New York Woman Tries To Order A BLT Bagel—It’s Not That Simple Anymore: ‘I Want Out Of This Simulation’

It’s no secret that for a large portion of Americans, everything feels tougher. Largely, that’s because things are objectively more expensive. From gas to lettuce, prices have been going up. And perks we once took for granted are now a line item on a receipt. Take, for instance, one New York City woman’s experience with a BLT bagel.

Makeup artist Kaiya Carlin (@kaiyacarlin) just wanted to order a simple bacon, lettuce, and tomato bagel.

‘Bagel Culture Is Out Of Control’

Over a TikTok video caption that says, “NYC Bagel culture is out of CONTROL!!!! Where does it end?” Carlin tells her short story of hidden upcharges.

“So I just tried to order a BLT on the Upper East Side,” she says.

Everything was perfectly normal at first. But upon checking out, she got a surprise. “When I get to the register, there’s a $2 upcharge,” she says.

She says she asked what it was for. In her mind, it was plausible that the additional fee is for hot sauce, maybe even mayo. But she was not prepared for the answer she got: “‘It’s $1 for the lettuce and $1 for the tomato,'” she recalls the deli worker telling her.

“I go, ‘It’s a BLT,'” she says, with an incredulous look on her face.

His reply, per Carlin, “‘Yeah, but we have to charge for the lettuce and tomato now.'”

Has It Gone Too Far?

The upcharge for vegetables set Carlin off. She’s convinced the world is no longer real. “What the f— part of this simulation are we at where I ask for a BLT, and the flat charge is $9. And you’re also like, ‘Oh, but also, for the lettuce and tomato, it’s an extra $1,” she says.

“I want off the rock,” she says. “I want out of the simulation. This has gone too far.”

She’s not the only person impacted by the 25% increase in consumer prices since 2020. “Gurrrrl! I ordered ice coffee n got charged for the ice and cup,” @abagail8689 said.

Then, user @stregatsundere made a fiscally salient point, writing, “But never have I ever had my sandwich be cheaper for asking them to remove tomatoes or pickles.”

Others encouraged her to put the bagel down and walk away. “We have to start normalizing walking out and not buying price-gouged items,” @onemomentplzzz said.

How Are Consumers Dealing With Inflation?

Many Americans think that the cause of endlessly rising prices is greed. One woman, Aria Navarro, speaking to NPR, said, “I think it’s the big corporations. We have no other choice. We have to buy groceries. They use that to take advantage and keep, you know, raising prices.”

But NPR’s own research shows that it’s not the companies that are supplying the grocery stores. It’s the grocery stores themselves. Because grocery stores’ profits grew, like many companies’ profits did, during the pandemic. Afterward, many of those record profits dropped. Yet, grocery stores have “been slower to give up those gains,” reports that same NPR story. Overall, “the grocery industry has kept a slightly bigger share of sales over time.”

So while everyday Americans are spending more on store brands and looking for BOGO deals (buy one get one), other industries are also feeling the pinch. And it appears in the most frustrating of places at the restaurant when you’re already hungry. Things like smaller portions and surprise fees are hard to push back against, since you can’t really “strike a deal” for lunch. It’s a take-it-or-leave-it situation. And when you’re ready to eat, you’re likely willing to pay a premium (just ask the airport).

For those who argue that NYC is expensive anyway, they’re not wrong. More than one visitor has arrived and gasped at the prices on everything from real estate to a street vendor’s shawarma. Realistically, NYC is also one of the most expensive places to dine out. For example, “At Thomas Keller’s three–Michelin–starred Per Se the nine-course tasting menu costs $425 for the baseline experience,” reports Food & Wine.

And there, a BLT bagel costing $11 is normalized.

BroBible reached out to Carlin via email and TikTok direct message. We will update this if she lets us know whether she walked out of the simulation with or without a bagel in hand.