So was Keith totally justified in this pickle-throwing thing, or what? Feel free to throw in comments about the quality of fast food employees, or what have you. It's Sunday, go crazy.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

Answers

I love pickles, I would have eaten Keith's pickles.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

OHMYGOD! I'm sorry, Jan, but I'm totally on Keith's side about this. I'd have never done it, i'm too worried about not offending anyone, but I think he was completely justified. I hate saying "no onions, and no ketchup" and getting one or both on my burger. It's a huge piss-off, and they practically BEG you to retaliate.. My position would be different if i actualy felt like if he'd gone in to complain they'd have fixed it or done something remotely appeasing.. but we all know they'd make him a new one and screw that up, too.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

I have to side with Keith. The hassle of cleaning pickles off the door is a perfectly fair retaliation for a fast food joint that doesn't care enough about their customers to get a simple hamburger done right.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

Hrm, I think that while I'd personally never throw food at the door (for reasons similar to yours, Jan, in that I'd be really pissed if I have to be the one to clean it up), I'd probably also think it was darkly funny if someone else did it. I'm a pickle hypocrite. :(

I'd probably initially react like you did, though...especially since apparently my boi is siding with yours. ;)

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

See, I agree that leaving the pickles on the burger was a crappy thing for them to do, but I just don't think it justifies the total rudeness involved in flinging pickles at their door.

Also, it would be different if he'd asked for, say, no mustard or whatever. Mustard you can't pick off. That calls for a whole new burger. But pickles? Come on, how hard is it to pick pickles off a burger?

Is it like totally obvious that I used to work at McDonald's? Maybe only former fast food employees agree with me here.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

Pickles..huh?

Well both are justified in the responses taken....but vandalism is not my thing..i would have slapped them on the counter...

truth in advertising..whatever...

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

Ok so I laughed and laughed at this entry. I agree with Christine on this one, I would have LOVED to do what he did...but would have just taken them off and been pissed instead. I figure a $2 hamburger just isn't worth it. Now a $18 filet mignon, served dead instead of my medium rare...different story.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2000

Speaking as a former fast food employee (feel free to rub it in as always Jan! What was the last part of that limerick again... Now he cooks at a place that smells like carrion!... hrmmm, now I'm sorry I brought it up...) all I can say about Keith is...

at least he like beef patties on his burger. Two all beef patties caked onto the Burger King door with condiments would have been really in bad form.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

wellllll now. i absolutely LOATHE and DESPISE onions. i can pick them off my wendy's veggie pita pocket, sure, but they leave a lingering, disgusting, onion-y scent and smell that literally ruins my lunch.

regardless, i think it's insane to throw pickles at a door. you're eating at BURGER KING, for god's sake. when i eat at a fast-food restaurant, it's with the express knowledge that i'm sacrificing good service and decent food for utter cheapness.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

That's my other point, which is that you get what you pay for. If you want really good service, maybe you shouldn't be going to Burger King.

Then again, that's sort of a pessimistic attitude about service. Like, just because you're not making a hell of a lot of money, does that give you the right to give crappy service? When I worked at McD's, even though I was being paid a pittance and working at a crap- ass job, I still did the best I could.

I just don't understand people who get incredibly pissed off at fast food places when the order gets messed up. I mean, sure, you don't want your order to be messed up, but jeez, it's fast food.

I would also like to make the point that when you order at fast food restaurants, you should speak clearly and enunciate. Most people don't realize, but the noise of the machinery coming from behind the counter makes it really hard to hear people on the other side of the counter. It's an acoustic thing, or at least it was at my restaurant.

Not that that's an excuse for crappy service either. I don't know. I feel conflicted about this issue.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000