Who Needs Health Inspectors? Still Venting

[la808]

I have been involved with restaurants for over 40 years and have dealt with my fair share of health inspectors and I personally think they are one of the biggest wastes of our tax dollars. I have seen the most filthy kitchens pass inspections. The inspectors will come in, stick a thermometer in a few places, look around and leave. They don't catch the mouse droppings in the meat pans or the slime in the ovens or the rotting food hiding in the fridge. If a place does get a ding, I seldom see an inspector follow up on it. I've seen inspectors overlook more than anyone would ever want to know. It's a joke, the public is getting duped and things need to change. Yes, I am sure there are good inspectors out there, but I've not once seen one. We eat out a lot and this scares the cr*p out of me. I would like to see a better way to monitor eating establishments, but how?
Maybe restaurants could be monitored by the public? Let the customers inspect these places and determine the ratings? Give them Karmas? ;D
I don't know...It just seems like such a waste of tax dollars and health risk to the public.

[deziloooooo]

I occasionally watch a TV show, Englishman, a famous chef and authority on turning restaurants around, [seems one of the tricks is to use the f word a lot in yelling at the owner of the place] but in the make over, some of these restaurants are shown to be absolutely the worse places imaginable , from spoiled food, infestation, droppings and on and on..professionals have to be brought in and basically steam cleaned the places.

[Tennesseer]

I think it would be great for the customers to inspect these restaurants. The problem with that though would they be allowed into the kitchen where I imagine most violations occur. Maybe start a Citizens Advisory Group where a citizen accompanies the health inspector on his/her rounds. The citizens traveling with the health inspectors would have to be doing this on a voluntary basis.

Have the citizen group hold the health inspectors accountable and let the citizen's report be the public report, even published in the local papers.

[la808]

Jan 4, 2011 10:58:43 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I think it would be great for the customers to inspect these restaurants. The problem with that though would they be allowed into the kitchen where I imagine most violations occur. Maybe start a Citizens Advisory Group where a citizen accompanies the health inspector on his/her rounds. The citizens traveling with the health inspectors would have to be doing this on a voluntary basis.

Have the citizen group hold the health inspectors accountable and let the citizen's report be the public report, even published in the local papers.

Awesome idea!!!! The police force in our town found that having a citizen ride along improved the performance of their officers. This would work!!! Thanks. I may bring this up at a county meeting. Awesome!

[la808]

Jan 4, 2011 11:39:02 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

I occasionally watch a TV show, Englishman
Gordan Ramsey on Kitchen Nightmares or one of it's off shoots. I enjoy that show too, and yeah he uncovers some gross stuff.
I worked in kitchens as a kid, and I never understood it either. Plus they would schedule an appointment for the inspection. Like, heads up, I'll be there next Thursday! I saw some stuff pass that I thought was questionable. Maybe it's different now.

During my first restaurant job, I watched the owner (my boss and cook) receive phone calls from other restaurant owners who would call and give a heads up that the inspector was out and about. My boss would cook with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and I actually saw ashes fall into peoples food. Once given the heads up she would hid the cigarettes and dirty ash tray. Then, when the inspector left she'd take out the cigarettes, set the ash tray on the edge of the grill and start smoking over the food again.

[Tennesseer]

LA808-During my first restaurant job, I watched the owner (my boss and cook) receive phone calls from other restaurant owners who would call and give a heads up that the inspector was out and about. My boss would cook with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and I actually saw ashes fall into peoples food.

While I have never worked in a restaurant, I find the cigarette ashes I accidentally drop into food while cooking does give it a certain Southern charm and stretches the meal.

[Tennesseer]

(Okay-I have to break down and figure out how to post a picture here. Damn I hate to learn new things.)

[mudflap81]

One of my worst experiences with a health inspector was someone on the opposite end of the spectrum. She went overboard on everything from her clothing to her equipment to her demands. I was in charge of the fryolators for an outdoor charity event 2 years ago.

We got into an argument after she started touching my food and almost burned herself on the oil. I threatened to kicked her out and demand someone else be sent in unless she started doing her job right. Luckily she carried 4 (yes, 4) copies of the rulebook and I proved that her requirements were completely out of whack and didn't have to do them.

Last year, a different person showed up.

[Tennesseer]

These chicks and they are armed and they are dangerous.

[Tennesseer]

Savoir-my apologies-I accidentally deleted your post where you asked what chicks were going to be at my place for dinner. I meant to delete the one below it (mine) where I said I had to learn how to post a picture.

My apologies again. Tenn

[ed1066]

The easiest method I have found to determine cleanliness is to go into the bathroom (preferably before you order your food). If it's filthy, leave and don't come back. They let you see the bathroom, and if that's dirty, you can imagine what the kitchen must look like...

