Nice try, Panera

This is Part IV of Mandy's War on Corporate BS That Disempowers Employees. I don't remember the other XIII parts, but anyway...
This morning I went to Panera with AJ to waste some time before he had to be at the airport. I'd been there a few times before with my travel mug and asked for a coffee of some sort. Each time they'd made it, it's been in a paper cup that's placed inside my travel mug.
Thanks. The earth appreciates it.
Employees have told me that it's against their policy to do otherwise.
So I had high hopes that this Panera (in oh-so-urban-Richmond) would be different.
Alas, Assistant Manager David told me that it's against health code to serve me a coffee in my own mug. I told him that I had no beef with him. But I wanted to know how he thought Starbucks could do it and not Panera.
His answer "Then they are violating health code" sounded impotent. I understood yet again how Panera has disrespected the intelligence of its workers by feeding them this lame line. He probably knew that statement was bullshit. Yet he didn't have any way to say how he truly felt. So he relied on the age-old "company policy" crutch because he probably wasn't able to do anything else.
Same story when I (accidentally) tried to bring a bottle of water into a UVA game. The security guard told me it could be used as a projectile.
However, I could purchase my own $4 projectile of Aquafina once inside the stadium.
Who do they think they are fooling?
I don't think it's the fault of one party. Sure, the school has a deal with PepsiCo to sell their beverages. PepsiCo appreciates high sales number$ and probably rewards the school for such. Enter the bullshit party line dreamed up by some asshole in an administrative office. "No one will question this!"
But we do question it.
And I'm sad that more companies don't extend respect and the benefit of the doubt to their workers and customers.
Because...really...against health code?
Well, then don't even think about touching my silverware before handing me my salad.
Your hands on my flatware HAS to be against some rule or other.