What's Bugging Us Today?

From the Quad-City Times:

CLINTON, Iowa - A Bellevue, Iowa, man has filed a lawsuit against Hy-Vee after a Cobb salad he bought at the Clinton grocery store allegedly contained one ingredient he wasn't expecting - a live bug.

In his lawsuit filed July 25 in Clinton County District Court, Kenneth Schmidt, 38, alleges that he bought a DiLusso Cobb Salad on the morning of March 29 and brought it with him to work.

Schmidt had already eaten some of his salad during his lunch break when he found a live bug in the container, according to the lawsuit.

Schmidt is seeking unspecified compensation for past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional impairment and emotional distress.

Schmidt's attorney, Mark Lawson of Maquoketa, would not comment on the case but did say his client took photos of the bug in the salad.

A Clinton store manager told the Associated Press that details of the case have been turned over to the corporate offices of Hy-Vee. Representatives of the Hy-Vee corporate office could not be reached for comment.

 I understand his dismay. But future pain and suffering? Mental anguish? Emotional impairment and distress. From a ruined lunch?

I once ordered twice-cooked pork from a Chinese joint in Sioux City. I enjoyed a big helping and put the rest in the fridge for lunch. I returned home the next midday to chow down.

After a couple bites, I found a large cockroach. It wasn't alive. In fact it had been perfectly prepared and marinated in the spicy sauce. It was a bummer, mostly because I was hungry and didn't have time to get something else. World's full of bugs. What are ya gonna do?

I guess I should have called my boss and asked for a month off, to get my wrecked emotional house back in order. Perhaps I'm still traumatized and I don't even know it. Maybe my earning power has been diminished. I still really like Chinese food, sans roaches.

This is the kind of lawsuit that feeds the notion that our court system is a comical carnival. Take it back to the store and get a refund. Buy some meat and veggies and make your own salad. Geez.

Hey, that reminds me, I've been looking for a good Asian restaurant around these parts and haven't found one yet. Let me know if you have suggestions.