Guac might be extra, but you can risk getting E. coli for free at Chipotle.
Valentine’s Day is still three months away, but that isn’t keeping Facebook users from RSVPing to “E. coli and Chill.” More than 1,500 people have committed to eating Chipotle on Feb. 14, 2016, “even tho u at risk for e. coli, n chill.”
The Mexican food chain faced some bad press earlier this month due to an outbreak of the bacteria that originated in the Pacific Northwest and infected people in six states. Forty-three restaurants in Oregon and Washington closed and later reopened. Chipotle said in a statement that the decision to close those stores “was out of an abundance of caution, even though only eleven restaurants have been linked to this incident.”
E. Coli and Chill is obviously not affiliated with the burrito behemoth. Instead, it appears to be the work of several college students who were probably inspired by the Netflix and Chill meme and the uptick in humorous Facebook events. (Last weekend, for example, was about Eating By Yourself At McDonald’s.) Fortunately for the event creators, burritos even look like the bacteria, fully evoking that distinctive E. coli aesthetic in a way that lends itself to a beautiful banner image for the event.
The celebration has inspired reactions ranging from “FUCKING SAVAGE” to “Finally a poison that tastes alright.” Other people are staunchly opposed to the notion of E. coli and Chill. One of the event organizers posted an insightful little infographic with the caption “Food for thought.”
If you’re feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day, go to your nearest Chipotle (unless it’s already closed) and grab yourself some grub. You’ll be glad to know that more than a thousand other people out there in this mad world are doing the same thing—all in the name of E. coli and Chill.
Photo via lainetrees/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
