Rotten tomatoes

Every once in a while, I eat a salad. Granted, I should probably indulge in salad more readily than I indulge in ice cream... Nevertheless, I like to add things to my salads like most normal human beings. Chopped walnuts, avocado, dairy and soy bean oil free salad dressings, and, recently, tomatoes. I prefer the cherry (or grape, depending on which regional dialect you subscribe to) tomatoes in my salad over those larger, more granular, diced garden tomatoes. At the grocery store, I found a brand that I particularly like - Nature Sweet. On several occasions, I purchased this brand and did what I always do with fresh vegetables - I put them in the vegetable drawer inside the refrigerator. However, on the most recent occasion after purchasing these cherry tomatoes, I read an inscription on the container that said, "for best taste, do not refrigerate." So, I took them out. Usually, keeping them in the fridge has them lasting for as long as it takes me to use the entire container (typically two weeks), with nary a soiled tomato in the bunch. Several days later (perhaps two, possibly three), I go to make a salad. Lo and behold, at least three tomatoes had gone bad. No big deal, you say. Wrong. Had I stuck with my intelligent instincts, none of them would have spoiled. I promptly discarded the rotten ones, added some to my salad, and replaced the container in the fridge. Days later, the remaining tomatoes were still edible. It was then that I recalled the advisory message on the container and had an appalling revelation. The message was placed there for the sole purpose of misleading the consumer into leaving the tomatoes out in order that they would go bad, and the customer would have to purchase a brand new container, repeating the cycle. People, please use your instincts and keep harvested tomatoes in the refrigerator!