Those of you who know me will know that I am currently in my last semester at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. As one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the former colonies of North America, Rutgers has a long history of largely forgotten traditions; her many accomplishments range all the way from inventing the game of American Football to losing more matches of said game than almost any other school in the country. And now, one of the Raritan’s most noble traditions is under attack.
As the Rutgers student newspaper, The Daily Targum reported a week ago (2/11)
The Grease Trucks, a staple of University life, were forced to cover up several of the items on their menus last night in order to comply with University rules following complaints of harassment and inappropriate sandwich names.
The cluster of fast-food trucks – which open at 6 p.m. and close early in the morning – have been the source of food for Rutgers students, staff and faculty alike on College Avenue.
The complaints have mainly come from members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community at the University, who said they have experienced a different side of the trucks – one they see as being homophobic and intolerant toward sexual minorities on campus.
Not all students are as joyous about the censorship as the complainers.
A Grease Truck worker – who wished to be identified as “Mr. C” – was visibly upset yesterday about covering up certain names on his truck.
“I’m very upset. We’re all very upset,” he said. “I’ve been selling [Fat] Bitches for 14 years.”
John Graney, assistant director of Operations at Parking and Transportation Services, asked Mr. C to cover up the names as soon as possible.
But Mr. C said he has never had a complaint about the menu names.
“Everybody’s happy with the Bitches,” he said.
This has apparently made its way into the ‘serious’ New York City area television broadcast news, so I’ve decided to provide some coverage of it myself, presented Masamania style.
Click below for a series of photographs.
The trucks.
The grease man himself.
Grease truck sandwich named as #1 sandwich in America by Maxim magazine. The perfect honor for the perfect crime.
Reporters came from channel 9 news to cover the story,
Channel 2 also sent some people. She asked me not to take her photograph, but I pointed out that she was being videoed for television as she said that. We carried on our separate business.
The decision to censor the names has not been popular.
An actual Fat Bitch
Those Fat Bitches ARE really damn good you know…
Eating fat bitches may be a hobby for you guys, but I’m more of a burrito guy myself.
To be honest, someone recently made a pretty good case to get rid of fat bitches and fat dyke, citing cases of LGBT being harassed at the grease trucks. Yes, people there at night are usually drunk, but that still not an excuse. Now, as for the other names, the biggest outrage for me is getting rid of fat philipino. I’m Chinese, but PATS was probably thinking fat philipino somehow offends Asians. No, it does not. I’m not offended, as a matter of fact, I love the fat philipino. The guy who named the fat bollo is filipino (the guy who named the philipino, I hope he’s filipino). If the LGBT community wants to get rid of names, they should take the issue to the grease truck owners, not PATS. Looking at the current menus, I can tell PATS overreacted. No one who drives in Rutgers likes PATS. I hate PATS (that’s the people in charge of ticketing students for looking for a place to park). My beef isn’t with the LGBT community, it’s PATS.
I BEEN THERE EATING 23 TIMES, THAT PLACE IS THE BEST IM 17 YEARS OLD AND I LOVE THAT PLACE THE GIRLS AND THE FOOD IS GREAT
I am not from New Jersey but my best friend is and I LOVE THE TRUCKS and bitches… I do not find the names offensive I find them funny. No you would probably not take a young child there but they don’t open until 6pm anyway.
Yeah, sandwiches called fat dyke and fat bitch. Real fucking funny. Assholes.
*ahem* We are “Anal-Americans”