Column Judith Witte: A drop in the bucket

“Your handbag looks like a survival kit!” A friend is sitting next to me on the low wall. His finger is bleeding: torn cuticle. The rest of the group is chatting in the sun, with beers in plastic cups. I dig through my bag. While the contents may seem fairly random, this is actually a carefully balanced collection of items, assembled through practical foresight and anticipation of all kinds of ‘what-if scenarios.’ I move past cards, my phone, tissues, and a pocketknife (just in case… a suddenly irritating loose tag in your shirt is crying out for scissors, a tiny screw in a pair of glasses needs tightening, or a spontaneously purchased bottle of wine needs opening…), a pen, reading glasses, a rain jacket, a tube of sunscreen, a lucky charm, and 2 candies. Ah! There we go: band-aids.

I’m hungry. The candies aren’t cutting it. When I left home this afternoon, I had factored in the possibility of a growling stomach, but I figured there would be plenty of food available in the city. Besides, my bag was already full: no room for sandwiches or bananas. Unfortunately, there’s a long line at the fries stand. I can’t be bothered to wait in line there. Besides, the band is starting up again! Other priorities are demanding immediate attention: there’s dancing to do, right now.

The beers keep coming, so calorie intake isn’t a problem. The line at the portable toilets (ugh) is manageable, while the fry stand remains relentlessly busy. My eyes drift toward the burger and satay stand on the other side of the square. Things seem to be moving much faster there than at the fry stand. Should I? I do a quick risk assessment. On the one hand, I see highly enthusiastic and motivated students flipping burgers over blazing-hot griddles, but on the other, I also notice the stand is sitting in direct sunlight. I find myself wondering whether the cooks have truly mastered the applicable hygiene regulations. I’ll pass. Their customers, however, don’t seem remotely concerned today; the food is selling like hotcakes. Being critical? That can wait until tomorrow… Today is about celebrating.
But not for everyone.

Last year, the NVWA carried out no inspections on King’s Day: there simply wasn’t enough funding. This year, the authority decided to ‘revive the tradition.’ Was funding suddenly available after all? Or is it simply painfully necessary? Seventeen inspectors checked 106 locations to see whether vendors were complying with all food safety regulations; a drop in the bucket. They issued 36 official warnings. Six business owners received fines, and three private individuals were ordered to stop preparing food altogether. Impossible to know how many vendors slipped through the cracks.

Judith Witte
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