Welcome to another fun installment of Dumb Food Related Crap That Annoys Me. In case you missed the first one — which is completely possible since I wrote it almost two years ago — this is a column where I talk about — as you can probably guess — dumb food-related crap that annoys me.
Whereas in the first post I covered a multitude of topics — everything from meatless meatloaf to a turd from Australia who was sullying the DudeFoods name — I’m going to focus on one single topic this time: The people who place their order at fast food restaurants and then immediately stand directly in front of the food pickup area.
I work in an office and the places to eat around it are fairly limited so every single day at lunch I find myself eating some type of fast food. Now I don’t know if I’m unlucky or if I just work in an area where people have zero manners or what, but it’s the same story almost every day at lunch — I order my food, get my receipt and eagerly await my number to be called so I can scarf down my three McDoubles from McDonald’s or Original Chicken Sandwich meal from Burger King or whatever it is I’m clogging my arteries with that day. Finally my number is called and surprise surprise, there’s someone who ordered their food after me standing directly in front of the pickup area blocking me from getting my lunch.
How is there not some unwritten law that when you’re waiting for your food you just move a few feet back and get out of everyone else’s way? Standing at the counter staring at the people making your food doesn’t mean you’re going to get it any faster. All you’re doing is annoying every single person who ordered first who now has to ask you to move so they can grab their tray. How is it not common sense that if three people ordered ahead of you their numbers are most likely going to be called first and you’re going to be in their way if you’re just milling around at the counter?
Also, I’ve never worked in fast food, but I’m sure if I did it would annoy the hell out of me if people were just standing there staring at me as I assembled their Big Macs and McChicken sandwiches. These weirdos are treating the McDonald’s assembly line like it’s some sort of hibachi restaurant where you’re supposed to be watching the guy who makes the food. Just standing there waiting to see an onion volcano…. (If you don’t understand that reference you’ve probably never been to a Benihana)
Take the old guy in this photo that I snapped on a recent trip to McDonald’s for example. Five people — including me — ordered before him, so he knows damn well that those same five people are going to get their food first, yet he continues to stand there just getting in everyone’s way. The guy next to him looks like Bernie from Weekend at Bernie’s and I love that movie so I’m giving him a pass based on that, but the guy in the red windbreaker? No way. That guy is an idiot.
Rusty
April 25, 2017 at 12:11 pm (8 years ago)One of the things that bugs me is when the person at the head of the line ordering talks about personal stuff, their kids, etc. with the order taker at the cash register, and there’s a line stretching out the door. And the order taker engages them and they both enjoy themselves talking about stuff completely unrelated to the order, the food there, etc.
The other one is people who don’t bother to look at the list of choices before the get to the head of the line and then when they’re giving their order they take their time deciding what they want.
Nick Chipman
April 25, 2017 at 1:03 pm (8 years ago)Oh man, both of those annoy me a ton as well!
Dave
April 25, 2017 at 2:11 pm (8 years ago)I have a similar all to frequent experience outside, since I normally use the drive-through, but I find that far too many people think their car is extra special and needs a half to a whole a car length between them and person in front of them, just enough to block you from getting to the speaker or window. Especially the dual in-line speakers at McDonalds when they end up blocking BOTH speakers.
Nick Chipman
April 25, 2017 at 2:14 pm (8 years ago)When I’m at the two lane McDonald’s drive-through locations I always seem to get the person in the other lane who wants to try to get ahead of me even though they’ve ordered after me.
I’m not sure if they think this is going to make them get their food faster or something, but all it really does is screw up the person working the cash register window and the person working the widow where they hand you your food since those people expect you to be driving up in the same order in which you ordered.
Mr. Mike
April 27, 2017 at 9:26 pm (8 years ago)What really tilts me is when
1. There are a couple cash registers open, and a random jumble of people standing around without any real line. It’s just fend for your self, try to keep your place in line if you can even figure out what the line is.
2. Fries that are cold. You know the ones that have been sitting in the heat lamp for an hour?
Katie
May 7, 2017 at 7:43 pm (8 years ago)i agree. Also, when going through the drive thru when a person in front of you decides to order every flipping thing on the menu. if your order is large just go in instead of holding up the drive thru line forever.
jayden
June 28, 2017 at 3:33 pm (7 years ago)an something that bugs me is in the drive thru when there is somebody in front of you and they are taking forever
we like to joke that they are ordering the entire menu