Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Fast Food Chaos - Or Not?

Making the decision to go for fast food is one that takes place many once a month or every other month for me. 95% of the time I am exhausted from a stressful week, and just want to breeze through the local Burger King (the only one within miles and miles of me). For my local Burger King, it usually isn't a breeze in and breeze out kind of experience. Yet, for some reason I keep going back and I keep getting burned.

On my last trip it I pulled into the drive through, ordered and proceeded to wait 20 minutes for my meal. I know, you are probably wondering why I didn't leave. Well, I physically couldn't, even in my SUV. There is a cement wall on either side like you are being herded like cattle towards the trough of gluttony (which is probably what the designers were thinking when they designed the trough). About 10 minutes in my blood pressure had risen, and I tried to survey again if there was a way out. Car behind, car in-infront, and cement on either side. No chance. 15 minutes in, I realized I had a smart phone, and Googled BK. The goal, tell BK what happened at this establishment (like it was going to matter). The moment I hit send, all of a sudden car started to move, and I pulled up to the window. When I met the pimply-faced teenagers face, there was no mention of the fact I had just been waiting there for 20 minutes. She had to have known it. I got my soda and the sandwich came another 2 minutes later. When the window opened with it, I finally decided I should ask a question.

"What happened?"
"Oh, my manager didn't schedule enough people to work tonight," the pimply-faced girl said as four staff people moved about behind her.
"That's too bad. Does she know that there is a 20 minute wait for fast-food right now?"
"Um, I think so," she responded back.
"Ok, well, I just thought I'd let you know," I said in a way that I thought would eek out some sort of recognition  of the fact that wasn't a good thing. Alas, nothing.

The question is whether I am the oblivious one for eating some of the most unhealthy food I could get my hands on? (I'd like to think I go in fully aware of the caliber of the food. We all know it isn't some five star restaurant.) Or, is someone else oblivious? Does the poor girl taking orders know that 20 minutes isn't usually typical for fast food? Does the manager care about what they are managing at all? Does the Burger King chain care? Who knows. All I know is that there was some obliviousness going on, because each time I go, I wait, and it's the same thing.