# Dear Mr. in the Box: You owe me 12 minutes of my life. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 16, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317 "2003-06-16T22:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/41 "2003-06-17T22:37:08Z")
Interro-whatever, I still have no sympathy and say you have no grounds to whine since, as a standard, drive-thrus DON’T accept cards, why would you ASSUME that just because McDonald’s around the corner does? Even here in “Fuckin’ California”, the bay area, even, most won’t accept a card and I’ve NEVER used one in a drive-thru. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/42 "2003-06-17T23:10:45Z")
**From Timban** > [@](#): > > Wah wah, poor fucking baby. Gotta wait an extra 15 seconds for your food? Poor little thing! Geez, are people that impatient these days? Are 15 seconds gonna kill you? > > Hey, next time you’re in a line and the guy in front of you is paying with a card, take that fistful of dollars and cram them up your all-important ass, eh? Yeah, asshole, in **Airman Doors’** case and our country’s case it IS all-important. So go fuck yourself. Eh? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/43 "2003-06-17T23:12:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Timban \* > \*\*Wah wah, poor fucking baby. Gotta wait an extra 15 seconds for your food? Poor little thing! Geez, are people that impatient these days? Are 15 seconds gonna kill you? > > Hey, next time you’re in a line and the guy in front of you is paying with a card, take that fistful of dollars and cram them up your all-important ass, eh? \*\* Best case scenario at 12 noon: 15 people in line, 15 people have to use their debit card. Under ideal circumstances, with absolutely no pause for food or screwups with the debit card, each transaction will take approximately 30 seconds. That’s 7.5 minutes. Ideally. Five minutes to get there, ideally, five minutes to get back, ideally. So, out of a half-hour lunch, under perfect circumstances with every person in line whipping out their debit card, you now have 13 minutes, minus walking out to and coming in from your car, to eat before you clock in late from lunch and get busted. So take your debit card and get screwed. It takes long enough when you don’t get any time for lunch to begin with without some numbnuts dicking around with a damn debit card. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/44 "2003-06-17T23:14:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I still have no sympathy Okey-doke. You’re entitled. > [@](#): > > and say you have no grounds to whine since, as a standard, drive-thrus DON’T accept cards, why would you ASSUME that just because McDonald’s around the corner does? I ASSUMED it because every other fast food chain _in this neighborhood_ accepts debit cards at the drive thru. Arby’s, McDonald’s, Taco Time, even Taco Bell (where my $3 would’ve bought me a lunch) . . . debit cards all. I realize, especially now, that in most areas throughout the country, debit cards are not often accepted in drive-thrus. If I ate fast food in many cities, I would have realized this. My eyes have been opened. Scales have fallen. It’s a strange world, and someone oughtta sell tickets. That said, again, my (mild) rant, or whine, or whatever, is not that Jack in the Box doesn’t accept debit cards. I don’t care whether or not they accept debit cards. But rather than trapping me in line for 12 minutes, I would have appreciated it if a) they put their cash-only warning sign on the drive-thru’s first menu, where I could’ve left the line with no trouble, or b) allowed for an escape lane so that I didn’t have to drive through the drive-thru when I knew I couldn’t order anything. On reflection, I apologize to the corporate mascot for calling him jerk in the box. (At least I did not call for his big plastic head on a stick.) My real beef is with the employees at a particular franchise, who picked a less than ideal location to put their payment sign. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/45 "2003-06-17T23:17:16Z")
> [@](#): > > So Jack: for fast food, your stuff isn’t bad. As you can see, I pick you over McDonald’s. But could you put your “cash only” sign somewhere I can see it before I’m trapped in your drive through lane? I don’t think that’s asking a lot. Asking for an escape from the drive through lane might be asking for a lot, although I don’t think even that’s unreasonable. Perhaps it would be more productive to talk to the management of that restaurant about sign placement than rant about it here? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/46 "2003-06-17T23:18:53Z")
