After reading Zee's post about the closure of Woodruff, I was inspired to post about something that bothers me. I have the 10/ week meal plan because I knew from the beginning that I would consume dining hall food as minimally as possible (and I was right, as I have always had meals left over at the end of thursday, which is when the next week starts). I have, however, encountered a problem. Twice I have gone to a dining hall and been turned away, not because I was out of meals, but because I had already been there for that meal (I bet the majority of you didn't even know that there were meal differentiations). This is particularly infuriating, as on the GT dining site you can find this phrase:
"...as with all our meal plans you are free to use your 'Basic 10 [meal plan] however you like."
(www.gatechdining.com/plans.html)
Clearly not. As is obvious, the meal plan planners forgot to take into account the average college kid's schedule and eating habits: they have things to do and can't eat regularly, so they eat when they can. I thought that when you get to college they stop babying you. Why is it that I am slapped on the hand for being a bad boy and wanting to eat lunch twice (even though the first was actually an 11:00 breakfast). Lunch runs from 11:00 to 4:00. Perhaps they should rethink the way their hours work.
A Formal Goodbye to the Foodies Blogs
14 years ago
Actually, I think Elizabeth posted about the Woodruff closure.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of a good reason why anyone shouldn't be allowed to eat two meals in one allotted "mealtime slot".
Yeah it was Elizabeth not Zee that posted that. The blog posts are pretty close in location though.
ReplyDeleteAnd i totally agree with you on this. I've never actually had it happen to me, but I'm in the same boat as you. Another thing that frustrates me is when you walk in for "breakfast" around 10:30ish (I have class at 11) and they are in between meals and there is absolutely nothing you can eat. I essentially wasted one of my meals because all I could eat was a bagel
Woodies' dining hall procedures bother me. The other day for dinner, I was the only person standing in line for food, and, lo and behold, I grabbed two pieces of meat rather than one. The woman behind the counter got mad and told me to put one piece back, and when I did she threw it away. Tech would rather waste food than let me have it? I don't see any logic behind that move, other than to be a jerk. Either put a sign up saying only one piece (if you want two, stand back in line), or move on. I have an unlimited meal plan, and if I want to get two pieces of food, I am going to get two pieces of food with or without their approval.
ReplyDeleteI have a ten meal plan and i encountered the same problem when i tried to visit buzzbuy after eating at britain. As you were i was furious with this, and i could see no good reason why me friend who had unlimited could get something from buzzbuy and i could not. I think it has something to do with the fact that ga tech wants everyone to get unlimited, because the 10 puts money back on your buzzcard, which can be spent at a place that is not run by gt like tin drum, so they would not make as much money.
ReplyDeleteI have never had the problem of being turned away. Does this only happen to people with the limited meal plans? Because if it does, well I have the unlimited plan and that would explain why it does not happen to me.
ReplyDeleteAlec, the unlimited plans put money back on your buzz card too, albeit a much smaller amount, so you may be on to something with that idea. And a side note on the Tin Drum... it is amazing
This happened to me too a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteI ate breakfast/lunch at noon at the dining hall, but because I was sick I didn't have that much of an appetite and had a small meal.
At around two I went to get food at Buzzby. At first I picked up two drinks because I knew I needed fluids to get over the sickness. They told me drinks were limited to one per meal, so whatever, I put one back and got poptarts instead.
When I swiped my buzzcard they told me I couldn't have lunch again. I got into an argument with them about how I pay for 14 meals a week, then I told them I was sick and didn't have an appetite for my first "lunch." They ended up frustrating me so I just left.
Anyone know who we can talk to to get this policy changed?
I have an unlimited meal plan, so I didn't have the problem as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteBut in the past month, I showed up at dining halls no more than 10 times each week. In other words, I'm wasting my money! I used to think this is the worthiest meal plan and the word "unlimited" is really attractive! But now I realized I can not eat ten times everyday.
Actually, I think dining halls always consider more about how to earn more money but not how to provide students a better life.
While I have never encountered the "meal period" problem, Tech does state that they are restricted:
ReplyDelete"The Basic 10 and Classic 14 meal plans are restricted to one meal per period. All other meal plans do not have any period restrictions."
http://www.buzzcard.gatech.edu/meal-plans/meal-plan-periods
As for meal plans, I am actually on the Social 75 plan. It allows for 75 meals a semester. That averages out to a couple of meals a week. Typically, I will have breakfast in my dorm, then have lunch and dinner at the frat house, so it works pretty well for me.
I am yet to have this problem happen to me, but I do not eat much so it probably never will. But still, the principle of the matter bothers me. Why is it so important to make sure the same person cannot have two meals when they pay for both. Also, promising that the meal plan can be used however you want and then turning you away when you attempt to do so is nothing short of lying. I hope they work this out and get things taken care of round these parts.
ReplyDelete