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I got one for you. My son is a diabetic. We were coming back to KC from Chicago (now that I think of it I believe this happened in Illinois!) and he said his sugars were low. I hightailed to the only fast food place at the next exit and got in line at the drive through. And waited, and waited. Finally I got to the front and asked what the hold up was. A guy there said they were short people and doing the best they could. I told him the situation and waited, and waited, AND WAITED. Finally I drove around and went inside. Mind you, I’m like you, I’m not a confrontational person but mess with me kids and watch out. So I asked for the manager who looked like she was about to bolt and explained, in a normal voice, what was going on. She yelled at me. Told me she was short people and I’d get my food when the hell they made it. I blinked. It took everything I had not to climb over the counter and smack the bitch!! I told her to give me a refund and I’d go over to the gas station and get something and she said she didn’t have time. I’d have to wait. Words were exchanged. Loudly. Everyone at the place was watching. Then an older couple came in and she went and took their order and actually made it!! While I was there! I told her she either gave me a refund NOW or I was coming over the counter to get it myself. She did. Then she told me to never come in her place again. I might have said something to the affect “like I’d ever stop in this shit town again”. Went to the gas station and bought my son a candy bar. Then I drove to the next exit and the drive through was fine. I don’t remember ever being that mad at a food place. I know I never raised my voice before. Like I said, mess with my kids. So, bottom line, your fast food places in Illinois suck donkey balls.

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The worst part is they already had your money. You're stuck at that point. I hate it when I get stuck in situations or I'm at the mercy of a tiny tyrant on a power trip. Wait, I just described all of parenting.

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FWIW, that's not your fault. It's the app designer's fault and whoever told them what they wanted in the app. I.e., someone(s) knew exactly what they were doing.

I hate poorly designed apps and websites.

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I would also like to blame the designer. There was nothing on the app that said I had to check my email at all, so I was going above and beyond by even checking for verification there in the first place. But the manager seem to have never heard of anything like this before, so apparently I'm discovering new and exciting flaws and their existing process. Go me.

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I feel like at this point, managers should have been provided some sort of training as to how the app works so they can troubleshoot with customers when situations like this arise.

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I once went to a burrito place and while in line, their cash register went down. I had already ordered and had my food made, i just needed to pay for it. However, they couldn't check me out because of the register being down. They started asking for credit card numbers to write down and they'd charge when it came back online, which i was like "heck no that sounds like a good way to get my card stolen". HOWEVER at the same time their online orders were still coming in. So i asked if i could just place an online order for the exact same thing, pay through the app and take that with me. They looked at me like i was a genius and started telling everyone else in line to do the same thing. I just really wanted that burrito lol.

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You just wanted to eat but had to revolutionize the whole fast food industry in the process.

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I feel bad for you, that's the not the best side of modern technology for me. But at least this situation converted into your newsletter gave me another handful of thoughts:

+ I don't know any child who'd like eating healthy. If they exist, then I want to ask some really deep, existential quetions to that kid(s) and parents.

+ My village seems to be so distant for the delivery companies, that the only food we can order home is nearby pizza. They operate by phone, so luckily no problems with placing our wishes.

+ Several years ago, I wanted to order a special meal in one of the fast foods, called "Tankburger", as it was a fruit of collaboration with World of Tanks game developer. It was located on a train station and I had some time to spare waiting for my departure. At first, the cashier said he had never heared about the collab, so I had to show him on website. Then, they had to search really deep in their magazines to find the bunns for it. It took the crew there about thirty minutes to make it ready and I almost missed my train (luckily it was delayed). Later it turned out they have prepared it poorly, as I got diarrhoea.

+ Earlier than the previous, my family went to try out a restaurant few villages away. We got to that place and ordered something. After a few minutes the waitress-owner came and said they don't serve what we wanted due to lack of ingredients. We were a little bit confused, but nevertheless changed our order to something else. In a couple of minutes that lady returned to say our second choice isn't on the menu, but they forgot to update it. This time my parents got furious and decided we'll eat in different place. That horrible restaurant in a short time was closed anyways due to bankruptcy.

+ I also have a fast food in which I can't show up again. This is because I tried to apply there for a vacation job few years ago, but I have made so poor impression on my interview that if I ever want to appear there, I need to wait until the management changes.

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I can't say I'm surprised that something called a tank burger went through your digestive system like a weapon of war. At least your town has pizza. That's all you really need.