You know, **Interrobang!?** I was gonna make a real stupid “jerk in the box” Good Band Name reference, but I’m glad I was able to maintain. 😉 And by the way, I totally agree with you. And your rant, at least in my opinion, was totally warranted. My {I’m sure to be discounted and told I’m an idiot) ranting above nothwithstanding. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/47 "2003-06-17T23:22:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Perhaps it would be more productive to talk to the management of that restaurant about sign placement than rant about it here? I can do both! I plan on writing them a polite note this evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/48 "2003-06-17T23:23:27Z")
Our malls have soda vending machines that take credit/debit cards. Ok, so that’s kind of a hijack, and it’s not really stated in an interesting way, just thought you should know. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/49 "2003-06-17T23:26:20Z")
> [@](#): > > But rather than trapping me in line for 12 minutes, I would have appreciated it if a) they put their cash-only warning sign on the drive-thru’s first menu, where I could’ve left the line with no trouble, or b) allowed for an escape lane so that I didn’t have to drive through the drive-thru when I knew I couldn’t order anything. You know what they say about assuming, dont you… 😃 Sam ---
**Author:** ![Timban](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Timban](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timban)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/50 "2003-06-17T23:30:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*Best case scenario at 12 noon: 15 people in line, 15 people have to use their debit card. Under ideal circumstances, with absolutely no pause for food or screwups with the debit card, each transaction will take approximately 30 seconds. That’s 7.5 minutes. Ideally. > > Five minutes to get there, ideally, five minutes to get back, ideally. So, out of a half-hour lunch, under perfect circumstances with every person in line whipping out their debit card, you now have 13 minutes, minus walking out to and coming in from your car, to eat before you clock in late from lunch and get busted. > > So take your debit card and get screwed. It takes long enough when you don’t get any time for lunch to begin with without some numbnuts dicking around with a damn debit card. \*\* 15 people in a single line. Yeah, that’d fly. 15 debit cards? Unlikely scenario. I’d say half the folks coming through my lines (As a retail cashier) have cash… So take your hypothetical situations, blow them out your ass, and pack a lunch if your time is so very valuable. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/51 "2003-06-17T23:32:24Z")
I agree with the OP, there should have been a sign at the beginning of the drive through. I also wish that they would put their menus at the beginning of the drive through so you don’t have to choose as you order (for those of us who don’t go often enough to know the menu inside out and back to front). Also, in my experience in NZ (where all drive throughs accept debit card), by the time you have finished paying by card, the car in front has had just enough time to collect their food and leave - you wouldn’t be able to go any faster had you have paid by cash. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/52 "2003-06-17T23:36:21Z")
**Timban** , you’re really pissing me off. Today, I went to Mickey D’s for lunch - I was in line for MORE THAN twenty minutes. Take what you don’t know and shove it up YOUR valuable ass. Take your motherfucking hypothetical situations which you can’t cross reference to OURS and shove them up your very valuable ass. Eh? ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/53 "2003-06-17T23:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Darth Nader_ > **WTF is a Bistro Jack? They don’t sell 'em at their stores around here, and there’s nothing about it at their website…** It competes with burgers like the “Six Dollar Burger” at Carl’s Jr., or the ones you’d find at Red Robin, Denny’s, and other places like that. Big bun, big meat, supposed to be all fancy. I’ve never had it. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by delphica_ > **A CHECK? They take CHECKS? I am simply astonished, and also delighted, in a strange way. Do they take your drive-in order via pneumatic tube?** Yeah, I was surprised. I would’ve thought it more expensive to hunt down bad check writers than to pay a merchant fee for credit card transactions, but maybe not. Or maybe they have another reason for not accepting credit cards. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaWd \* > **I still have no sympathy and say you have no grounds to whine since, as a standard, drive-thrus DON’T accept cards, why would you ASSUME that just because McDonald’s around the corner does?