I know you’re old and lonely, but do you think McDonalds is the place to be telling your life story.
That’s what I should have said.
Today, I went to McDonalds for a late breakfast. I had a hankering for a McMuffin. I shouldn’t have had one, but my stomach tells me what to do and when to do it.
As I entered the restaurant, an old man entered at the same time. I can be a nice guy sometimes; I purposely walked really slowly so he’d get to the counter first.
This guy, when he was served, he asked the cashier if a certain person was working today. He didn’t know the woman’s name, only had a brief description of her. The old man then began regailing the cashier about his entire life. “I live in Brantford… I had to drop off my wife… I was watching the soccer game on television…” I could tell the cashier just wanted to yell “Get to the point!” But she didn’t, she waited patiently.
It turns out the old man wanted to complain about being served the wrong item on Saturday. He ordered a sausage and egg McMuffin on Saturday but received a bacon and egg McMuffin.
The manager stepped in at the end of the story, at which point the old man began telling the story again, from the begining. and offered to give the man a meal on the house. “No, no, no. I’ll pay for my meal today. I just wanted you to know that I received the wrong order on Saturday.”
When the woman who had served him on Saturday walked by the cashier station to refill something, he began to tell her the entire story.
So, while I waited for my food, (I did get served during his second telling of the story) and ate my food, I heard this story two more times. He lives in Brantford. He had to drop his wife off. He wanted to eat his meal while watching the soccer game on television. He used the microwave to reheat his McMuffin. He was given bacon instead of sausage.
Maybe this old guy needs to get a blog. That way he can put all his long winded stories about things that don’t matter in one place and people who want to know them, can go there and read them. That’s what I do.
21 responses so far ↓
wiwille // April 23, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Golf clap. Well played sir. Well played.
Cinematically-Correct.com // April 23, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Sigh. It just doesn’t pay to walk slow so old people can order before you anymore. These days, you have to push that old bastard right out of the way & get your order in.
whatigotsofar // April 23, 2008 at 3:50 pm
wiwille - thank you.
CC - But old people are supposed to be worthy of respect. I just can’t bring myself to push over an old man.
Random Chick // April 23, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Your Mom raised you right. Don’t listen to Cinematically-Correct.com (what kinda name is that anyway?). You did the right thing. You should be proud of yourself.
When you get a chance, stop by my blog. I’m having another Caption Contest…c’mon, you just might win this time
Did you ever go on that date with Miss Ash? LOL!!!
JLee // April 23, 2008 at 5:59 pm
You should have shoved him to the ground and kicked the crap outta him.
*I’m kidding of course
Jillian // April 23, 2008 at 6:26 pm
If I’m approaching the entrance to a restaurant the same time as someone else, I don’t care who it is, I SPEED UP. History has proven the very people you ‘let’ go in front of you wind up taking the longest!
One time I let a lady get to the ice cream counter first. I thought she was alone, no big deal right? NOT! Out of nowhere came the whole effin family! They took forever and wound up annoying the guy serving them.
So yeah…now it’s ME FIRST all the time.
whatigotsofar // April 23, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Random Chick - Living with my grandparents helped a bit too.
JLee - Ha
Jillian - Pushy Americans.
Sparkling Red // April 23, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Man, that is rough. I find there are a lot of people who take advantage of one’s unwillingness to appear rude. I’ve walked away while people were talking to me, rather than stay bound by etiquette. It’s so liberating.
David Amulet // April 23, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I will avoid that blog.
Miss Ash // April 23, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I would have walked out and went to another McDonalds, I can’t stand hearing the same stories over and over and over again.
sarebeth // April 23, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Jesus, jesus, jesus
Andrea // April 23, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I let old people go in front of me all the time. Them being slow doesn’t bother me. I worked at McDonalds when I was in high school, and I totally know old guys like that. It actually makes me sorta sad, because it shows how much a simple mistake like that means everything to people who don’t have much.
Maxie // April 23, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I don’t think you watch The Office but this reminded me of when Ryan set Creed up with a fake blog so that he would write down all of his weird thoughts instead of telling other people.
grace // April 24, 2008 at 12:08 am
I completely agree about the blog comment. My blog’s main purpose is to allow me to vent through it. As for letting the man go in front of you, that was a classy thing to do. I’m the same way if I’m standing in line, but it’s a whole different story if it’s a race to get in line at a drive-thru. My car brings out my wild side!
This Devil's Workday // April 24, 2008 at 3:59 am
People give old people way too much respect. They think they can do what they want just because they’re old.
The other day I was at the supermarket and my trolley was completely full. As I was coming up to one of the counters an old lady sort of blocked me off the way a race-car driver does coming up to overtake on the inside of a sharp corner.
She grabbed the isle on the left. The one on the right was shorter. I began to head towards that. Suddenly she noticed it was shorter. She shoved her trolley in front of mine, gave me a glance and mumbled “I didn’t see it was open”.
Then after she paid she inspected the docket from top to bottom and claimed she was short-changed by 35 cents.
Bitch.
http://thisdevilsworkday.wordpress.com/
whatigotsofar // April 24, 2008 at 7:03 am
Spark - I can’t just walk away. I have to go on the offensive.
David Amulet - I would too. Basically, isn’t that pretty much every blog. I know mine is just the whinings of a crackpot.
Miss Ash - but this McDonalds is just so conveniently located.
Sarebeth - Jesus wouldn’t have had the bacon or sausage. He was kosher.
Andrea - hey, fellow McD’s alumni. The ease of making that mistake should have been obvious to the old man and he shouldn’t have brought it up in such detail if he didn’t want anything from it.
Maxie - the Office is for people who don’t remember Newsradio.
Grace - yeah, I’m classy. BURP!
Devil’s Workshop - I think old people deserve respect. Well, until the 60s hippies become the old people. They suck. Always have. Always will.
The Antichef // April 24, 2008 at 8:28 am
Oh man… I’m still laughing. No wonder I gave up MacDonald’s! (my vice was the hotcakes with sausage. Best avoided). As someone who has come to feel that she must have “tell me your life story” tattoed on her forehead whenever riding the TTC, I feel your pain.
Cheers,
Kristina
How not to be a chef
(for tips on how to avoid MacDonalds…!)
blueiris // April 24, 2008 at 12:12 pm
patience is a wonderful virtue. at times i find my self irritated at others, I try to imagine “what if I was the old man?”or the situation i’m irritated with that usually works. As it is not the person but the action that unsettles me.
whatigotsofar // April 24, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Antichef - Oooh, hotcakes are so yummy. I’ve never had people talk to me on the TTC though.
Blue Iris - I try to imagine what if I was the person working the minimum wage job having to hear my complaints before I complain.
Jessica // April 24, 2008 at 11:26 pm
You did the right thing. You gotta let the older guy go first. Just gotta.
But dang, yeah, I think he needs a blog…or friends!
aurora // April 26, 2008 at 12:16 pm
My grandmother is terribly long-winded and she sometimes tells the same story a few times. Old age can be very lonely and I try to remember that.
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