OT: What have you gotten for free ala Jameis Winston?

Submitted by Go Blue Eyes on

While the debate rages as to what Jameis Winston (and other college athletes) got or didn't get for free, it got me to thinking what I have gotten free on a regular basis that ordinary people just don't. 

Perhaps the best thing I ever got for free on a regular basis was free gas for almost a year when I worked in Carlsbad, California in the late 80's.  I knew the guy who worked the payment station, would pull up and wave to him, pumped the gas and then simply drove off.  It was pretty cool not to have to worry about gas prices for a long time. 

Just curious to see what others have gotten in their past or present that would qualify as "preferential treatment."

rob f

April 23rd, 2015 at 1:10 AM ^

back in the early 80's.  I knew a friend of a friend who worked as a ticket-taker at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo (back then the K-Wings were a well-stocked IHL affiliate of the Red Wings and won the Turner Cup a few times).   The guy also worked one of the beer lines once the game started; we never had to pay to get in and very rarely had to pay for the beer---good times!!

(And, as a side benefit, I discovered how many women love the game of hockey.  Needless to say, I 'scored' a few times on hockey nights.)

CoachBP6

April 23rd, 2015 at 3:08 AM ^

Best thing I ever got free was when I was dating a bartender. Got free liquor. Free steak, free burgers, free wings whenever I came in. One time I ran up a 170$ tab during the 2011 Michigan v osu game. Went up to pay it and she comp'd the whole thing. Felt bad so I left her a 50$ tip.

lmgoblue1

April 23rd, 2015 at 6:05 AM ^

Once on West Pac deployment we had a port call in HongKong. We were waiting for a taxi when a gentleman pulled up in his Limo, got out and introduced himself as an American Banker, thanked us for our service (there were two of us) and offered us his car for the evening. Best gift I ever received. Also saw parts of Hong Kong most non-residents ever saw and treated like kings. Awesome memories 30 years later.

Mgotri

April 23rd, 2015 at 6:53 AM ^

I get free drinks at one of the nicer restaurants in Boston because my friend and I got bombed there on a Sunday (brunch turned into dinner) once.



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rpm881

April 23rd, 2015 at 8:09 AM ^

That the bank was taking over for nonpayment on the loan. Management told us that if we wanted our last pay check we had to finish the last two days that it was opened. So the last night the butcher cleaned and butchered all the meat in the cooler. They could not send it back. I ended up with 35 choice porterhouse, and 50 choice delmonico steaks. And a case of fries. Then the employees proceeded to drink the bar dry. While the cops stood outside to pad lock the place when we left. 3/4 of the employees never did get their last pay check from that place.

gopoohgo

April 23rd, 2015 at 8:20 AM ^

Free dinners from drug/equipment reps (do not partake now me and mrs/dr gopoohgo can afford going to nice places).

Free food from patients (always accept but typically give to the staff).

Free food from referring doctors/practices during the holidays.

Trebor

April 23rd, 2015 at 8:47 AM ^

When I lived in South Quad, my roommate and I would frequent the Subway at the Union because it was cheap, convenient, and accepted the money you could load onto your MCard. Right before we left for Christmas the one year, it was fairly empty when we were getting some subs, and the guy at the register gave us a free dimebag. It was pretty potent stuff too.

Also, I spent a summer working in an ice cream factory, and any damaged containers were not allowed to be stocked. Took home a lot of free 3 gallon containers of ice cream.

IB6UB9

April 23rd, 2015 at 9:38 AM ^

I purchased outdoor lawn furniture from Sears.  I come home from work later in the week the entire set is delivered without notification and left on my doorstep still in boxes.  I have to drag oversized boxes through my house out to the deck.  I call Sears and go to some Managers voicemail.  Never get a call back and by the time the weekend gets here I just put it together (I despise allen wrenches) myself.

Come to realize that I recieved not only the set I ordered but what must have been the next delivery as well and the second set is much more expensive and nicer then the set I ordered.  I call Sears a second time and now I am in the store managers voice mail. 

A week passes and the Lawn and Garden department manager calls and apologizes as he was on vacation.  I explain the situation and insist they come back and just take all of this back.  He apologizes and credits my bill.

Two more weeks pass and both sets are still sitting at my house.  I sell the set I purchased on Craigs list making a tidy profit for my trouble and still have the furniture that cost twice as much and was never billed for.

Sears loses a customer for life.

ElBictors

April 23rd, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^

I had a snowboard shop in Vail and the barter system was alive and well in that town.

Trading beers for board tunes or knowing your waiter who would comp all but the dessert was the only way to survive living there on $27,000/year  LOL