# McDonald's gave me an extra hash brown
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 28, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216 "2015-08-28T21:00:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/1 "2015-08-28T21:00:42Z")
With the “cashier gives you extra change – are you stealing?” thread reverberating in my head, I contemplated the bonus greasy tater concoction. I did make through the heaviest traffic we have here (aka more than five vehicles), and had to negotiate that area where there is a flagman and only one direction can go at a time because they’re tearing up the street…don’t I deserve an extra patty of salt and fat and a little potato? Plus, the very first time I ever went through the drive-through (I convinced Grandma that no, of course they don’t short you on food when you go through the drive-through) they shorted me by one McNugget but to be fair that was in Pennsylvania and not NH, and how much can a hash brown really cost anyway? Should I make one [at home](http://www.littlethings.com/mcdonalds-hash-browns-copycat-recipe/) and deliver it?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/2 "2015-08-28T21:32:29Z")
Enjoy the treat and drop an extra dollar in the Ronald McDonald House slot the next time you hit their drive-thru.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/3 "2015-08-28T22:35:02Z")
That seems so…reasonable.
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### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/4 "2015-08-28T22:38:46Z")
Shit. Now I want a hashbrown.
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### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/5 "2015-08-28T22:41:28Z")
The ones around me do 2 hash browns for $1 and I’ve not yet managed to get them to give me just one. Any chance they just didn’t tell you that was going on?
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/6 "2015-08-28T23:03:08Z")
> [@Lsura](#):
>
> The ones around me do 2 hash browns for $1 and I’ve not yet managed to get them to give me just one. Any chance they just didn’t tell you that was going on?
I ordered the twofer and got three!!
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/7 "2015-08-28T23:12:09Z")
They aren’t supposed to re-serve food once it’s been handed to a customer, so it’s already a loss for them anyway.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/8 "2015-08-28T23:18:35Z")
Last time I got a McD’s hash brown it was burnt. Maybe yours made up for it.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/9 "2015-08-28T23:32:32Z")
I would sue them.
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### Author:  [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/10 "2015-08-28T23:32:57Z")
I think the etiquette here is well-established – pay it forward. The next time you give anyone something, include a hash brown as a lagniappe.
I believe a tater tot is usually acceptable as a substitute, if hash browns aren’t available.
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### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/11 "2015-08-29T00:01:34Z")
It’s not stealing, it’s a gift.
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### Author:  [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/12 "2015-08-29T00:04:47Z")
Bastards charged me 12 cents for an extra BBQ sauce last time I was there. I’ve never forgiven the cheapskates. Take the prize and figure it’s karma working against them.
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### Author:  [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/13 "2015-08-29T00:41:05Z")
It may have been an accident but I’d be willing to bet that they threw it in the bag for you because it was just about to time out and it was either toss it in the trash or give it to a customer.
You got a crispy and nearly stale bonus, enjoy it.
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### Author:  [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/14 "2015-08-29T01:01:55Z")
Keep it in your car, preferably under the seat, and give it back to them next time you go through the drive through. Also include that old gym sock under your seat too
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### Author:  [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/15 "2015-08-29T01:27:52Z")
It’s the Universe rewarding you for being so awesome. Pay it forward.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/16 "2015-08-29T01:39:42Z")
You know what? It won’t be long until you drive off with an under-syruped Coke or a missing fry, a chicken when you ordered fish or even a missed hashbrown. It’s just the nature of the beast. Consider it pre-compensation.
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/17 "2015-08-29T02:11:57Z")
Nah, you’re good. The person in front of you probably paid for it. You know, one of those pay-it-forward things.
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### Author:  [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/18 "2015-08-29T02:16:16Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> They aren’t supposed to re-serve food once it’s been handed to a customer, so it’s already a loss for them anyway.
See, that’s what I was thinking. It’s just extra work for them if you take it back, and it makes no difference to their profit.
I actually had the same issue a few times when ordering the baconator (or big bacon classic?) at Wendy’s after they introduced the double as the default. The inexperienced cashier would charge me for the single, but somehow it came up on the screen the cook saw as a double. Happened about three times before they actually called out the order instead of number/name one time and I told them what I actually ordered (before I didn’t realize until I had burger) and cashier was corrected. Mind you, I typically couldn’t finish the double and I prefer the meat-bacon ratio on the single. Wish I could get the son of baconator in a single. Thicker, more satisfying patty than the jr., but not so much food as the single baconator.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/19 "2015-08-29T02:27:21Z")
I have occasionally been shortchanged. I have also occasionally gotten a free drink or upgrade. It all evens out in the end.
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### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-gave-me-an-extra-hash-brown/729216/20 "2015-08-29T02:50:52Z")
> [@gigi](#):
>
> I ordered the twofer and got three!!
Well, there’s the problem - once you start with the “Add +1 to count”, they don’t figure out when to stop “Adding +1”.
You might consider presenting them with the bill for your “disposal of garbage” service.
(yeah, I hate McD’s idea of ‘hash brown’ - they have a grill, they know how to defrost crap - why can’t they do real hash browns\*?)
-
- which have no relationship with a deep-fat fryer.
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