Saturday, April 28, 2012

You Say You Want a Revolution

So if you remember awhile back I posted about my experience at the local McDonald's drive-thru. If you haven't read it go ahead and read it here.

So since that post I've had a few people tell my about their experiences, some similar to mine, others just the opposite. And with each one I continue on my soap box. Preaching about how it's crap that we let McDonald's get away with it. About how we should as a nation, stand up to them. Each and every one of us. Stand up for the little guy who continues to get pushed around not only by McDonald's, but by Corporate America in general. I preach that if we all would refuse to let them treat us this way, eventually we could make a change.

So this morning the DW and I were both off to work. We left the house and went our separate ways. After about fifteen minutes I get a call from her:

Hello my beautiful love, how can I be of assistants to you? Well that's what I might have said had it not been 8 am on Saturday morning.

I didn't do it, she tells me.

Didn't do what?

I didn't pull forward. Enthusiasm in her voice. They asked me to, but I didn't. Aren't you proud of me. I didn't do it. 

Truth of the matter is, I am proud of her. Way to often we let people push us around because we don't want to rock the boat or start something. They get our order wrong, we eat it anyway. They overcharge us, we dismiss it.

Why does it matter

Why does it matter? Maybe that's what you're thinking. Sure you have to pick your battles in this world, and sometimes you have to cut bait and live to fight another day. But as a father I want my clowns to be tough. Not Mike Tyson, street thug, sucker punch you tough. But tough enough to stand up for themselves. To fight for what's right, what's theirs, and what they believe in. To not be pushed around. And as parents, it's our jobs to show them, and to teach them. That's why it matters.

My Contribution

Now while I won't boycott McDonald's altogether, I know I suck, I have taken things a bit further. Today after I got home, I logged onto their website, and began documenting my frustrations with their pull forward policies. I explained my stance. How I feel that if I'm next in line they should put me first. How they should give the all hands on deck approach to the next customer. How they should evaluate why they're not getting the next order out the door in the first place. I was polite and to the point. But more importantly I stood up.

And if that doesn't work.....Maybe we sucker punch somebody.

J-Tony


4 comments:

  1. Standing up for yourself is a great thing to teach kids. Too many get bullied. Nice for them to see you not simply giving in.

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  2. It is hard not to laugh, because you know, it's McDonalds. BUT, I do love you last couple of paragraphs here - it's really the principle of the thing. The full forward policy goes flat in the face of what fast food is all about. I do like your lesson of not giving in.

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  3. Have you heard back from McDonald's? I wonder if they care or if they just shrugged you off.

    I way too often just give in and go with what I'm told. I could (and should) take a lesson from you.

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  4. Go to Burger King

    Heh... Just kidding. I actually had a decent comment but caught sight of the time (345 am) and couldn't believe I've been awake all night.

    Sigh... Massive Brain Fart. I better go look at Japan pictures again. Pictures feel safer right now :)

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