** As a standard? Maybe in backwoods San Jose it’s a standard :), but here in the PNW (where I gather Interrobang hails from) the “standard” is that you can pay with plastic anywhere there’s a phone line. The only places I’ve ever seen here that _don’t_ take Visa/MC are: 1. Black market activities 2. Vending machines, parking meters, and other coin-ops (except the AMC automated box office and some automated car washes) 3. Jack in the Box 4. Costco (which does take AmEx and ATM debit cards) 5. Loosely organized “businesses” like school car washes, lemonade stands, street performers, and panhandlers 6. The Department of Licensing (Washington’s DMV) (though you can renew your car registration online with a credit card) ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/54 "2003-06-17T23:47:23Z")
Backwoods? Since you obviously know where that is, you’ll know it couldn’t be further from the truth. 1- obviously, though in SF I know they take checks for certain black market activities 😃 2- nope, change only 3- nope. In fact, the only place that used to regularly take debit cards was Carl’s(did it for years), but now they’ve moved on to ATM machines instead. 4- nope, Costco has decided that it’s cash, check, or Amex only 5- nope, still too expensive to process 6- nope, though you can pay online now I think I think most of this has to do with the old “bank charge” argument. Companies don’t want to incurr debit card charges. :shrug: such is life. Cash is king(though I RARELY, if ever carry cash). Sam ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/55 "2003-06-17T23:55:02Z")
> [@](#): > > I think most of this has to do with the old “bank charge” argument. Companies don’t want to incurr debit card charges. Fast food places charge the fee to the customers. The McDonald’s I ate at yesterday charged a 25¢ transaction fee. Taco Time’s fee is 70¢! Arco gas stations also add a 25¢ ATM fee, for that matter. They still end up being cheaper than most other gas stations around here. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/56 "2003-06-18T01:10:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaWd \* > \*\*Backwoods? > > Since you obviously know where that is, you’ll know it couldn’t be further from the truth. \*\* I’m in SJ too and I kind of agree. We may be in Silicon Valley but we lack infrastructure a lot of ‘backwoods’ areas take for granted. Like broadband cable internet. Our cable TV uses a dual cable system installed in the '60s. It seems the Bay Area was ‘developed’ too early for some things, and too late to be ‘re-developed’. I’m talking in decade terms. And California’s electrical grid is much less robust than other states. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/57 "2003-06-18T01:18:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Missy2U \* > \*\*Yeah, asshole, in **Airman Doors’** case and our country’s case it IS all-important. So go fuck yourself. Eh? \*\* Am I to understand that it’s your contention that we aren’t allowed to argue with the **Airman** because he’s in the military? He’s the one who started with the insults in this particular thread and, near as I can tell, he’s not taking it seriously. We’re talking about fast food here. “In our country’s case”? That is the most stupid fucking thing I have read today…and I save the Pit for last. No one’s time is any more valuable than anyone else’s. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/58 "2003-06-18T02:13:55Z")
Oh, and just to remain consistent, this is for **Timban** , speed demon server extraordinaire: Fuckin’ Canada… :rolleyes: **Hajario** is right. I’m not taking this seriously at all except for **Timban** ’s obvious bullshit. It’s not like I didn’t do 7 years of running a fast food joint or anything like that. Just because it’s a personal convenience for the customer doesn’t mean that it makes things any more efficient. it just means that they can get money from you in a different manner. And I’m sure that it was thought of in the People’s Republic of California. How is that Gray Davis recall going, anyway? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/59 "2003-06-18T03:50:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Lodoen \* > \*\*I’m in SJ too and I kind of agree. We may be in Silicon Valley but we lack infrastructure a lot of ‘backwoods’ areas take for granted. Like broadband cable internet. Our cable TV uses a dual cable system installed in the '60s. \*\* San Jose’s infrastructure is old. San Jose is about 150 years old or so, so it’s been around the block a bit. THat having been said, cable is the furthest thing from my mind-that’s why we have DSS. Our cable system hasn’t been upgraded like it was supposed to be about 5 years ago because so many people are on satellite. Most places that have cable have cable internet access as well. FOr those that don’t…DSL. Wouldn’t move anywhere that didn’t have DSL. PAY CASH IN THE DAMNED DRIVE-THRU, PEOPLE. Sam ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317/60 "2003-06-18T04:59:29Z")
I’m still in awe that Jack in the Crack takes checks… That is some crazy shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-mr-in-the-box-you-owe-me-12-minutes-of-my-life/182317.md?page=4)