away from the service window "your name will be called when your order is ready!"
Note to self - ok wow that seemed slightly uncomfortable, they must be super busy. I don't think I will announce myself, I will just let them call my name.
Slightly unsure, but curious looking fellow approaches food truck. "Hello sir! Are you picking up!?" Snaps a clearly irritated staff person. "No no, I would like to order." replys the man. "What kind of tacos do you have?" "OK sir, look now because all of our menu items are written down here for you!" They point at the menu with an ever so slight shake of the head. Accompanied by a penetrating glare from a different staff person.
25 minutes pass since I've pulled over and I've now been standing by the food truck for at least 10 minutes. I start to question my decision of stopping here.
A few more moments pass until I approach the window to inquire about my beef burrito, half expecting to be rudely dismissed and told to wait for my name to be called.
"Hello, I made an online order for Lennon." I say. Without a word, staff person reaches over to what appears to be some far away corner to retrieve my now lukewarm and soggy burrito. I think to my self great, how long has that been there? So I ask. "Ohhh I don't know! Probably 10 minutes"? They respond.
Since standing in the cold and bearing witness to such blatant disrespect to customers I have since become slightly irritated. I ask "why wasn't my name called?" to which they answer "that is not our system here, you have to come and say you are here and then I will call your name! I can't keep track and looking out for people with all these door dash people and everything else going on!"
I reply "ok but isn't it kind of easy though to just call my name?"
"No this isn't how we do it here!"
Fed up, I just ask them to hand me my burrito so I can leave. They do.
Before turning and walking even one step away, I hear three subsequent bursts of laughter erupt from amongst the food truck.
I turn back around towards them, slightly stunned but also not surprised of this behaviour given my previous observations.
I ask "why are you all laughing at me as I walk away?" To this I am not answered.
I ask again, and tell them it's incredibly disrespectful and rude. Staff member in the middle responds "I'm at work dude!" Like this is normal work behavior for them.
By this point I am pretty furious and deciding not to make more of a scene, I turn and walk away again. The same sarcastic and condescending burst of laughter from inside the food truck meets my ears as soon as my back is turned. Not even 3 feet away from the vehicle. I turn around again and shrug my shoulders in a questioning manner before continuing on to my vehicle. Hurt. Belittled. And greatly disappointed.
Came for a beef burrito - left with emotional turmoil and a soggy dinner
- former Taco Justice Fan and supporter,
Lennon Walton read more