# Human roadblocks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 23, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115 "2007-01-23T17:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/81 "2007-01-25T23:24:06Z")
[QUOTE=Martiju] Can’t for the life of me see what your problem is with this. Yes, it’s polite, it takes an extra 2 seconds and is a better way of treating people. When you’re at a restaurant, do you say something like: “Yes, I’d like…” when ordering, or just: “steak, chips”!? One is likely to be more acceptable than the other, and just because it’s McDs doesn’t make it any different as far as I can see. [/QUOTE] I’m an uber-polite person, always. I say “I’d like a Big Mac and fries please\*” which to me is a decent way of ordering (and then I say “Thank you” when they give it to me). I don’t _ask_ them if I can have something from the menu they’ve been serving billions of since the day they opened. That’s just silly, it’s sounds like a little kid asking his mom for something. I don’t have a problem with it as such. It’s just…silly. - actually, it would more likely be “I’d like a Double Whopper with cheese, no ketchup, no tomato and extra mayo, and a medium fries please” since I don’t much like McDonalds. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/82 "2007-01-25T23:30:12Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] I’m still surprised at their relative non-existence in the US. Is it maybe because your malls are big enough that the parking is always on the surrounding land, at the same level as the supermarket? [/QUOTE] Yep. I only know of one mulit-level supermarket in Chicago. I’m sure there are others but I only know of one, and they have elevators, not escalators. Most supermarkets are one level, and have same, ground, level parking. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/83 "2007-01-25T23:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] You can’t take your cart on an escalator, and an elevator would be horribly inefficient with carts. [/quote] I’ve seen a few cart-using stores with elevators. Two are supermarkets with a jumbo elevator that could probably hold five carts plus their drivers. Another is a Beverages & More with a normal sized elevator… the garage is below the store, but there’s also a bunch of street parking around, and it’s not that busy a store. > [@](#): > > I’m still surprised at their relative non-existence in the US. Is it maybe because your malls are big enough that the parking is always on the surrounding land, at the same level as the supermarket? In my experience, carts aren’t used much at malls, only at supermarkets, and those usually have parking on the same level, outside. If parking in below/above, there’s an elevator. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/84 "2007-01-26T01:39:59Z")
[QUOTE=AudreyK] This is why whenever my roommate and I go to Costco, I let him steer the cart. Otherwise, I’d leave the store in handcuffs, at minimum looking at 4-5 life sentences. [/QUOTE] If you did it at the Safeway in Alamo, I’d come visit you at San Quentin 😉 Or maybe you’d really luck out and get me or someone like me on the jury at your trial. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/85 "2007-01-26T01:55:12Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] If you did it at the Safeway in Alamo, I’d come visit you at San Quentin 😉 [/QUOTE] When visit, bring-- no, no. No pie. Bring cake with metal file. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/86 "2007-01-26T06:55:15Z")
I would love to see a picture of this…I’ve never come across anything like it here in the States, though I have heard there is a two-story Target in a town nearby where you can take carts on the escalator. ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/87 "2007-01-26T22:03:26Z")
There’s a two-story Target here in Seattle with exactly that - there’s a separate escalator for the carts, side-by-side with the people escalator. You hook your cart onto the one, then jump over and stand on the other, and together you ascend (or descend) in style… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/88 "2007-02-07T17:57:42Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] It may seem polite, but it’s just dorky. If they have it on the menu, they’ll almost certainly be able to give it to you, so what’s with the “Could I have…?” ordering at fast food restaurants? [/QUOTE] Well, color me dorky because that’s how I order. It’s just an expression. “Can I get a number six meal, please, with a diet soda”. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/89 "2007-02-07T19:42:26Z")
Here’s my take on a similar door-blocking problem: [Extendable-handle luggage twits](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8059333&postcount=39) Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115/90 "2007-02-08T11:36:52Z")
This is sort of an attempted roadblock/sales trap tale. I was at the mall with my wife a while back, walking along and having a conversation. There was a kiosk with some crap or other, manned by a shark. When I came within range, he darted up close to me and interrupted our chat with, “Excuse me, can I ask you a very important question?” My response was, “ **NO,** ” and I marched on. On the way back later, a woman at the same kiosk (apparently she was on break before or something) saw us coming and she started maneuvering into position, but the other guy warned her off and we passed unmolested. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-roadblocks/389115.md?page=4)