Okay for Homeless to Defecate on the Street, But No Free Popcorn?

Okay, there are probably daily instances of local laws and ordinances across the country which impact businesses, but they are in place for a good reason; usually pubic safety.

But what of the damage done by those laws and ordinances to the intent of a business to generate a climate which fosters a positive community relations climate with their customers? Say, for instance, providing free popcorn to customers who step into their store.

Do those offices or agencies within the local community, county, or state care at all about the adverse impact which results from those laws or ordinances on businesses? One has to really wonder.

Take, for instance, this story of a community store in the San Diego area of California where for decades a hardware business has had free popcorn for those in the store, but has now been ordered to cease providing it because the health department claims it's not safe in preventing communicable diseases of those who might reach in and grab a handful of popcorn, rather than using a scoop and bag to put it in. What?

I understand the premise, but the bigger question to me is, is this action by the health department overkill? Surely, there's got to be a more simple answer or fix to this. Something tells me that this news report, once again, doesn't provide all the details in reporting this story that actually occurred.

I don't know about you, but have you ever been in a theater buying a hot dog and seen the teen behind the counter wipe his/her hands on their pants after coughing, then, without any protective gloves pick up a customer's hot dog off the shelf and place it into the cardboard tray, then attempt to serve it to them? If it were mine, I'd reject it and get something else!

Of all the food franchise establishments across the country, how many employees faithfully follow the health department's requirement for every employee to thoroughly wash their hands regularly... especially after going to the restroom? I mean, if the health department was really intending to stop potential situations where various pathogens or viruses could be transmitted to customers in such places, one would see someone from that agency at every establishment monitoring every employee as to whether or not they were following the requirements... or at least video cameras monitoring such things.

Currently, in many west coast cities the homeless problem is out of control and the unsanitary public conditions on those city's streets are way beyond "safe" for the public. Yet, we can't have free popcorn in a hardware store?

Where's the reasonable, common sense balance regarding this issue? Why is it that our tendency today is to have our civic leaders treat its people they serve as though they're our elite overlords? If they really cared about our health, they'd change their policies about the homeless for a start!