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I couldn’t hit “like” because I am so angry on your behalf, and simultaneously fearing that I will have the same experience. The world is more and more demanding things from me, requiring I do things I don’t understand with this tiny device in my hand. I don’t WANT to allow fast food restaurants or any other strangers to back door access my money from the bank! I don’t want to ring up and bag my own purchases! I don’t want to try to figure out complicated airline schedules and book flights and somehow magically check in (when I am not actually there) for those flights, nor check in for doctor appointments from home 30 minutes away…all of this makes no sense! Even parking the damn car now requires a credit card …the idea apparently was to save money by not paying a parking lot kiosk attendant but as it turns out nobody over 30 can figure out how it works so they have to pay the attendant anyway to stand next to the machine and enter the information manually for me and others. I’m sorry, James. And now I fear I will never be able to order fast food again. You can have one of your girls do it for you, until they grow up and move out, but my girls have already done that so I will just quietly starve to death. (Muffled sob).

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May 8, 2023·edited May 8, 2023Author

You're right on all counts. The world is heavily incentivizing me to just stay home. I feel like I should take a hint.

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A million years ago, when the boys were small and in love with Happy Meals, my poor hubs wanted to surprise them with said meals. We lived an hour and a half from the land of happy meals. While neither of us would have enjoyed cold fries and hamburgers, the boys loved them cold or hot. So into the fast food joint hubs goes to place an order. Life was fine and dandy until the clerk got to the drinks part of ordering. Even our boys would not drink warm diluted sodas, this is before they offered milk as an option. And so the wrangling began. Hubs could not get it through the clerks head that while he didn’t want the sodas, he also didn’t want the meals at a reduced price. This wrangling goes on for awhile. My hubs never raised his voice, never threatened violence, but suddenly the manager shows up and orders hubs out of the restaurant for being disruptive. Hubs leaves, headed to a different location and waltzed out with the meals and no drinks. I don’t believe he ever went into that other location again.

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Deviating even the slightest bit from script causes unimaginable chaos in many fast food establishments. On the plus side, your husband accidentally got to see what it feels like to be a rebel.

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One day last week I got out of work late and then had to stop at a friend's hose to pick up something to bring back to work the next day. As I left her house I was going through a mental list of everything in my refrigerator and decided on going to a fast food drive thru because even nuking food was beyond me at that point. I have no problem saying it was a Burger King. Not my first choice but it was on my way home. I ordered a Whopper Jr. meal with a diet Coke. I got up to the window and paid, the kid at the window gave me my drink, and then no one else came near the window for 18 minutes. I counted 7 people in uniforms, but I couldn't even get anyone's attention to ask for a refund and leave. After 18 minutes someone opened the window and shoved a bag out with a "here you go." The bag was covered with ketchup and grease, the fries were colder than room temperature, and the Whopper Jr. was a double patty, cold and half unwrapped. I knew better than to go in because I was too tired to get arrested for causing a disturbance.

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You made the correct call. Losing $6 on a bad meal is cheaper than bail money.

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May 8, 2023·edited May 8, 2023

I feel for you! I can certainly *imagine* something like that happening in this day and age!

I recently tried a fast food’s app and placed my order, went to restaurant and…waited…waited…waited til all the others cars that had joined me had left. Finally guy brings me my food, I go. Get home and there are no condiments AT ALL (supposed to be lettuce, pickle, and spicy sauce), and they put on the cheese that I didn’t want! The fries were cold as well as the sandwich. Arrrrgh!😫

Go take a bath and relax🛁.

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Technology is great when it works.

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ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN THE JOY OF TAKE-OUT WITH A SAD STORY.

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Shhh. You're revealing my master plan.

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Sometimes technology sucks. My only concern is that Waffle didn’t get the meal she requested. However, I expect you’ll have plenty of opportunities to reward her in the future!

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I made it up to her. I forgot to put this part in the newsletter, but afterwards, I gave the girls money to go out for ice cream, too. So she got a double reward.

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This newsletter gave me PTSD. I knew I hated technology!

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I hate this obsession with apps at food places! You can only get certain items with the app is ludicrous! I don’t want a dozen food apps to deal with. My parents only recently got smartphones so they are constantly out of luck. I’m old fashioned, I like to speak to a human, give them cash, and receive what I ordered. Now some places won’t even take your order, you have to enter it on a kiosk. They look at you like you’re an alien if you want to use cash. I’m not using a card for $3 (fries and a coke, or a couple of tacos and water). Besides, the fees the get for those cards are outrageous! Are employees THAT bad at making change?! Even with the computer tells them what to give? I’m an excellent cook and have ruined my husband from enjoying restaurants. They are overpriced and not as good as what I can make, at half the price or even less. Our adult kids prefer my food over going out. We will go out occasionally, but I’d rather cook or eat frozen meals most of the time. Restaurants are a mess!

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Goodness! That's crazy

And you'd never want to order for me, I'm quite specific

I do not like doing online orders - too many errors lol

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Wow

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My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. I can relate to your über-frustration. I don't like cheese (I know, don't judge me), and I cannot tell you how many times I have ordered a hamburger and specifically said "no cheese", and still ended up with a cheeseburger. I have learned to always get a receipt to cut down arguments when they invariably say that I did not order it that way. This has probably saved me from going to jail.

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