Brown Bag Protest - opinions please

BernieP

Resident PIA
A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

A bring your lunch to work protest.
1. The allegation that there is a liquid lunch crowd. I can't remember ever seeing someone having a lunch and an alcoholic beverage at lunch. I've never heard of any complaints (on base) if people coming back to work drunk or even having the smell of booze on them. For the most part I think people have enough of a problem just getting on / off base that they don't have the time to drink.

2. As a follow on to the time required to enter / exit the gate. It's insane that we have only one inbound lane at lunch time. The delays involved make it for all practical purposes impossible to go "out" to lunch and do so within an hour.

3. The choices and quality of the facilities on base is poor. (witness the recent closure of the Subway for health code violations) This goes for both the MWR and contract providers.

4. The parking situation is so bad at some buildings you don't want to leave for fear of having to hike a mile back from your car.

With those complaints in mind I was wondering if a protest, a bring your lunch to work / don't spend any money would lead to some improvements.

For me, I no longer even contemplate going out for lunch, it simply takes to long. If I forget to bring something in, oh well, there is no other viable option.

But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.
 
A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

A bring your lunch to work protest.
1. The allegation that there is a liquid lunch crowd. I can't remember ever seeing someone having a lunch and an alcoholic beverage at lunch. I've never heard of any complaints (on base) if people coming back to work drunk or even having the smell of booze on them. For the most part I think people have enough of a problem just getting on / off base that they don't have the time to drink.

2. As a follow on to the time required to enter / exit the gate. It's insane that we have only one inbound lane at lunch time. The delays involved make it for all practical purposes impossible to go "out" to lunch and do so within an hour.

3. The choices and quality of the facilities on base is poor. (witness the recent closure of the Subway for health code violations) This goes for both the MWR and contract providers.

4. The parking situation is so bad at some buildings you don't want to leave for fear of having to hike a mile back from your car.

With those complaints in mind I was wondering if a protest, a bring your lunch to work / don't spend any money would lead to some improvements.

For me, I no longer even contemplate going out for lunch, it simply takes to long. If I forget to bring something in, oh well, there is no other viable option.

But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.

I don't think I've gone to lunch in about 10 years. Not worth the time or gas.
Used to hit the O club once in a while.
 
My sister and some of her freinds refuse to watch any television shows on the Fox Network in protest of them dropping the "Firefly" series a few years ago.

I'm thinking brown-bagging it in the hopes that someone would notice would have about the same affect as her protest is having.
 

Toxick

Splat
But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.



I would like to join this movement.



But I work down here on the pimple in the ass-crack of Maryland, St. Inigoes.

So, I'm in a forced "protest".... bring a bagged lunch or starve - because there's nothing cheap, fast, or easy within a 35 mile radius.


If I ever get out of this god-forsaken ####-hole, I'll join your cause.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
I don't think I've gone to lunch in about 10 years. Not worth the time or gas.
Used to hit the O club once in a while.

Exactly. MWR has raised prices and reduced offerings and the new Rivers' whatever is out of the way. They also closed Pax Landing and changed it into some "club".

If everyone just ate at their desk and didn't purchase even a beverage from MWR I think the pain would be felt in under a week. Of course they would simply make a rule that says for health reasons you can't eat at your desk (because your trash can would stink because it only gets emptied once a week).
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
My sister and some of her freinds refuse to watch any television shows on the Fox Network in protest of them dropping the "Firefly" series a few years ago.

I'm thinking brown-bagging it in the hopes that someone would notice would have about the same affect as her protest is having.

okay, so 10 people stopped watching Fox... I'm hoping for at least 20.
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

NSA is at Ft. Meade.





But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.
What would you have them do? Order the food joints to make better food? The base might have some leverage over the MWR facilities but the St. Marys Co officials don't.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
NSA is at Ft. Meade.






What would you have them do? Order the food joints to make better food? The base might have some leverage over the MWR facilities but the St. Marys Co officials don't.
How do you know NSA isn't at Pax? THey be super secret dudes.

The CO at Pax has control over the gate policy, he can help ease the traffic problems there.

Just peeved at the remarks from the County over the "liquid lunch crowd". I think it was a cheap shot and completel unwarrented. And they have a hand n the cluster bomb that is the on going road work etc that makes driving on the roads on the other side of the fence such a pleasure.

I was commenting on the quality of the food service ON base, or the lack there of. It's extremely limited, both in the number of people they can serve and the offerings. Prices are high, quality is questionable.

It's somewhat ironic that we will get a "job satisfaction" survey and it wll ask all sorts of sily questions. But they over look the things that make a place hospitable - the environment.

Safe and adequet parking is always a consideration for the employee. Nobody wants to hike a mile to their car or have to cross a heavily traveled road on foot (sometimes in the dark) in particularly in bad weather.

A good cafateria is something employees like. I've never been to or worked for a company where the employees didn't appreciate good food service on the premises.

It helps both morale and productivity. I can promise you, far more people are finding an excuse for a 90 minute lunch hour then are having a liquid lunch.
 

Graymatter

New Member
Is anyone dumb enough to go drink a liquid lunch, then drive up to the base cops, roll down window, and say hello? Good luck with that!!

I'm already a brown bagger, but sign me up for the cause.
 

