Let me start this one right out the gate by saying that in no way am I a supermodel. I’m not model material. In fact, I’d say that I was quite average looking – you’d never notice me in a crowd. But there’s someone for everyone, right? Here’s the scenario: I’m incredibly cheap when it comes to my food costs. I often skip breakfast and if I haven’t brought in my lunch that day, I’ve already totally scoped out the cheapest spots in my work neighborhood for lunch.
As with most big cities, street carts and food trucks are pretty economical ways to get fed in New York. There’s a particular street car near my office with a really nice vendor. I’ve come to realize that despite his wife and kids, he likes me. It’s nothing serious, it’s just an innocent crush. But I think that if I offered to be his second wife he’d jump all over it…and me. Anyway, I usually go out to lunch with one or two work buddies and one in particular noticed that this vendor likes me.
That like tends to make him put extra food in my container. Sometimes it adds up to enough to split into two meals. It’s like an instant 50% off! We’ve figured out that he likes, ah, women that have, ah, a full bust-line. My friend, not so blessed in that department, often stands ramrod straight and hold her breath to make it appear that she has, ah, filled out in that department. Sometimes she caves and just makes me order her food for her. I do nothing but be my usual jovial self and chat with him a little while he is preparing my food.
Here’s another example. My former manager goes to the same place for lunch every day. At some point he figured out that a cashier liked him because little extras would end up in his bag like a brownie, or he would get a discount on his sandwich. He never encouraged the guy, and even started going to a different location. But eventually he went back to his normal location. On Valentines day, the cashier guy popped a Valentine into my ex-manager’s bag. I’m sure that he might have winked at him too. My ex-manager’s wife found it funny, and honestly, so did I. I’ve never received a Valentine.
I can cite lots more examples to give you since we have some sexy beasts working in my office that seem to command attention and free food all over the place. So, I ask you, is it unethical for us to specifically go to vendors that we know will “hook us up” because they like us? Weigh in in the comments.