[merlotmaker]

Anybody here a freegan? I saw caught an episode of the Tyra Banks show while sitting in the lobby of my doctor's office yesterday. It was about "freegans" as in people who dumpster dive for their food. They go to bakeries and get thrown out bread, thrown out produce from grocery stores and what not. Now I'm not talking about homeless people. These people are very intelligent, have homes, family, regular Joe's, ya know. They say they have never gotten sick from dumpster diving because they know what they are doing. They know what to eat and what not to eat.

I found this very interesting. Not for me of course, but I was wondering if any members of the forum got their food this way or knows someone who does. Would like to hear about some experience.

 

[Canadian]

It's a great way to get hepatitis a-z not to mention a load of other permanent and horrible diseases. Stay out of dumpsers and leave the trash eating to the homeless.

 

[merlotmaker]

Well, of course I would never do it as I am way too cautious of the food I eat and I am paranoid as all get outs that I will eat something bad. The only thing I might consider eating out of the stuff the people on the show talked about getting out was unopened cans of food that had been thrown out simply because they we're missing a label. Just look at it as mystery lunch! lol

 

[The_Blob]

all the national chain business lock their dumpsters around here, but having friends who work in different eating establishments has let me become a 'semi-freegan' I suppose... I wouldn't recommend abusing friendships on a regular basis and you should definitely buy the person(s) something you know they like (6-pack beer, t-shirt, etc etc) ocassionally; Hell, my friends & I used to alternate to be the one to bring over food for weekend get-togethers.

 

[Blissness]

What kind of places do your friends work?

 

[BurtB]

I've heard of this on a show before too. I think it might have been an Oprah episode covered by Lisa Ling....yep, yep...it's kind of coming back to me now.

The people she was interviewing were saying the same thing about unlabeled can foods, bakeries, grocery stores....

I hadn't thought about that being illegal really but I guess it would be very strange for someone to leave their place of work (such as a restraunt) and have someone digging out food. I don't know, I couldn't do it.

 

[The_Blob]

ooops, when I wrote that I forgot to specify that the food I get does NOT goto the dumpster before I get it...

 

[MaryV]

i ate out of "dumpsters" behind restaurants and I went to grocery stores and asked for any old food they had, they always were willing to give it to me. I was a homeless street kid for a year, thats how I survived, that was well, 1971 in toronto, long time ago...I wouldnt do that now, out of the garbage, but you can ask at grocery stores, they are usually willing to give you old food if they think you are really needy, you just have to look and act it...and a lot of the food is just bent cans or cans with no labels or boxes that got bent or crushed a bit, older veggies can be made into soup. I dont feel desperate enough to do that these days, I eat well.

 

[Nadine]

How old were you when you were a homeless street kid, Mary?

 

[Canadian]

Being homeless is tough. Toronto is a hard place to be homeless. The winters are really tough and the downtown core is very hard on street kids. I hope things were not as bad in 1971 as they are today.

 

[MaryV]

I was 20, but emotionally was like 10 or so, and at that time I was mentally ill. I dont know if its worse now or not, I know there are a lot more homeless now. I wasnt on drugs or anything like that, I was just "lost"...thank God a man took me off the streets and found a home for me to live with a family until I could recover and get myself straightened out. Its very dangerous for girls especially because of the trafficking, it was just as bad for that back then than now I am sure cause I escaped only by the skin of my teeth...
I am not sure if that experience is why now I so badly want to be prepared for emergencies. I dont want to be wandering around wondering what happened when the bottom falls out. I have my eyes open now. I see what is coming, I just dont know when or how ... but I know I want to be prepared as much as I am able. What I cant do, I cant do, I cant go buy some place out in the countryside and live off the grid, its not possible for now, so I have to prepare for where I am at, in the city, in an apt...

 

[Canadian]

I've got a feeling that it's a lot worse now. The 1970's was pre AIDS and pre Crack Cocaine. I'm glad you made it out. I see kids aged 20 and under dying on the streets from a mix of both. Glad you made it out.

 

[Adelle]

Interesting story, Mary. I am glad to see you made it out alive as well. I am only 26 years old, I was a young mother and I couldn't imagine being on the streets at 25, much less 20! What kind of mental illness were you suffering from? My anxiety and depression was hellacious in my early 20's.