It’s a gut-wrenching decision no person should ever have to make, but if that time comes, it’s important to know your options. You might feel lost, but you’re never alone: You can leave any meatball sandwich that you’re unable to finish at your local fire department and they are required to eat it, no questions asked.
Be informed. If you somehow find yourself too full to finish your half-eaten Italian grinder, remember that firemen are required by the state to scarf down all of your leftovers should you leave them at the fire station. That’s the law.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you should know that when ANY U.S. fire department finds a partially eaten meatball sandwich on its property, it must immediately take it inside and polish off any bread, meat, marinara, or cheese that you were unable able to on your own. No one wants to leave their sandwich for someone else to finish, but if the time comes, this is an option, and you won’t be punished for it.
It doesn’t matter how greasy or meaty your monstrous hoagie was—the firemen must do everything in their power to finish the 12-inch, full-to-the-brim meat-and-cheese sub in your absence.
If it comes to this, simply place your sandwich in a well-lit area where the firefighters can find it, and they will bring it inside and eat it until it is 100 percent gone. Just know that once you decide to place it on those steps, you won’t get it back, not even if you get a second burst of hunger later—it’s the law that they have to eat all of it, and these brave men and women take it very seriously.
Finishing off your Italian sub on your own is always the best option, but if you need help, it’s important to know that your local fire department will be there for you. It’s certainly not for everyone, but remember: No meatball sub should go to waste, especially not yours.