A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

A bring your lunch to work protest.
1. The allegation that there is a liquid lunch crowd. I can't remember ever seeing someone having a lunch and an alcoholic beverage at lunch. I've never heard of any complaints (on base) if people coming back to work drunk or even having the smell of booze on them. For the most part I think people have enough of a problem just getting on / off base that they don't have the time to drink.

2. As a follow on to the time required to enter / exit the gate. It's insane that we have only one inbound lane at lunch time. The delays involved make it for all practical purposes impossible to go "out" to lunch and do so within an hour.

3. The choices and quality of the facilities on base is poor. (witness the recent closure of the Subway for health code violations) This goes for both the MWR and contract providers.

4. The parking situation is so bad at some buildings you don't want to leave for fear of having to hike a mile back from your car.

With those complaints in mind I was wondering if a protest, a bring your lunch to work / don't spend any money would lead to some improvements.

For me, I no longer even contemplate going out for lunch, it simply takes to long. If I forget to bring something in, oh well, there is no other viable option.

But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.

What situation would this improve? More gates open coming back in? Faster service at restaurants? More parking or reserved for those who chose to go to lunch spaces? We just got a lunch place at our work bldg. not bad, but I'd still rather pack my own.
 

MMDad

Lem Putt
If everyone just ate at their desk and didn't purchase even a beverage from MWR I think the pain would be felt in under a week. Of course they would simply make a rule that says for health reasons you can't eat at your desk (because your trash can would stink because it only gets emptied once a week).

Nope. They don't care how many people eat. The only thing your protest will do is shorten the lines a bit, which will speed things up a little, which will make people think their protest worked, so they'll go right back to eating at the same crappy places, paying too much, and waiting in line to get back to work.

But good luck anyway!
 

MMDad

Lem Putt
Is anyone dumb enough to go drink a liquid lunch, then drive up to the base cops, roll down window, and say hello? Good luck with that!!

Yes.

But I don't believe it is very common. Much more likely to happen in the evening. I see the liquid lunch being more of a "take the afternoon off and start your weekend early."

Of course, there are also those that start out with a liquid breakfast and need that liquid lunch, but that's another issue.
 

BOP

Well-Known Member
Yes.

But I don't believe it is very common. Much more likely to happen in the evening. I see the liquid lunch being more of a "take the afternoon off and start your weekend early."

Of course, there are also those that start out with a liquid breakfast and need that liquid lunch, but that's another issue.

I've seen the occasional person come back from lunch more "energized" than before they went.

Only one who may be a drinker.
 

popsicle

Member
A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

A bring your lunch to work protest.
1. The allegation that there is a liquid lunch crowd. I can't remember ever seeing someone having a lunch and an alcoholic beverage at lunch. I've never heard of any complaints (on base) if people coming back to work drunk or even having the smell of booze on them. For the most part I think people have enough of a problem just getting on / off base that they don't have the time to drink.

2. As a follow on to the time required to enter / exit the gate. It's insane that we have only one inbound lane at lunch time. The delays involved make it for all practical purposes impossible to go "out" to lunch and do so within an hour.

3. The choices and quality of the facilities on base is poor. (witness the recent closure of the Subway for health code violations) This goes for both the MWR and contract providers.

4. The parking situation is so bad at some buildings you don't want to leave for fear of having to hike a mile back from your car.

With those complaints in mind I was wondering if a protest, a bring your lunch to work / don't spend any money would lead to some improvements.

For me, I no longer even contemplate going out for lunch, it simply takes to long. If I forget to bring something in, oh well, there is no other viable option.

But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.

I generally agree with all of your observations; but disagree with how to handle #2. I think everyone should leave for lunch and then all line up at the same time to get back on base.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
My sister and some of her freinds refuse to watch any television shows on the Fox Network in protest of them dropping the "Firefly" series a few years ago.

.

Please inform my fellow Firefly fan that she can get what few episodes there are of that amazing show on Netflix streaming. :yay:
 
Please inform my fellow Firefly fan that she can get what few episodes there are of that amazing show on Netflix streaming. :yay:
I'm on the phone with her now and she says, "They can't stop the signal!"

She owns the series, the follow on movie, and the comic book series that Joss writes to continue the story...:nerd:
 

Pete

Repete
A couple of things have happened recently that made me think of this idea - it would be for those working on NSA Patuxent River.

A bring your lunch to work protest.
1. The allegation that there is a liquid lunch crowd. I can't remember ever seeing someone having a lunch and an alcoholic beverage at lunch. I've never heard of any complaints (on base) if people coming back to work drunk or even having the smell of booze on them. For the most part I think people have enough of a problem just getting on / off base that they don't have the time to drink.

2. As a follow on to the time required to enter / exit the gate. It's insane that we have only one inbound lane at lunch time. The delays involved make it for all practical purposes impossible to go "out" to lunch and do so within an hour.

3. The choices and quality of the facilities on base is poor. (witness the recent closure of the Subway for health code violations) This goes for both the MWR and contract providers.

4. The parking situation is so bad at some buildings you don't want to leave for fear of having to hike a mile back from your car.

With those complaints in mind I was wondering if a protest, a bring your lunch to work / don't spend any money would lead to some improvements.

For me, I no longer even contemplate going out for lunch, it simply takes to long. If I forget to bring something in, oh well, there is no other viable option.

But a protest with a large majority of workers joining in might send a mesage that would cause both the base and St. Marys Co. officials to improve the situation. A lot of these businesses rely on that lunch crowd.
Who exactly are you trying to punish with this boycott? :confused:
 
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