Free Food
 

Called games tonight with a partner I have worked with a few times, but this was our first time to ride together. On the way home, we were approaching a couple of fast food places, and he asked if I had a preference. I said he was driving, either one was fine. He said that either one would "take care of us."
To make a long story short, apparently it is a common practice for various eating establishments to provide free food for sports officials, including the Burger King on my way home, where I have stopped probably a hundred times returning from games.

Is this a southern thing, or is it everywhere? For the record, this is not a practice with which I am comfortable.

I wish. Nope never heard of such a policy anywhere I have worked.

Peace

I'm with JRut - first I've heard of it.......even on the forum. :confused:

Wow. That's great. The best we get in this area is the occasional hot dog that didn't sell at the concession stand on the way out of the gym.

I'm wondering how the people in the drive thru would know you're sports officials. My bag's in the trunk and I'm business casual.

Did he tell the people he was an official?

I haven't heard of free food for officials, but I know that some of the fast food places feed the driver of a van or bus for free. I found this out when I coached a long, long time ago. (Part of the reason I'm an official is that I was a terrible coach.) I'd come in with a van load of players and tell them I was the team driver and they'd give me my order for free.

Remember who you're talking to. :D

Back in the Day.......
 

Concur.

When I was a young whipper snapper many moons ago in HS working in a local fast food establishment, bus drivers always ate for free.

Twas good for business!

I suppose there's one benefit to traveling in uniform.

Weathermark? Ha!

Never had free fast food. But when we go to restaurants...

Many places in most cities around me gives teams a discount, and we have managed to become a "team" in their eyes. Among the offers are: (a) the first pitcher is free, (b) plate of free nachos, (c) 25% discount, (d) free app with an entree. But, that's because we often have a final total of $75 to as large as $300.

Along these lines, more than once I've had my bag/suitcase in front seat and when stopped by police for speeding I quickly unzip bag to show stripes.......pass everytime!

The dark glasses and cane?

I had friends that worked at fast food joints as teenagers. They all had the same policy: when a bus pulled in, try to see how many people are on it, and put on a whole whack of burgers right away.

One night, a bus came pulled in to the local Wendy's parking lot. My buddy put on 15 burgers. The driver comes in wanting directions. :D My friend called the 4 or 5 of us, and we all ate for free. In that case, it was bad for business and good for us! lol

I do not know about you, but I paid for my food. ;)

Peace

If it is a "southern thing" then Virginia was skipped over. But if a restaurant is offering me free food then I'm taking it. :D

Now hospitality rooms? Well, depends on who your boss is. I have one supervisor who has made it perfectly clear that we do not utilize any hospitality rooms when working his games.

Perhaps in that area of the country officials change in the parking lots of the local fast food restaurants. :eek:

I have never heard of that one before. Since I'm trying not to eat that food, I'm not going to start driving around to Chick-Fil-As in my stripes asking for free sandwiches.

This raises an important question, do Footlocker employees get the same free meals?

Well played. ;)

Peace

When asked by officers what I do for a living, which seems to be a standard question, right after "Do you know how fast you were going?", I always include that "I am also a basketball official, kind of the same as you except I don't get to carry a gun". Usually followed by a grin, chuckle, and "slow down and have a nice day".

Several schools in Central Va toss some really good food our way............

Ha!

Nothing like that in this corner. Still, if management wants to give you the food, I see no conflict of interest.

I was once pulled over in a small town because I was the referee. :eek:

Night game. Home team lost, showered, left. Not more than a few hundred yards out of the school, I get pulled over. Apparently I was speeding.

Cop makes the mistake about mentioning that I was a referee. I asked if he was just at the game....he said he wan't. Suspicious, I asked him how he knew I was a referee. He claimed to have recognized me from his kids games....I hadn't been to that town in about 2 years. Hmmmm.

He let me go. Later, I told my partner about it.....he got pulled over too.

We asked around and found that several referees were pulled over just after leaving that same school...none ever with tickets, just warnings (probably so it wouldn't ever show up in any official record).

While nothing was ever proven, the assumption was that the coach, the AD, or someone connected with the school was having a buddy copy harass officials after games where the home team lost or was tough. Our commissioner called the AD on the issue and said it needed to stop....and it did. Hmmm.

We get free produce. But it gets thrown at us, not served to us.

:D

I would love to see this hit the papers!

Memories.....
 

Juggler - you're killing me!

Same situation. Bus pulls in about 20 minutes prior to closing. About 30 "seniors" (to us teenagers anyhow) get off and start walking toward the doors. Burgers go on, fries go down......we're ready for action!

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like an apple pie and coffee please......" x about 25!

We too ate well that night at closing! ;)

Classic!

Just Flash Your Badge ...
 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5251/5...ca118730_m.jpg

Of course, if you were a Mythbuster, you could just show them your Mythbuster Secret Decoder Ring.

There are quite a few middle schools in my area that will feed officials during tournaments. There are a couple of guys I know that definitely take advantage of this. I kid them that they are the reason schools only give us a tix for sandwich and drink know instead of whatever we want.

This happened to us for the first time I can think of. We happened to go to McDs (which I do not like to go to) in the town we had the game and we got our meal for free. I was a little shocked. Then again we were not dressed in uniform, but the visiting team was there and that is how they knew I guess.

Peace

Took some liberties......
 

This is how it is here........

Cannon fodder.:cool:

One school I worked at up north usually gave us hot dogs that were left over. Sometimes, more than one. I joked with one guy that we wanted to make sure we called a two hot dog game.

The most memorable experience I've had is a college in New Orleans gives the officials po boys (southern thing if you've never heard of it) after the game...and you get to order it before the game.

During football season, we had a youth team providing all you can eat boudin to the officials. I stopped myself at one because if I had eaten any more, I don't think I would have cared about the games. :)

oyster po boys - yummo!!

Video on an IPHONE would have been golden in this situation.