How Many Samples Is Too Many At A Deli? Here's The Limit, According To Reddit

One of Larry David's more valid crashouts on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" came when he was faced with a woman enjoying a few too many samples at an ice cream parlor — a "sample abuser," as he called her. Nobody wants to be behind that person (especially since she ended up just ordering vanilla). When you're in a similar sampling situation, it's a good idea to know what etiquette applies. That's why someone took to Reddit to ask r/publix if it was okay to sample one slice of every deli cheese. It may sound like a silly question, but there was actually some disagreement as to how many slices are too many.

"Sample maybe one or two cheeses per visit," said one Redditor. "Don't be that dude that samples everything." Another Redditor, this one an employee at Publix, said that it was possible to sample a good number of cheeses. "It would take a few bags and might take a while," he cautioned, before adding, "don't do this before close or if they're busy." Another Publix employee concurred. saying, "Technically it's not against the rules but if you sample too many things and don't buy anything we will make a note of it ... You'll also get a nickname like 'big sample lady' 'weird sample dude' etc." Nobody wants to be Weird Sample Dude, do they? It may even get you in legal trouble, as was the case with a Minnesota man who was arrested for taking large quantities of sausages and beef sticks from a sample kiosk (granted, the charges were later dropped).

When you're taking samples, you may want to consider what kind of establishment you're patronizing, deli or otherwise. If you're shopping at a supermarket with a great deli, you can be a little freer with asking for samples provided that you're responsible about it and don't try to pull any nonsense just before closing. You may also be able to finagle a couple of samples of a new product the deli department is selling if you keep your eyes peeled. However, the calculus changes if you're shopping at a smaller establishment, especially one that operates on thin profit margins.

If the business offers samples openly like they do at Costco (whose sampling system you can easily hack), surely you can take more freely, right? Well, not really. Once they're portioned out into those neat little cups or speared on single toothpicks, you should probably stick to just one per customer (or even per family, if it's especially crowded). Whether you're in a deli trying foods that always taste better from behind the counter or an ice cream parlor with dozens of little spoons, it's always a good idea to be considerate.