Do I look THAT stupid?

[David Leite]

Hey,

I just went for my cardio power walk, which means I shuffled to the local pizzeria for a slice, picked up my mail at the UPS store, and headed back to my apartment, even though it's one of the first true spring days we've had.

On my way home, this rather portly gentleman (I can say portly because I'm further to the right on the suit rack than he is) came up to me and whispered, "Hey babe, want some meat."

I took a look at his get up, and the bloody white butcher's apron led me to believe and hope he was referring to meat from a quadruped. (I still remember all those years and pounds ago when the only propositions for meat I used to get were for the bipedal sort.)

"Great steaks," my butcher friend said. "Fine."

Now, do I look that dumb that I would buy meat that most likely fell off the back of a truck? Don't get me wrong; I'm not sitting any moral high horse here. It’s not like I haven’t taken part in tailgate clearance sales before; it's almost impossible not to in NYC. Books, a leather jacket, a ticket or two, maybe. But meat?

I shook my head and continued walking. What if I had said yes, I thought. Would he take me into an alley and shake me down first, making sure I wasn't from the FDA? How was I to know this wasn't a sting, either? I looked around and spotted two very jumpy men standing behind a van. Bingo. Either these guys scored with some surplus meat, or someone from nearby Fairway or Citarella is taking full advantage of his lunch hour.

As I turned the corner onto my street I thought of the meal that was a head of me: A low-carb Weight Watcher dinner: 5 points. I contemplated going back and haggling, but I kept on. Now if he were hawking foie gras, I might have reconsidered.

Anyway, has this ever happened to anyone?

Best,

[Bux]

"Street meat" is all that comes to mind and I haven't a clue as to what that could mean. I'm not sure exactly what words my mother wispered to me in the cradle that would make me run like hell in your situation, but the reaction is as close to any survival instinct I may have. Not only do I not want to buy, but I don't think I want to be near any transaction taking place. I remember once in college missing a bus connection in Scranton, Pennsylvania and wandering through town waiting for the next one, when someone asked me to step in an elevator. It didn't even occur to me to ask "why?" before making my exit.

[David Leite]

It make sme wonder what MY mother whispered to me in my cradle that makes me think the guy was selling "steaks." If not, that's one hell of a a funky pimp outfit.

David

[mantee]

I was brought a "gift" on a date, foie gras. The guy is fron Trenton, a bookmaker, and he was trying to impress. We did have fun, the fg was Hudson Valley and when I asked if he could get any from France he looked at me real serious and said, "we don't know no truck drivers there."

[Bux]

I'm sure they were steaks, but it's not exactly like Lobel's has an overproduction not entitled to A.O.C. labeling. I like to believe I can have some faith in the provenance of the meat supplied by my local butchers. I watch them drop the whole quarter in the gutter and drag it across the street from the truck to the shop and god knows what's happened to it before hand, but I have some small, probably unwarranted hope that what my butcher sells was never part of a downer cow on its way to the FDA test lab.

[David Leite]

Why didn't I bump into him today? Unless "foie gras" is street language for some sexual transaction, the mention of it would have given me pause.

[foodie52]

You guys are so lucky, living in NY! We'd never have an incident like that down here!

[NYCCHEF]

This reminds me of an incident about a year ago. I was walking past FAO Schwartz. Out of nowhere a large white van pulled up and 3 guys, all in bloodied aprons, sprung out. Two of them quickly headed to the rear to open the back doors. The 3rd guy opened the side door and started pulling out filet mignons (cryovac) and stacking them on the sidewalk. The two guys from the back of the van started pulling out what looked like short loins. The driver started screaming, at the top of his lungs "Who wants some fucking meat!?!?"

People were lining up rather quickly. I was watching from a few feet away, almost pissing my pants I was laughing so hard. It was one of the funniest and most bizzare things I'd ever seen.

Only in NY.

[pjs]

Check your invoices.

FOB=Freight On Board

FOT=Fell Off Truck

Out here in the hinterlands these guys have to rely on going door-to-door at small businesses due to the lack of gullable hoards of customers on the street. We had one trying to sell frozen steaks just this past week. He wasn't wearing a bloody apron though, not that it would of helped him make a sale.

PJ

[Bux]

Now that my memory's been rattled, I remember a guy years ago who came around at the end of the work day, which meant about four o'clock for those sweatshop workers in SoHo, yes, it was that long ago. I don't recall if he even had a truck, but he had a box of fish that he sold on the street. There was ice in the box, if that makes it more attractive to anyone. I'll bet he worked at a wholesale market and that the fish was as fresh as the stuff you'd buy the next day in the shop, but I never bought any. It seemed he had a regular trade, so how bad could it have been.

[Mayhaw Man]

You guys are so lucky, living in NY! We'd never have an incident like that down here!

You're right. Down here it would be more like-"Psst, Hey man, ya wanna buy a COW?"