Monday, November 10, 2008

Desperately grappling for ammunition

I’d like to welcome readers from Beth’s One Minute Writer today. If you have an additional 60 second, click here to learn a little bit about me and my blog. To my regular readers, if you haven’t checked out the One Minute Writer, you should. You will no longer have an excuse for not having time to blog, write, or journal. Good stuff.

Now, if you have an additional 60 seconds (I haven’t wasted all of your seconds yet, have I?), you must help resolve the Sandwich Debate of November 2008. You know how gas stations sell those premade sandwiches? I am not talking about subs, or some other kind of fairly normal turkey and cheese sandwich. I am referring to the truly premade ones: egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches from.a.gas.station. Please take a moment to tell me what you think about these obscure sandwiches. Perhaps you think they perfectly nutritious and a wonderful accompaniment to any lunch. Maybe you think they would do in a pinch, but you’d never go out of your way to buy one. Or, maybe you think you’d rather starve, or eat the sandwich container, than eat that substance masquerading as food. Maybe you have no idea what I am talking about, so that is an option too.

If you have an opinion about these particular sandwiches, I would appreciate them. I don't take bets lightly. The stakes are high to resolving this argument, I promise.

30 comments:

Sherri Murphy said...

Okay, call me weird but I actually like the chicken salad Sandwiches from Huck's convenience Stores.

I'm a pretty picker eater, too.

Never really thought about who actually made them and where they were packaged and how long ago.

I'm a very trusting person!

yolanda said...

one of the big differences i noticed between ireland and the states, is that it's not that common to get ready-made sandwiches in america, whereas in ireland, every single gas station and convenience store will have a range of pre-made sambos, AND a deli that will make up a sandwich of your choice for you. (but where do the fillings come from??)

hmm.

C. Beth said...

I get the feeling this isn't the ammo you want...but I kinda like sandwiches like that.

But then again, I like McDonald's too and find myself looking longingly at the taco trucks that go through our neighborhood (where houses are still being built.) So let's just say I don't have the most discriminating palate....

ALittleGuitar said...

Stay away from those sandwiches. I have it on good authority that they are made in China (child labor, probably) and some are as old as six or seven months.

Everyday Goddess said...

Personally, I choose to pay at the pump primarily because going into the quickie mart is way too tempting.

I am a junk food junkie!

Pass up chips, chocolate and ice cream? For a plastic sandwich?? Not likely!

Barb said...

I don't trust them...I mean how long have they been there? I think I would rather be safe and eat something healthy like a candy bar....make mine chocolate!

The Franks of Hazzard said...

If the expiration date isn't 10 months ago - and I'm hungry - and there isn't a good drive thru around...It's all systems go. However, I will not eat chicken salad or tuna salad. I don't care where it's from. Cold.Meat.Salad does not sound appetizing to me. Ever.

Amy said...

Um...I would rather search for a few french fries under my seats than eat on of those sandwiches. I don't even eat the subs from those convenience stores that have the Subway in them. Something about a place that can't keep pop cold tells me that I shouldn't trust the sandwiches.

Debbie said...

I'm going to have to ask my Friends and get back to you. This is a great question. I wonder about these things too. (and why do I have to ask my friends? My blog was originally a question and answer forum...so I'll ask the original forum.)

Paula said...

Hmm. In a pinch, when my stomach is threatening to start a civil war with the rest of my body, I will not only eat one of those pre-made, dry-bread strange little sandwiches, I will gratefully devour two, slurp a Pepsi and drive down the road opting to worry about the consequences later. There is a 1 in 3 chance that once digested, my stomach may be thankful but other parts of my body tend to show some discourse which puts a time consuming hitch in a busy day. Personally, experience has told me to avoid them. Sad thing is that when I was pregnant, I craved them.

Anonymous said...

Gross. I wouldn't touch one of those premade sandwiches with a 10 ft pole. And don't get me started on sushi sold at gas stations. Sorry, I will not eat food from a gas station on principle alone.

feathermar said...

I find it hard to believe that it is okay to eat non-pre-packaged food in a place where they sell petroleum. I live in NY, on Long Island, and there's a bagel store and deli on every corner, where you can "see" (though you never really see how bad it is) food being prepared. Anything with mayo at a gas station is off-limits. Though I would find it hard to eat ANY kind of "lunchmeat" or "salad" sandwich from even a vending machine. It's like I can smell the salmonella.

bird's eye view said...

Some myserty in life is good- a mysterious woman in a sexy trench coat, a good game of Clue, a book that has you reading for hours on end... other mysteries, like where these gas station sandwiches come from, are not good. I want to know where these are made, who makes them, and if the person assembling these sandwiches would consider eating them. I. think. not....

Erin said...

I'm not gonna lie, I've had a gas sation sammy or two in my time...get me hungry enough and I'll eat anything, literally.

Shannon Jacobyansky said...

Hmmmm...those nasty sandwiches! Did they wear gloves when they made them? Why do they wrap the plastic so tight that the guts squish over the crust to the top of the slice of bread? I opt for the water...lol! It's your best bet!

dogwooddiarist said...

As long as there are packets of mayo around, I could probably eat anything between two slices of bread. I am not picky; I do love sandwiches, and I'm renowned among my family for making fabulous ones. The trick is lubrication. It can even mask stale bread -- a frequent problem with gas station sandwiches -- pallatable.

Sorry if this is not the ammo you needed.

Leslie said...

Lyndsay, I found you from the One Minute Writer and I must say, I find you entertaining. Not that you need my affirmation. But you got it anyway.

