UberEats (Food Truck)

Free food is a life saver for many college student, myself included. I constantly look for any way I can save money, even if it's just a meager dollar. If there's an event with free food that fits in my schedule, you can bet that I'll turn up. If I get something amazing for free and the person who gives it away is kind, I'll pay for seconds. I'll donate to their cause. Whatever they want, I'll do it. If what I get is awful, though, I'll avoid that brand like the plague.

Four days ago, UberEats violated a sacred trust between a college student and a free food truck. At 11 A.M., a bright green food truck was placed ever so thoughtfully outside my university's library. I received a message from one of my clubs discord servers about an UberEats pop up event. Obviously, I couldn't turn down free food. It's Uber, a brand I trust to get me to and from school every single day! Being such a well known and profitable company, you would assume they would have a high degree of quality control.

Undercooked chicken, spread bacteria, salmonella, food poisoning — all of that is mentally associated to a sketchy van with peeling paint that probably isn't officially licensed. If, like me, you thought that Uber would make sure the food they serve to masses of starving college students would be fast and of good quality (or at least one!) then you'd be sorely mistaken. I paid the price for my arrogance. 

I arrived at 11:05 to the food truck. I was starving, I was excited — UberEats can certainly afford to splurge and provide a solid meal, or at the very least some good snacks. The line was long, there was possibly 30 people in front of me. For free, quality food? I expected longer. The line went relatively slow, and I got to the front in 45 minutes. I "received" 3 months free of UberOne, but I was given this deal months ago when I first signed up for UberOne. 

The sign for what was available was quite small. It was only visible when you were next in line, which gave you no time to decide on what to eat or mentally prepare what you needed to say. I don't remember exactly what all was offered, but there were 3 burger options and they all came with chips. No drinks were provided, because we live in a society of frugal Scrooges.

I was quick to order, get my food and step out of line. I got the honey bacon Hawaiian chicken sandwich. Unlike most food trucks, there was no distinguishable smell to entice you into eating. There was a small bench in the hot sun that I sacrificed my pale skin for to eat at, that's how hungry I was. 

I opened the box and was immediately hit with disappointment. It was a singular slider, small even by slider standards, and precisely 12 chips. I closed the box and decided I would go get a drink to make this 'meal' feel a little more filling.

Inside the hall that held my last class of the day, with a soda, I finally ate my tragedy of a sandwich. It had a decent taste, the bacon was well seasoned and there was a mysterious sauce that didn't taste awful. After two bites (slightly more than half the sandwich), I decided to glance down. The chicken looked slightly pink on the center, nothing that would show up on camera but would cling in my brain with anxiety. Never trust pink chicken. 

I'd already eaten enough of the sandwich to get sick, but I decided to toss the rest out anyway. By the end of the day, I'd completely forgotten about my little pink chicken scare and went on with my life. My stomach hadn't forgotten though. All night I was queasy, and early Thursday morning I was finally sick. I threw up, and I knew it was the Hawaiian chicken that had caused this. 

Throughout my entire semester, I get 3 unexcused sick days before my grade is lowered and I am too poor to afford going to the doctor just for a sick note. For me to miss a single day is a sign that I'm in hell. I missed all my classes Thursday. I pity anyone else who ate from the UberEats food truck. 0/10, I will never risk my health again.