Wendy’s: Where’s the Straw?
I wonder sometimes whether other people get as irritated as I do about little things in life. One such case is my frustration each time I go through the Wendy’s drive thru. Wendy’s gives out your drink first, followed by the bag of food. Oh sure, all the chains give out the drink first. Only Wendy’s routinely withholds your straw until presenting your food. This seems like such a small thing, so why does it aggravate me to the nth degree?
Imagine yourself on a hot summer day, driving around town running errands. The air conditioning in your car is on the fritz. You have cotton mouth because of the heat. Suddenly the red Wendy’s sign looms overhead and your mouth waters at the thought of a Biggie sweet tea. At the last second you pull in the drive thru.
While waiting for three cars ahead of you to make their orders you peruse the menu board. An attack of hunger hits and you decide to order a double with cheese combo instead of just a drink. A few minutes later it’s your turn to order, but the crackling voice from the speaker says, “Welcome to Wendy’s, one moment please.” Another minute or two passes and you begin to wish you had gone elsewhere to get a drink. The thought of starting over in your pursuit of liquid refreshment, however, keeps you in the drive thru. Never mind the car behind you and the cement curb alongside making a nice, neat trap.
Finally the voice returns saying, “Welcome to Wendy’s, may I take your order?” At last you are able to say, “I’d like a number two combo, large with sweet tea, please.” The voice crackles back, “I’m sorry, we’re all out of tea, would you like something else to drink?” With a sigh you respond, “Make it a Coke instead, please.”
Your order is finalized and still there are two cars ahead waiting for their orders. More time passes before you arrive at the window. First the employee takes your money. Next he returns with your change and drink. Now the employee tells you, “I’m sorry, we just started a new batch of fries. It will take another minute to have your order ready. Please pull forward and someone will bring the rest of your order right out.”
Reluctantly you pull through to the yellow line on the pavement, painted there for circumstances such as this. The drink, not the one you originally came for but liquid nonetheless, drips cold beads of sweat down the side of the cup onto your hand, reminding you anew of your thirst. But alas, you have no straw.
Having been through this very scenario countless times, you know it will be at least three minutes before your food gets delivered to your car. With a sideways glance at the door to be sure your food, and more importantly your straw, is not on the way, you carefully remove the lid. The removal operation is successful, so you venture to take a sip of the long sought after drink. About this time an employee’s knuckles rap against the partially open window, signaling your food’s arrival. Unfortunately this startles you, so instead of drinking you are now wearing part of the cold beverage down the front of your shirt. Wouldn’t you know it, today you wore white.
Of course the employee apologizes and offers to get you another drink, but it has been twenty minutes since you arrived and you are long past ready to leave Wendy’s. “No, thank you,” you say, and proceed toward the exit. While you wait to turn back into traffic, you notice the gas station across the street. The thought occurs to you that you could have had a drink from there fifteen minutes ago and been on your merry way, probably without the added benefit of wearing the drink. Then as you enter the busy stream of traffic, you notice a McDonald’s sign in the distance. You think to yourself, “I’ll remember that next time. After all, their big sweet tea is only a dollar, is served in a Styrofoam cup, AND it comes with a straw.”
See the follow-up article, “It’s in the Bag” at flintstonechronicle.com.
