Even if you’re a wealthy real estate heir who has previously been acquitted of murder charges, you will probably get arrested if you decide to expose your private parts to CVS employees… and then use said private parts to urinate on the store property and products. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Possible Listeria Contamination Leads To Recall Of Fruit, Fruit Pies
By 7.21.14
There have been no recorded illnesses yet from batches of yellow peaches and nectarines, white peaches and nectarines, black plums, and pluots that may be contaminated with the nasty foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. The company has announced a recall, and Northeastern grocer Wegmans has also recalled pies made with affected fruit. [More]
From Bread Crumbs To Worcestershire Sauce: How Long Will All That Stuff In Your Pantry Last?
By 7.20.14
Regular readers of Consumerist likely know there’s a big difference between the “use-by” date and the “sell-by” date on food labels. But while most people take note of this information on highly perishable items like meat, eggs, and dairy, we often ignore those dry goods stashed in our pantries. And these unrefrigerated items are often allowed to sit around until we go to use them and realize, “Oh no… that went bad back when Bush — the first one — was president.” [More]
Starbucks Employees Getting Really Tired Of Your Free Drink Record Attempts
By 7.18.14
We track and post attempts to make the largest possible Starbucks beverage on a single free drink coupon because the “competition” amuses us, and because we report on unusual things that happen in commerce. These record attempts are really unusual because, the online chatter indicates, Starbucks recently reminded their “partners” that Frappuccinos are not to be served by the free vat. [More]
The FDA Asks That You Please Not Ingest Pure Powdered Caffeine
By 7.18.14
People have been drinking caffeinated beverages for centuries, and popping caffeine pills for decades, and the Food and Drug Administration currently puts no hard limit on caffeine content in food. But the recent death of an Ohio teen who ingested the pure powdered form of caffeine has the FDA warning consumers against the incredibly potent stimulant. [More]
Guy Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Beer Says He’s “Wrongfully Accused” Of Ordering 5 Pizzas From Jail
By 7.17.14
A man accused of boosting beer and being drunk in public somehow found himself in more trouble after he was booked at the police station, with officers claiming he used his cell phone to order a pizza delivery under the name of his arresting officer. [More]
Subway Worker Claims She Was Forced To Make Sandwiches While Throwing Up
By 7.17.14
While people, especially those who get paid by the hour, might be tempted to play down an illness in order to make it through a shift, anyone in food service who is throwing up because of a stomach virus should be kept far away from the kitchen. But one former Subway worker in Texas claims her boss forced her to work through her illness. [More]
Free Starbucks Drink Record Was Set July 4th With 77-Shot $71 Drink
By 7.17.14
Hey, remember how we reported earlier this week that a new record had been set for the most expensive single Starbucks drink to be paid for with a free drink coupon? Well, we were wrong. Record-seeker Sameera didn’t know it either at the time, but the record had actually been set on July 4th, with a 77-shot concoction costing $71.35. America! [More]
Cargill Says It Will Stop Using Antibiotics To Fatten Up Turkeys, But Do They Mean It?
By 7.16.14
Three years ago, Cargill recalled 36 million pounds of Salmonella-tainted ground turkey (followed by a later recall of another 185,000 pounds of the stuff). The particular strain of Salmonella involved in these recalls and the subsequent outbreak that sickened at least 134 people in 36 states, is resistant to antibiotics, likely because of all the drugs put into the turkeys’ feed solely because it has th side-effect of encouraging tissue growth. Yet only now is the agribusiness giant thinking maybe it shouldn’t carelessly shove antibiotics down the throats of the birds it sells to consumers. [More]
Taco Bell Employee Accused Of Shooting Bitey Drive-Thru Customer With A BB Gun
By 7.15.14
There’s just something about the drive-thru — maybe it’s the implicit promise of speed in its name –that makes any kind of wait extra aggravating. And by aggravating, I mean, unfortunately, that things can get testy enough for BB guns and biting. [More]
Pizza Hut Introduces Double Stuffed-Crust Pizza Because Why Not
By 7.14.14
We love cheese here at Consumerist, but we’re not sure whether we would enjoy a new and exciting product available at Pizza Hut in the Dominican Republic: a pizza with two cheese-stuffed crusts; one in the middle surrounding a bowl of marinara to dip this pile of cheese and deliciousness in. The result almost resembles a giant grilled cheese sandwich with some toppings on it. [Brand Eating] [More]
$61 Sexagintuple Frap 2.0 Breaks Starbucks Free Drink Record
By 7.14.14
Sameera planned carefully for her attempt at breaking a world record. She obtained permission from the store where her attempt would take place, and even made sure to alert media outlets ahead of time. She even brought the proper equipment and a support team. What record was she out to break? She sought to make the most expensive single free Starbucks drink of all time. Update: Yeah, about that record… [More]
Police Ask Couple To Please Stop Having Sex On The Roof Of A Delaware Chipotle
By 7.14.14
While being interrupted by police during an intimate encounter is surely no fun for anyone, you really up the odds of an encounter with law enforcement once you make the decision to have sex on the roof of a Delaware Chipotle. [More]
Throwing A Gumball Machine At Restaurant Staff Is No Way To Resolve A Pizza Dispute
By 7.14.14
In the annals of customer service requests marked down over time, there is no entry about getting your way that starts with, “Pick up a gumball machine and chuck it.” And after a pizzeria customer allegedly did just that, nothing is going to change. [More]
Pizza Hut Jumps On 1997 Bandwagon With A “New” Cookie Pizza
By 7.14.14
Baking a cookie into a bigger shape than one normally expects for such a dessert is so late ’90s — your birthday party had a “normal” cake instead of a huge chocolate chip cookie with frosting writing on it? Lame! — but that hasn’t stopped Pizza Hut from joining the party now. [More]
Here’s What Happens When You Ask A Starbucks Barista To Surprise You
By 7.11.14
You probably can’t visit your local Starbucks and convince them to create a record-breaking $54 beverage in a giant flower vase, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask the people there to blend up a menu-bending creation for you. You’ll have to pay for the privilege of enjoying a Neapolitan Frap or a breakfast shake with an entire blueberry muffin blended into it. [More]
M&M’s Pint And Shot Glasses Recalled Because Lead & Cadmium Aren’t Tasty
By 7.11.14
Did you visit one of the M&M’s World retail stores in NYC, Las Vegas, Orlando, or London earlier this year? Did you see some adorable pint and shot glasses featuring the anthropomorphic treats? Well, you might want to stop using them, as those cute candy illustrations may contain high levels of lead and cadmium. [More]
How Loophole In Tainted Food Recalls Bit Chicken Company In The Butt
By 7.10.14
For more than a year, chicken producer Foster Farms has been tied to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people, resulted in the shutdown of a Foster plant and the destruction of more than a million pounds of meat. But a loophole in USDA guidelines meant that that the company didn’t issue any recalls until just last week. Now it’s that same loophole that appears to be coming back to bite Foster in the derriere. [More]
