The Night Good Samaritans

It all started on YouTube. One day, the algorithm showed me videos of people retrieving food from supermarket dumpsters. I couldn’t believe my eyes—it looked fake. So I decided to see for myself. One night, I went out to scavenge through the dumpsters of convenience stores and realized it was all true: vegetables, fruits, coffee, oil, yogurts—even non-perishables—were being thrown away every day.

Later, I did some research and discovered that food waste—from both sellers and buyers—accounts for 30 to 40% of production. Unthinkable! Why don’t store managers redistribute this food to employees or charities? I read that every employee is considered a “potential customer,” and anyone caught retrieving unsold items risks being fired.

Disgusted by this consumerist society and its shameless waste, I became a freegan. And I admit I’ve never eaten so well in my life, prepared so many jars (pickles, fermented vegetables, jams, etc.), or shared so much food with those around me. My cellar now looks like a small, well-stocked grocery store.

But beyond the material aspect, my nighttime outings have brought me little adventures I’ll never forget. One night, I met a man who asked me if I had any food to spare. Although he had a job, he told me that by the 20th of the month, he had almost no money left to feed himself. I took him just a few meters away, where we rummaged through the dumpsters of a bakery–pastry shop that also caters. Half an hour later, he couldn’t stop thanking me, holding two big bags full of plastic-wrapped dishes, sandwiches, brioches, tiramisus, and other cakes. Overjoyed to have helped, I told him to thank the Universe, not me.

Another night, while I was collecting sunflower oil—pouring the remnants from several giant bottles into one—behind a snack bar, someone came out, saw me, and asked if I was hungry. He went to his delivery scooter, pulled a chicken sandwich out of the trunk, and offered it to me. Touched by his kindness, I told him I was vegetarian and that my fridge was already full. I thanked him warmly, saying he had a beautiful soul—a rare thing these days...