McFlurries
Over the festive period, during an outing with the kids, my daughter deemed it necessary to go to McDonalds on the way home. And so, the bantz bordering on gaslighting began.
“Can we go through the drive through?” she asked
“Please, can’t we just go inside?” I suggested, as I knew from past experience that the torture was about to begin.
“No, please don’t make me get out of the car” she insisted
We pulled up to the Drive Thru speaker.
“Welcome to McDonalds, how can I help you?” the server enquired
“Well, what do you want?” I urged the kids
Silence
“Well?” I added
“Oh My God, Dad, I’m thinking. You get so stressed at the Drive Thru” my daughter helpfully suggested
The McDonalds server waited. The cars behind waited.
“Well, I asked again?”
“I’m thinking. Just chill out. Don’t get so stressed.”
“What’s on the menu?” My oldest boy chipped in with a mischievous smile.
“You know what’s on the menu, you’ve been here a million times. If you ask me to come here surely you must know what you want.”
I waited. The server waited. The cars behind waited.
“Can I have an Oreo McFlurry?” my daughter finally suggested
“Could we have one Oreo McFlurry?” I said to the speaker
“I’m sorry we don’t have any McFlurries today” the server replied
“Anything else then?” I looked encouragingly across at my daughter.
She paused and thought for a while.
“A milkshake?” she suggested
“Have you got any milkshakes?” I asked the server almost certain of what was coming.
“No, it’s the same machine and it’s broken” the server predictably replied.
I looked insistently at my daughter again.
“Stop stressing Dad.”
“Please say something else” I pleaded
“A doughnut?” she suggested
“Do you have any doughnuts?” I called into the speaker
“No, sorry.” Came the reply. “We do have apple pies though,” the server helpfully added
“No way, yuck” my daughter said pulling a face.
Everyone continued to wait. I resisted the urge to scream and bang my head against the steering wheel.
“What about you?” I asked my two boys in the back.
“I’m not sure,” my oldest son replied still smiling happily
“3 Chicken Selects?” my daughter finally asked
“Could we have 3 Chicken Selects?”
“Yes, anything else?” the server patiently enquired.
“Nope,” my daughter said
“I’m not hungry,” my oldest added
My middle child continued to gaze out the window listening to music on his headphones.
“No, that’s all, thanks.’ I said to the server
“Thank goodness that’s over,” I announced to the car as we moved forwards to the payment window.
“Why do you get so stressed at the Drive Thru?” my daughter asked. “You just need to chill.”
Why indeed.
Postscript
This whole scenario is repeated on a regular basis including the whole McFlurry/Milkshake non-availability charade. A message to McDonalds: Please find a solution to the continually broken McFlurry/Milkshake machines in your restaurants so that my torture in the Drive Thru is slightly shorter than it usually is.