Real conversations I’ve had lately at drive-thru restaurants…
“I’ll have a Big Mac value meal with a diet Coke.”
Pause.
“I’m sorry. Was that a Quarter Pounder with a Dr. Pepper?”
“No. It was a Big Mac value meal with a diet Coke.”
“Anything to drink?”
“Yes. A diet Coke.”
“That’s two diet Cokes?”
“No. Just one diet Coke.”
“Okay. I have your order as a diet Coke. Anything else?”
“Yes. A Big Mac value meal.”
“What to drink with that?”
“A diet Coke.”
“So that’s a Big Mac value meal with a diet Coke, and another diet Coke.”
“No. I just want a Big Mac value meal with a diet Coke.”
“Would you like to add an apple pie?”
“No thanks.”
“Okay. That will be $6.07, please pull around to the first window.”
“Wait, the screen is still showing an extra diet Coke.”
Pause.
“You don’t want a diet Coke?”
“I want the diet Coke that comes with the meal, but not an extra diet Coke.”
“Please pull around.”
At a different drive-thru…
“I’ll have a large chili and a plain baked potato.”
Pause.
“I’m sorry, we’re out of baked potatoes.”
Sigh. “Ok, then give me an order of fries.”
“An order of fries?”
“Yes.”
“Anything to drink? Excuse me – I guess we do have one baked potato left. Would you like to have it?”
“Sure.”
“What would you like on it?”
“Nothing. Just plain.”
“No butter or sour cream?”
“No, just plain.”
“Anything else?”
“A diet Coke.”
“I have your order as a plain baked potato, an order of fries and a diet Coke.”
“I don’t want the fries.”
“No fries?”
“No. I was only ordering the fries because you said you were out of baked potatoes.”
“Alright. Then that’s a plain baked potato and a diet Coke?”
“And a chili.”
“What size?”
“Large.”
Pause.
“I’m sorry, we’re out of chili right now.”
Sigh. “Then just give me a Classic Double.”
“A Classic Double with a baked potato and a diet Coke?
“Yes.”
“Please pull around.”
Sometimes, it’s my own indecision that leads to adventure, especially when I get hungrier as I order…
“Welcome to Frisch’s, would you like to try a combo?”
“Yes, I’d like a Big Boy platter with fries and cole slaw, and a diet Pepsi.”
“Anything else?”
“Wait. Make that a Super Big Boy platter.”
“Sure. A Super Big Boy platter with fries and cole slaw, and a diet Pepsi?”
“Yes. No, tell you what, make that a cup of chili instead of cole slaw.”
“A cup of chili?”
“Yes.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes.”
“A Super Big Boy platter with fries and cup of chili, and a diet Pepsi to drink?”
“Yes.”
“Please pull around…”
“Wait, just make that a bowl of chili instead of a cup. And could I add a cherry pie to that?”
“Sure.”
“And I’d like to change the diet Pepsi to a chocolate milkshake.”
“Okay. So that’s a Super Big Boy platter with fries and bowl of chili, a cherry pie, and a chocolate milkshake?”
“Correct.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Wait. No. Yes.”
“Please pull around.”
Reach Gary Abernathy at 937-393-3456 or follow on Twitter @AbernathyGary.