A week ago I took some family members to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus at the BJCC. I had planned on buying a hot dog because that's what I do. But, it was getting close to show time and the lines were long so I just stopped to take a look.
I will admit that my preconceptions regarding these dogs was probably a little too negative. I could see they had a stash of hot dogs already in their buns and wrapped being kept in a warmer. (See above, between the popcorn and pretzels) That's the only way to do it when serving throngs of people in a short amount of time. The buyer picks up his undressed dog and goes to a nearby station where he can ad toppings from dispensers and individual packages. It was all remarkably clean and seemed to be handled professionally. These concession stands are run by independent vendors who contract to do this for all events; so they get lots of practice.
I took a few pictures and quickly got the attention of the workers including the manager, Ms Smith. I can't blame her for coming out to talk since she had no idea who I was or why I was taking pictures during her rush time. I assured her that there was no malicious intent and that it is all in the fun of having hot dogs. While I talked to her I even mentioned that this would probably be the only hot dog place I would ever write about where I didn't try the dog. I told her that the prospect of standing in a long line to get a cold soggy hot dog wasn't appealing. She quickly assured me that her dogs are kept hot and fresh. I will admit that the stash they had in the warmer was not large so they were most likely just as she said; hot and fresh. I wish I had tried one now.
Here's a thought about waiting in lines. There are many places in the world where people do not line up and wait to take their turn, but instead push and shove their way forward. We are fortunate to live in a nation where our heritage has given us an expectation that we will respect and be considerate of others and receive the same ourselves from those around us.
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