[la808]

Jan 4, 2011 14:01:17 GMT -5 @ed1066 said:

The easiest method I have found to determine cleanliness is to go into the bathroom (preferably before you order your food). If it's filthy, leave and don't come back. They let you see the bathroom, and if that's dirty, you can imagine what the kitchen must look like...

ED, good rule to follow.

[Tennesseer]

And make sure you open the bathroom doors with paper towels in hand(s).

[floridayankee]

Jan 4, 2011 10:03:09 GMT -5 @la808 said:

I have been involved with restaurants for over 40 years and have dealt with my fair share of health inspectors and I personally think they are one of the biggest wastes of our tax dollars. I have seen the most filthy kitchens pass inspections. The inspectors will come in, stick a thermometer in a few places, look around and leave. They don't catch the mouse droppings in the meat pans or the slime in the ovens or the rotting food hiding in the fridge. If a place does get a ding, I seldom see an inspector follow up on it. I've seen inspectors overlook more than anyone would ever want to know. It's a joke, the public is getting duped and things need to change. Yes, I am sure there are good inspectors out there, but I've not once seen one. We eat out a lot and this scares the cr*p out of me. I would like to see a better way to monitor eating establishments, but how?
Maybe restaurants could be monitored by the public? Let the customers inspect these places and determine the ratings? Give them Karmas? ;D
I don't know...It just seems like such a waste of tax dollars and health risk to the public.

You must have some lousy inspectors in your area then...or just outright lazy. Both private organizations I belong too get inspected regularly by various fed and county departments. It's actually a rarity if they do not write us up for something...even the most obscure things. We got written up because there was food in the cooler that wasn't labeled and dated. It was our volunteer bartender's lunch bag fer-cryin'-out-loud!

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Jan 4, 2011 13:35:19 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Savoir-my apologies-I accidentally deleted your post where you asked what chicks were going to be at my place for dinner. I meant to delete the one below it (mine) where I said I had to learn how to post a picture.

My apologies again. Tenn

No problem...wasnt that Demagogues post? LOL

[la808]

Jan 4, 2011 14:19:30 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

Jan 4, 2011 10:03:09 GMT -5 @la808 said:

I have been involved with restaurants for over 40 years and have dealt with my fair share of health inspectors and I personally think they are one of the biggest wastes of our tax dollars. I have seen the most filthy kitchens pass inspections. The inspectors will come in, stick a thermometer in a few places, look around and leave. They don't catch the mouse droppings in the meat pans or the slime in the ovens or the rotting food hiding in the fridge. If a place does get a ding, I seldom see an inspector follow up on it. I've seen inspectors overlook more than anyone would ever want to know. It's a joke, the public is getting duped and things need to change. Yes, I am sure there are good inspectors out there, but I've not once seen one. We eat out a lot and this scares the cr*p out of me. I would like to see a better way to monitor eating establishments, but how?
Maybe restaurants could be monitored by the public? Let the customers inspect these places and determine the ratings? Give them Karmas? ;D
I don't know...It just seems like such a waste of tax dollars and health risk to the public.

You must have some lousy inspectors in your area then...or just outright lazy. Both private organizations I belong too get inspected regularly by various fed and county departments. It's actually a rarity if they do not write us up for something...even the most obscure things. We got written up because there was food in the cooler that wasn't labeled and dated. It was our volunteer bartender's lunch bag fer-cryin'-out-loud!

Oh, the places I worked at got written up. It was just that nothing was ever done about it and there was never a follow up.

[floridayankee]

Oh, the places I worked at got written up. It was just that nothing was ever done about it and there was never a follow up.

Oh, they do follow up here. Our "citations" are always warnings...that they better see corrected on their follow-up or they start to get real ugly.

At least they are like this for private clubs. They may be different in the non-private establishments.

Another one one of the county guys got us on was for weeds growing around the well pump. What exactly this violates, I havn't a clue.

[dmsm]

My daughter works for a sandwich chain. They have state inspectors and company inspectors. The state one is predictable but the ones coming from the company show up unexpected and are tougher than the states. The store is immaculate

[handyman2]

There is a place for health inspectors in the food industry. The problem is there are no real checks and balances to see if they are doing thier jobs. I wonder which returants they eat in. That would be where I would go.

[verrip1]

Some people want health inspectors to be Nazis.

Others think they should go bathe in grease traps.

The obvious compromise is smelly blue dog Demos. Is that what we want to have deciding on what is clean enough? I say .....


............. maybe.

[floridayankee]

Jan 4, 2011 17:25:26 GMT -5 handyman2 said:

I wonder which returants they eat in. That would be where I would go.

DW always says that about healthcare.....ask the Dr. who they see when they need a Dr.