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NYC Considers Google Glass For Restaurant Inspections

Posted by samzenpus on from the a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-curds dept.

New submitter TchrBabe writes: "NYC is now considering equipping its Health Department inspectors with Google Glass to provide a record of restaurant inspections. 'A yearlong pilot program would require 10 percent of the 160 health inspectors to wear video devices — including, possibly, the much-maligned Google goggles — under legislation to be proposed Thursday. "I think it would limit the abuses on both sides of the table, and it would allow for a more objective view by the judge on the violations that have been cited," said bill sponsor Vincent Ignizio.'"

7 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Added benefit by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wear google glass and get excellent service ....

    1. Re:Added benefit by KingOfBLASH · · Score: 5, Interesting

      My favorite story about the differences in hygiene standards in Europe compared to America.

      Health inspectors walk into a famous French restaurant in NYC. 3 Michelin stars, celebrity chef. Cat crosses path.

      Inspectors: Sir, do you realize there's a cat in your restaurant? This is not allowed
      Owner: Of course there's a cat in the restaurant, if I can't have him here how would you suggest I handle the rats?

      Inspectors close restaurant. Exeunt

      The funny thing is, living in Europe, and then living in Asia I can tell you most of the world does not have the same very very high standards of the US. And, surprisingly, people do not die from eating raw milk products, or from eating cheeses and meats that have been allowed to sit out in the heat all day, or from any of the many other sins an American health inspector will make you repent for.

    2. Re:Added benefit by operagost · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "Consumption" was an old name for tuberculosis. TB is normally transferred through the air, not food contamination.

      Raw milk is not generally available to poor urban people today, because farms are no longer near cities. It's mostly consumed in rural or suburban areas, near the source farms. There is no need to ban raw milk with the incredibly small risks associated, compared to the carcinogens in city water, for example. So banning raw milk is essentially an attack on poor and middle class rural people, which is fashionable today.

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  2. It's a great idea. by dclozier · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The best way to keep inspectors from looking the other way for cash under the table is to be able to see when they're looking the other way. This also protects the restaurant owners too since the inspector can't threaten them over something imaginary because it will have to be on the video recording to back up their statements.

  3. Much maligned Google goggles by sunderland56 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "the much-maligned Google goggles"

    They aren't maligned as a working tool; they're maligned as a geek toy.

    Wearing a welding helmet while welding? OK. Wearing a welding helmet to the local bar? Expect some ridicule.

  4. The system in NYC is so worthless anyway... by Bourdain · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...as someone who has scoured and mined the NYC health department data (not to mention the review / grade pending period making the data even more worthless; i.e., most restaurants receive a hidden "C" at which point they display a "Grade Pending" sign then have a month to get their "A" at their reinspection and then most likely go back to their "C" ways --> to all those statisticians out there, which rating is the real one? the first one when they weren't expecting it or the one where they had a few weeks notice?

    My hope and wish is that the letter grades determined by the score would be meaningfully correlated to the risk of food poisoning in the restaurant however there is little relationship between those things and that restaurants wouldn't have a chance to get a reinspection which clearly defeats the purpose of the test in the eyes of anyone with even the most minimal statistical/scientific education.

    Instead of using google glass, the health department should reevaluate their methods of inspection and reinspection grading policy where part of their inspection relates to testing actual prepared food instead of seeing if a mouse or roach might have been on the floor (oftentimes they can just scurry in from the sidewalk and have zero impact on the food)

  5. Evidence they're looking at GG itself? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Informative

    NYC eyes Google Glass for restaurant inspections

    including, possibly, the much-maligned Google goggles

    So if the city wanted to use Google Glass

    I don't see any evidence that NYC is actually looking at Google Glass. For all the information in the article, they may have already discounted it. Perhaps they never even considered it.

    In other words, made-up shit.

    --
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