A minor FineBaps rant.

Now .... let's get something straight from the word go.

This is going to be a pedantic post, something of a moan and groan, but it is this which is going to cause me to go right off a sandwich shop in Haywards Heath which, otherwise, offers great value for money. None other than Fine Baps.

What is driving me nuts is a lack of consistency. I'll admit that I can be a bit of an awkward cow because I have a large BLT without the T, because the acid in the tomato doesn't help the osteoperosis. It wouldn't be a problem now and then, but when Mum leaves for a fortnight I take the opportunity to flip my diet; and daily shots of tomato doesn't help my increasingly old bones.

The diet flip is a good breakfast, followed by a solid lunch and very little in the evening. Using this technique I feel full, have enough energy to get through the day and naturally fall asleep in the evening. I also lose a bit of weight this way.

I started to ask for a BLT, without the T but with extra bacon (for the protein part of the diet)

I'm not sure how this comes together, but the rate that I pay, and how many extra slices I get for giving up the T, seems to depend radically on who is doing it. So far, I've put up with the inconsistency because it still sort-of seems reasoanble value for money.

Add to this, the loyalty card. Now, that's a very nice bit of gimmick. On every tenth order you get a free sandwich and along the way you get a free can of something or a free bag of crisps. At the end of it (50 purchases) you get a free meal. (Well, actually only 45 purchases because you actually get a free sandwich after every nine bought sandwiches.)

It is possible to enter the argument of rather than a loyalty card, bring the prices down instead; an argument that the supermarkets are starting to listen to. Whether that really applies to a sandwich shop, recesion or not, you have to admit that it becomes a bit sad when you're talking about knocking ten pence of a bacon sarnie. But ... back to the scheduled rant...

For the preceeding two free sandwiches, I've got my regular order against the free sandwich. Well, it isn't as if I haven't been paying for some of the extra bacon ... or maybe ... because to be honest, I haven't been able to keep track.

This time, however, the rules changed and I was charged for the extra bacon in the free sandwich.

Now, if I didn't order extra bacon on a regular basis, they'd have a good point. Then there is the issue of giving up the tomato and how much this contributes (if at all) to a portion of extra bacon.

I just can't keep track of what the hell I'm going to be charged, or how much I'm going to get for my money. That's the crux of the whole deal here.

I think I'll start going to Greggs. At least I know where I stand and I can calculate whether they really are value for money. Plus, they do some mean hot pasties. (plus, I have to walk a lot further so the extra exercise will do me good.)

Am I being too pedantic here, or am I being realistic? Hit me in the comments with your thoughts.