Whether you’re new to LA or you’ve been a life long resident, food truck etiquette is important survival knowledge to have.

osl-foodtruck

Photo by Justin Gerboc

With L.A. being arguably the best city in the country to experience the wheeled wonders that are food trucks, you would think everyone would be skilled at navigating them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Here are some tips for making your experience (and others) more enjoyable.

  1. What do they have? – Even the most established food trucks will have menus that vary based on where else they’ve been that day and numerous other factors. Make sure to check the menu to be sure they have what you are looking for. When checking the menu stand back a ways so others can see as well. It’s super frustrating to have someone standing 1 foot in front of the sign with five people craning their necks to try to see around you. If everyone takes one big step back, more people can see!

    On Campus Note: Often when food trucks come to campus they have an even more limited menu, especially if there’s a sponsor subsidizing the cost.

  2. Getting to the window – Fact: Food trucks are popular. That means there will be a line. It’s that simple. Prepare yourself to wait. While standing there, make friends with your other dining compatriots. Check out the cool paint job on the side of the truck. If you have a smartypants phone, check out the truck’s Facebook or Twitter pages. There are plenty of things to do to pass the time. Trust me, it will be worthwhile.
  3. What do you want? – When placing your order, be polite. Remember, the temperature inside that truck where those nice people are prepping your food is probably pretty high. That means they’re tired and maybe a little cranky. While they will usually be polite to you (you are a paying customer after all) a little politeness goes a long way. Also, remember that they have limited capacity for custom orders. Keep any special requests to a minimum and simple is best.

Find the entire article at oxy.edu <here>