Man dining at TGI Friday's finds a snake head under his broccoli

"I could see these black, rotted eye sockets on the top," says the diner. The severed head also had bits of tendon and part of the spine attached. "I stopped eating. I told my girlfriend, 'I think this is a head.'" He has no plans to sue (although you can bet there will be lawyers calling him today.) (Albany Times Union)

Comments

[Bill B.]

Ugh! If that isn't revolting, I do not know what you call it.

[biggDaddy]

He saw part of the spine? Really? What kind of snake has a spine?

[d'ep]

Uhm, all snakes have spines--they're vertebrates.

[Mike]

Um, all snakes have spines.

[Navy Chief]

bigDaddy forgot what he learned (or at least was taught) in high school science class.

[kevy]

"Amy Freshwater, a spokeswoman for the chain, said in an e-mailed statement the company is trying to determine what happened."

Must've been a freshwater snake.

[Drake Timbershaft]

Wow, so strange. I mean, how the hell does that happen? It's not like finding a piece of a finger or a bandaid or a fake eyeball. What part of TGIFs food preparation chain involves a snake? And broccoli at that!

[twerp]

*ahem* not ALL snakes have spines and I can give ya'll an example of one: the trouser snake.

[KC]

Any company that supplies something like vegetables to a big chain like Denny's is no doubt using big machinery to harvest large fields, so it's not surprising that something like this would get caught up in it occasionally. To me, perhaps the "bigger story" here is that the guy doesn't plan to sue them. I hope that's part of a trend away from the litigious insanity we see in so many other news stories.
_______________________

If a cranium that is reptilian
Finds it way to your plate, willy-nilly, an'
You're inclined to file suit,
That dead head could bear fruit:
You might just walk away with a million!

[KC]

[Sorry -- TGI Friday's not Denny's...]

[d'ep]

twerp, if this guy found the head of a trouser snake under his broccoli, then TGI Fridays has bigger problems than originally reported. ;)

[Soo]

I think most chain restaurants get their vegetables in vacuum packs from a processing plant. Microwave or drop into a kettle of boiling water and viola! Hot veggies.

It's possible that the snake got caught up in the machinery at the farm at harvest. Consider that mower-like machines pick the veggies, usually, and it's easy to see that all sorts of crap could get into our processed veggies.

My sister worked at a lettuce processing plant, and she said that the only time humans came into direct contact with the vegetables was during the wash cycle, when they would use rakes to fluff the lettuce.

Granted, it's still gross. I'm not feeling too much like eating lunch now. Even if it is lumpia day.

[KC]

OK, twerp, I can't resist.

The trouser snake does have a spine; it's just occasional rather than permanent (or shall we say, it comes and goes?). And while I might not react TOO badly to finding a snake head (reptilian, that is) in my broccoli, if it were the head of a trouser snake, that would be quite another matter....

[troschne]

I was getting ready to eat breakfast, but my appetite kind of went away. That is beyond disgusting.

The snake head finder sounds like a nice guy, because most people would have already filed suit.

Once, I was at an Italian restaurant, and bit into some pasta, and immediately tasted something VERY hard. I spit it out, and it was a piece of metal, about the size of a BB, and it had a sharp end on it. I motioned to the waiter, and he came over, and I showed it to him, and he took it away, and the manager came over. He said they had looked at the baskets they cook the pasta in, and one of them was missing a piece of solder, and they thought that was what it was--made sense to me. Not only did he comp my meal, but everyone's in my party, as well as our bar bill, which had been accumulated while we were waiting for our table. That's good customer service. A piece of solder, I will give a pass to--I was happy that I didnt' swallow it--the little barb could have caused seious damage. With a snake head, I don't think I would be able to be quite so forgiving--that is just repulsive.

[troschne]

BTW--LMAO at twerp and KC!

[RockyMtnMac]

Get these mother#@&%ing snakes out of my mother#@&%ing ranch dressing!

[LimeGreenLizard]

I'm just glad it wasn't a lizard head...

[debilsadvocado]

A trouser snake in the broccoli?
A migrant worker napping between the rows?
Screams unheard due to passing machinery?
No ER visit for fear of deportation?
Unnoticed by the veggie fluffers or sous chef?
It could happen!

ya got me too, twerp and KC. gracias!

[Amy Gdala]

@ RMM LMAO!

the head of ANYTHING other than lettuce in my salad is not a good thing...

[Me]

Waiter, I clearly asked for a severed finger...

[LimeGreenLizard]

Harry: "Snakes? Snakes? I don't know no Snakes."

Marv: "He sounded like a snake!"

[troschne]

LMAO, LGL--I hadn't even thought of THAT--I was too busy being grossed out by the whole story!!

[LimeGreenLizard]

I knew I had to beat you to it dude!

[RockyMtnMac]

I'm glad it wasn't a lizard head either...I kind of like Lizards...just not in my salad. lol

[Openeyed]

One time my sister was at a Pizza Hut and couldn't get a drink because her staw seemed blocked. So, she sucked harder and something hard plus a bug rush of soda entered her mouth. She drank the soda in her mouth, then spit out the object - which turned out to be a big fly!! UGH!

P.S. Funny comments here! :-)

[Dick C. Normas]

That is why I don't eat salads. If I find a snake head in my steak.... I will be pissed.

[Phranqlin]

Get this motherfucking snake out of my motherfucking broccoli!

[Phranqlin]

Indiana Jones:

"Snakes ... why did it have to be snakes???"

Salah:

"Broccoli snakes. Very dangerous. You eat first, Indy!"

[lynn]

LMAO at all of you!!

but --oh, laws! i had to go see the photos, didn't eye.<- bad pun alert.

i would have fainted dead away and required smelling salts at once. omg.

snakes -ick- except king snakes and trouser snakes...

[d'ep]

lynn, what about snake goddesses? Hmmmmm? You still loves me, right?

[Sheila]

Best one yet, KC.

[NitroPress]

Coming in late here, but...

"Call me Ssssnake."

[MONKEY JERKm]

DEFINITELY ADDS A BITE TO THE VEGGIES

[lynn]

@ d'ep---oh yes!!! you i love because you are the queen snake! i would not hurt you at all. i beg your forgiveness for forgetting you...(interesting alliterative phrase; i will keep it in).

[d'ep]

lynn, I can't just forgive without some sort of penance...However, I'm sure if I were to leave it up to the male followers of Mercism, they could think up a proper punishment. So guys, how about it?

[MTGlass]

"you can bet there will be lawyers calling him today"

Inquiring after a senior partner gone missing, no doubt.

[lynn]

@d'ep--i will stand here in the drizzle rain and wait for my penance....and the confession time with the new priest--Fr. Cutie....

can you let troschne decide my punishment?? he does a great thing with flowers and anatomy...!!!!!!

[troschne]

lynn--(cocking head like Scooby-Doo)--ruh?

[American Veteran]

So would airline food be snakes on a plane?

[lynn]

troschne--plant some flowers in her....??? does that ring a bell? but i have changed me mind.

i want to be forced to eat mangoes and berries with cream and dragged out in to the ocean and made to swim about and then tied down and slathered in sun tan oil(dark please) & will be in the sun for at least 2-3 hours. oh and the naps ;) don't forget the naps, d'ep..

teach me to forget the snake goddess