I'd almost rather have that debt than get the "emergency lunch" they would give me when I didn't have lunch as a kid. They gave you a brown bag so everyone knew you were broke, and the entire lunch was two pieces of bread with american cheese and an apple, and some juice or milk.

[–] LittleFellaNamedBoof@hexbear.net 31 points 1 month ago (2 children)

When I was a kid I have memories of filling up my tray with food then when I got to the cash register to pay and my parents hadn't put money on my account they'd take the tray, throw all the food in the trash right in front of me, and give me a roll with a slice of american cheese on it. I was 5.

[–] tocopherol@hexbear.net 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Dear lord that's fucked, at least where I was at they would make sure you could pay before they gave you the food, that's just extra cruelty, how could anyone think that's the way it should be done? It's almost unbelievable but from what I know of Amerikkka it's not that surprising (if that was in the US).

[–] redsteel@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

It was slightly different for me, had to first be registered on the poors / eternal renters list with the school, after which they'd give you a booklet of paper tabs (like pull-tabs or the old food stamps system), and you presented one of those to the cafeteria cashier after getting your tray of prison-tier carbs, saturated fats, and refined sugars.

Never had anything thrown out in front of my face, but got to sit and watch everyone else eat because I knew I wasn't getting shit without that little paper tab quite a few times.