Stoned Sandwich & Burrito Artists

I've read before that the restaurant and bar industries have the highest incident of drug and alcohol abuse. From my time spent at Pizza Hut in the early 2000's, I know that anecdotaly to be true. And let's make no mistake, this isn't an attack on potheads in general. I love potheads.

But, I hate the ones that work at Subway, Jersey Mike's, Chipotle, etc. While most fast food establishments give you very little choice, these establishments are devoted to people having a multitude of options for their sandwich and/or Mexican fare. And this is awesome. You move through a line, instructing the employee what you do or don't want in your food. This gets kind of dicey when you get a kid who pretty obviously smoked a bowl in his car on the way to work while listening to Bob Marley and wearing a beanie. All of a sudden, a stoner who would be just fine handling the easy menus of other fast food joints, is forced to listen and absorb what a customer is saying. Shit is hard, especially if you aren't making that much $$, so you don't care.

A serious conversation I had with a stoner sandwich artist at Jersey Mike's:

T-I'll have spicy mustard
Pothead-What?......
T-Spicy mustard
PH puts oregano, black pepper and salt on my sandwich
T-No, SPICY MUSTARD (I'm trying to be loud, without being a douche)
PH-We don't have any other spices besides those
T-No, like the condiment. Spicy mustard.
PH grabs oil and vinegar
T- NO!!!!!!! (I hate this stuff, so shit got real)
Finally, another employee, who had been watching this, amused, steps in and says spicy mustard

Frustration. Frustration. I have have told Qdoba workers I want a vegetarian burrito, only moments later to witness them stock piling that with chicken. I've requested no sour cream, but cheese, only to watch in horror as they put on a bunch of sour cream and no cheese.

This is not a condemnation. No one should lose their job or start drug testing. If anything, particularly the kid at Jersey Mike's, cracked me up. The fast food restaurant industry is changing. Presenting increasingly difficult challenges to potheads young and old that work in these various establishments. It's hard to care when a constant stream of people just keep naming off toppings to you.