As for the sandwiches...it just doesn't seem fresh enough to me. I actually have eaten one...once...quite some time ago. But I remember it well enough to know that it would be my only such experience. The bread alone was dry and stale; it's hard to tell how old the mayo was. If every I'm THAT hungry, I'm sure I'll make due with a can of Pringles. : )

Unknown said...

Blech. I'm sorry to say I've eaten a gas.station.sandwich in a pinch. Not a fond memory. Won't.do.it.again.

Found you through One Minute Writer, who I also found today. Today's been a good day.

barmonkey said...

I am someone that will eat any thing at 5am after work so I am a fan of the gas station pre made snack.

Cool blog by the way...

Debbie said...

okay....I'm back
our answers are:

Well, I for one, can't eat "egg stuff" packaged. I once bought a salad that was "pre-made" from a grocery store and the egg had gone bad. I put it in my mouth before I knew it....it was slimy and BAD.
So....ever since then... no pre-made anything for me, although I do like the "auto-mat" idea.

Wait a minute... I have to take back my words--just a bit.
The Hole in One Donut shop. Our friend Tom's parents owned two of them and they had some pre-made sandwiches and those I would eat.
You took your tray down the line....cafeteria style, and put your food choices on the hard plastic tray and slid it on down the line towards the cash-register.
I had a pre-made egg sandwich there. But it was not a gas station. It was a cafeteria/cafe shop. And I knew them, and I knew they made it fresh every day.

and now...for the consensus of the Friday Friend Forum....( a few of them anyway)

from Barbara in Arizona:
There's just something "not right" about eating those
sandwiches sitting around at gas stations.........but then
again, I feel that way about most pre-made sandwiches. For
ex., they sell them at Walgreens, and it doesn't seem right.
I would have to be practically starving to death before I
would buy one. The only time I buy a sandwich at a gas
station, is if it is one of those that has a Subway shop
attached, and even then I'm not real comfortable with it.
Why, you ask? Who knows??!!

from Kathy in Nevada:
I don't usually answer these, but....... several years ago my friend bought some of these sandwiches and fed them to her collection of pet rats, they all died! and I am not making this up!


from Jolina in Nevada:
ooh, ick
I suppose they'd do in a pinch, but I think I'd rather
starve than take the chance that there's more in that
sandwich than egg and tuna.

from Debbie in Nevada:
what I can tell you is that when I was away from home and
going to college, they sold egg salad sandwiches in the
vending machine at school. they were my FAVORITE .. they
reminded me of home. it just wasn't the same to make it
yourself, buying it from the vending machine made it seem
like mom made it.

from Lisa in Nevada:
I would not eat one, thank you. I would eat crackers and
a Snickers from the same place instead!

from Bev in Washington (my mom :~):
I would NEVER eat them!!!! At a gas station yet!

from Teresa in Washington (my mom in law :~):
I have bought and eaten a pre made sandwich at a gas station
a couple of times. I found it to be all right. I choose
egg salad one and tuna salad the second time. I did think
they weren't cheap. I could have made several at home for
the same price.

from Luke in Arizona (my son :~):
Yeah, these sandwiches are nasty!! Eeewwwwwwww...

from Linda in Washington (my cousin :~):
Ugh !!! Never had one. Don't want one. Think they'd taste
like gasoline.
If I was starving, I might consider one. I mean really
starving.

Christina said...

Sick, sick, sick! Never, never, never. Would seriously rather starve.

Eustace the Dragon said...

i've GOT to take the 60 seconds just to comment! i was in a gas station on sunday and while waiting for some friends and was looking at the fridge shelf with all of those ready-made sandwiches and other "emergency food" items.

honestly i'd rather starve.

but you know what i saw in a package next to the sandwiches. sit down for this one.

a pack of hard boiled eggs!
SICK! freakin sicko sickers!
gah, i'm gagging just thinking about it.

Corri Havlicek said...

Aghhh! No way! To me it's like e.coli on a bun.

The Rambler said...

okay...I like the tuna ones...I don't know why but man, i eat them with a bag of chips...(and some of the chips IN the sandwich)..one of these days it will get me...I just know it.

ALittleGuitar said...

just to be clear, in my comment above i meant the sandwiches were six to seven months old, not the suspected child laborers.

Frankie and Bella said...

I'm going to admit to having resorted to eating one of those sandwiches before, and the operative word being, 'resorted, while I was travelling on a long distance trip.

It was either the sandwhich or starve...so yes, I took a plunge and had the sandwhich.

Mind you, it was the blandest sandwich I have ever had. I am talking bread, lettuce and butter practically. I discarded the tomato and anything else suspicious looking in fear of food poisoining on my long trip???

Anonymous said...

Yummmmmmmmmy! Those ready made sandwiches can be pretty tasty when your on the go but sometimes there are some gross ones that sneak their way on to the shelf also.

On Guam our convenience stores, gas stations, and Mom & Pop stores always have a fresh supply of ready made sandwiches (tuna, egg salad, ham & cheese)and other goodies like sushi rolls and mitsubi.

Whatever your choice is.. as long as you check the date .. these sandwiches are a good choice. :)

OT KG 68 said...

sushi at a gas station.... no thank you. As far as the sandwiches go... I live across from a 7-11 and guilty as charged, but usually it is a late night snack craving and there isn't anything left on the grill.

Adlibby said...

definitely NOT going to eat a premade gas station sammy. I'd prefer not to set foot inside a gas station, let alone eat the food there. Ewwwwwwww. (((shudder)))

nikkidreamer said...

I've never tried one, but if I did, I would probably trust a stewarts shop more than most other gas stations. They have great ice cream and we get a lot of our convenience items there. If it was at some other gas station and looked scary, I'd go for the chips and water option.