While working in Vegas, I stopped at a new MacDonalds which had the old bldg. on the adjacent lot. I ordered the usual, “Hotcakes & Sausage” with no problem. Although I sensed that English might be the 2nd language amongst the workers, I hungrily awaited my grub. I noticed a stack of newspapers behind the counter and asked my “counter POS specialist” for a paper. She happily handed me a paper and said, 35 cents. I replied, “Do you not have courtesy newspapers for your in-house diners” She looked at me in bewilderment, probably because I didn’t say Hamburger or Big Mac, and replied with a smile, " 35 cents" I acquiesced got my chow and grabbed a table. After eating, I approached the counter and asked for a toothpick. The Helper said, “I don’t know”…I said, “you don’t know what?” she said, “O.K. thankyou”, I asked “Where’s my Toothpick” She smiled and said, “O.K. thankyou” I said, Can I have a ToothPick Please? She turned and huddled with 2 other workers and came back and said, " We don’t Got"
No, apparently the OP is bemoaning that his local franchise does not provide their patrons a courtesy toothpick (or a paper).
You’re pitting McDonald’s not having toothpicks?? Gosh, we should trade lives- it would, at the least, provide you with a host of pit-worthy complaints.
In my entire life, I have never been to a McDonalds with toothpicks. In fact, I’ve never been to a Wendy’s with toothpicks. Or a Burger King. Or any fast food restaurant for that matter.
Bring your own fucking toothpicks if you want them that badly.
Right, there are newspapers left by other customers which are often collected and made available on a counter somewhere but I’m not aware of any fast food place that provides brand new papers of their own. They just don’t throw away the ones that people leave on the tables (unless they have syrup on them or something).
Perhaps you just weren’t speaking their language. Explain to them that you want a Dirty McSanchez, hold the mayo. And remember, if they ask if you want it supersized, you gotta say yes.
Ah, so this is not a toothpick rant at all. It’s a poorly disguised “Why don’t them foreigners learn English” rant.
At least we’ve cleared that up.
According to my Oxford Spanish-English Dictionary, there are three possible translations for “toothpick.”
palillo (de dientes)
escarbadientes
mondadientes
I’m not sure if the different words are used regionally, or if they might represent different types of toothpicks. Most online dictionaries seem to go with mondadientes, suggesting that this might be preferred usage in the Americas.
The other day I went through the drive-thru at a McD’s and ordered a Sausage McMuffin. On the menu, it said $1.29. When I get to the pay window, the total is $2.14. I tell the person at the window “Hey, the sign says $1.29, you need to change it”. Person says “You still want?” I said “Yes, but you need to change the sign, it says $1.29, not $1.99”. Person says “You still want?” I say yes, take the bag, and say “Tell someone to change the sign, it’s wrong, it says $1.29”. It still says $1.29, a week and a half later. It’s not a big deal to me, but I just know that other, less amiable folks than me have bitched about it. Is there no one there that comprehends?
And no, I really don’t care if someone’s first language isn’t English. But if you have to communicate with people for a living, you need to step it up!
I think it’s a rant about not being understood as a customer by a vendor in a situation where he has asked for nothing unreasonable, difficult, or terribly out of the ordinary. I didn’t even take from the OP that the server was foreign. I just thought she was a moron. I’ve seen refrence to the “English as a second language” thing even on this forum, in the context of simply thinking someone hasn’t understood you. “Did you even read my post? Is English a second language for you?”
A lot of the locations in the KC area have courtesy newspapers in a wall-bin near the registers. Brand-new every morning, several copies. No toothpicks, though. My guess is that the newspapers–or lack thereof–are a franchise decision.
