Schools ban lunch swapping: Lunch trades outlawed to protect kids with allergies

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 17 February 2005 | Kim Vo

[CounterCounterCulture]

Lunch trades outlawed to protect kids with allergies

ORMONDALE SCHOOL JOINS THOSE THAT HAVE APPLIED TIGHTER RULES

By Kim Vo
Mercury News

In the underground economy of school lunches, third-grader Siobhan Rickert explained, the demands are straightforward: ``If you give me this cookie, I'll give you this pretzel.''

But no more. This month, Ormondale School in Portola Valley began cracking down on lunch swaps. No more trading mom's turkey sandwich for a peanut butter and jelly -- or exchanging chocolate chip cookies for, well, just about anything you want.

Ormondale joins a smattering of Bay Area schools that have banned swaps, citing food allergies and concerns that, unbeknown to their parents, students following kosher or all-organic diets were sneaking pepperoni at lunch.

[citizenmike]

I agree with all the posters so far; swapping lunches was the highlight of my elementary school routine. But I like to argue, so, for argument's sake, how about this:

Allergies, some deadly, are more prevalent today then when we were kids. If the wrong kid got a hold of a peanut butter sandwich, it could kill him. So eliminating lunch swapping seems to be a small price to pay to keep kids safe. What do you think?

[CounterCounterCulture]

Is this sharing lunch thing new? I don`t recall this when I was a kid.

Mmmm, no. At many schools kids would bring sacked lunches and there's a natural inclination to share/swap items. Even when kids all ate cafeteria food, there'd be some things some kids wouldn't eat and swapping would take place there too. So for example, I ended up eating other kid's spinaches.

[GeronL]

I would think a kid would know their own allergies.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Oh, it's a somewhat light-hearted thread and I understand the allergies concern.

But for people like me who never had allergies, this would be a little unfair for the whole group to be punished for afflictions of the few. And if the child is aware of his allergies, he/she would know what to avoid.

[GeronL]

A: 1 jello square = 2 fish sticks

what is that in beef fritters?

[GeronL]

Too bad we can't ban pubic skools

why can't we?? Ain't nothing in the Constitution that says we have to have gubbermint skools.... I say we outlaw them.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

God,wouldn't you hate to be a kid today?

Whhaaaatt? Have you not seen some of those hot skany feamle teachers what are boinking 14 yr old boys? DAMNIT, where were these teachers when I was in school?

[proudCArepublican]

and if you haven't guessed that is a city in my great state ha ha of CA in the Bay Area why dont they just teach these kids reading and writing and let the parents deal with this issue.

[Ciexyz]

I used to trade my twinkies for homemade cookies. One form of processed sugar for another, what's wrong with that?

[Peace will be here soon]

"At many schools kids would bring sacked lunches and there's a natural inclination to share/swap items."

Maybe at the girls and girly boy tables.

I can`t recall ever swapping/sharing lunches when I was in school. I guess I hung out with a different crowd. Stealing food was always in play, but sharing/trading? No, didn`t happen at my table.

[Tuba-Dude]

Yeah, it's natural selection at it's best when someone without the common sense to know they're allergic to peanut butter eats a PB&J sammich. Then again, we already have a name for people with that ability (or the lack thereof): "leftists".

[SquirrelKing]

what is that in beef fritters?

1 beef fritter = 3 corn dogs or 1 balogna sandwich

[GeronL]

1 beef fritter = 3 corn dogs

Must be a mighty big fritter

[daguberment]

I'll bet the little bay area sweeties are still allowed to trade a condom for a copy of "Jimmy has two Mommies".

[DocRock]

Hey, Teacher! Leave those kids alone!

[CounterCounterCulture]

If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding!
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!

[proudCArepublican]

twinkies are great did the same oh yes but i am from ca and there was that little incident with a San Fran councilman and his twinkie defense many years ago

[DocRock]

*snicker*

Oh! Wait a minute! Do Snickers have peanuts? Those should be banned! Zero Tolerance! Call the food police!

[Born Conservative]

[freepatriot32]

is i t possible to force a state to secede from the union or at least to force it to change its name to western china for gods sake