False display cheats patrons

A while ago I decided to eat at the Press Room on campus. I planned to order a salad, but just before I ordered, I noticed some wrapped packages. I saw the large packages had signs corresponding to the sandwich selections on the menu. In the display I saw what appeared to be sandwiches about 11 inches long and more than three inches wide. The menu showed that for the same amount of money as the salad, I could get a huge sandwich instead. I asked the attendant if the displayed sandwich was the same size as the actual sandwich. She said the actual sandwiches were “a little smaller.”
 
As my sandwich was being removed from the grill, I was shocked to see its actual size. I asked the attendant if any of the actual sandwiches matched the displayed sandwiches. She said the actual sandwiches were about two-thirds the size of the displayed sandwiches. That is a 33 percent difference, a large marginal difference that should not be considered “a little smaller.”
 
I have not only noticed this practice at the Press Room, but also at other food vendors on campus. Food should be displayed in its actual form, fashion and size with minimum standard measurements (MSM) in place. Displaying the MSM should not be a difficult task. Checks by unknown consumers to measure the food of the vendor should be started to ensure that the vendors are operating within their MSM. Establishments that do not meet these standards should be fined.
 
This call to responsibility would benefit the average. An established MSM for food provides fairness to the consumer; though it may mean a potential loss in profit.
 
With measurements and accurate advertising in place, vendors could no longer embellish pictures and cheat the customer to increase their profits.
 
Something should be done about this injustice which silently rapes our pockets.
 
It is my hope that readers will demand action from their student government.
 
George Alvarez is a senior criminology major at Cal State Long Beach.

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