Interesting headline, eh? We've ALL been there, haven't we? In our cars, late at night, and jonesing for a fast-food fix on the way home from a late night out or late night at work. And no matter WHICH Of the late-night fast food efferings you go to, the lines are almost ALWAYS going to be long, the service is almost ALWAYS going to be super-slow (and in OUR minds, we think it's because the employees hate their jobs and the hours they work, so they're sluggish on PURPOSE, which just makes us that much more angry about our predicament), and more often than not, there's at least one car-load of drunken bozos muddying up the process.
So how about it was MY car-load that was the 'drunken bozos?' Yeah, after seeing a couple of my friends continue to make complete morons of themselves Saturday night, I haulfed 'em off to take 'em home. Call it my 'civic duty' for the weekend. Problem is, they were hungry (and most drunks at the end of their night are), so fine, we hit one particular fast-food establishment, me thinking the food could soak up some of this devious alcohol that has 'em acting a fool.
Being near where I live and where they live as well, I broke my personal "boycott" of this particular establishment to accomplish my mission, too. And once again, what made me avoid this place came to bite me again. See, before, it had ticked me off that, at a 2am stop, after a 20-minute wait just to GET to the speaker to place my order, I was told "sorry, cash only; what'll it be?"
Where was the courtesy of informing us in line that our debit cards would be of no use BEFORE we'd invested all that time? Nowhere to be found. No apology given, just some surly (air quotes) "manager" explaining that they have to re-boot (more air quotes) "they system" each night and THIS particular location does so at 2am... not 4am, when nobody's out and about; nah, 2am - right when the bars and clubs let out, seemed more appropriate.
So lo and behold, there I am, again, and wouldn't you know, THIS time it was more like 2:30am, and gosh-darn if that "system" wasn't down for re-boot, again? So I have two drunks hoodlums in my car, who have, at this point, no CONCEPT of what's going on, but ready to make surly and unruly comments to the employees, anyhow. And I can't get this food because their "system" is down and I don't carry cash with me.
I find this scenario to be ridiculous, frankly; if you can be open 24/7, and advertise such, you should be ready to do business just as you do during normal operating hours. Smaller menu, I get; in 2009, though, you can't work a charge card system? You can't at least somehow post a sign at your drive-thru entrance letting folks know BEFORE they spend 20-30 minutes waiting?
See, I'm all TOO quick to point out to slugglish, work-ethically-challenged malcontents are where they are BECAUSE of their pitiful work ethic; but what do you say to third shift "management" when they're just as awful as the goofballs that work under 'em?
Lesson learned is - leave the drunks behind and you won't need the fast-food fix at all.
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