The first day of summer break for my son was here, and as many parents know, it presents two distinct choices for stay-at-home moms like myself:
- Keep your child entertained every waking hour of the day.
- Enroll them in a series of overpriced and poorly timed activities to snag a few moments of peace without hearing, “Mom, I’m bored! Can we go to the pool? Can I invite that kid you can’t stand over for hours? Can we have Nutella for snack and make a mess on the new carpet? Come on, you’re the worst mom ever! I’ll just play video games all day!”
Not exactly a life-or-death decision, right?
I typically choose option #2, which is how my son ended up at soccer camp last summer. Of course, I picked a camp that required me to a) wake up at the crack of dawn, b) drive as far as I would for school, and c) pack a lunch just like it was a typical school day — all for a camp that lasted a mere half of a school day: from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The horror!
The unfortunate timing meant that I had to manage my son’s lunch immediately after picking him up from camp. While I usually opt for a homemade meal, one day we decided to break the routine and hit up McDonald’s for a change. Nothing says summer fun quite like grabbing a bunch of burgers and nuggets, then enjoying them in the comfort of our air-conditioned living room while binge-watching TV.
However, our McDonald’s visit took an unexpected turn.
As we pulled into the drive-thru, the line was long. But hey, it was lunchtime. I accepted the wait. My son and I chatted about his soccer camp, and when I finally reached the speaker, I placed a simple order:
- A chicken nugget Happy Meal
- Two cheeseburgers
- A small fries
After paying at the “This Is Where You Pay” window, I moved to the next window, where things started to unravel.
Instead of receiving my food, the staff asked me to pull into the parking lot and wait. Fine, I thought, it happens. But then came the kicker:
Drive-Thru Lady: “Please park where that blue car and red car are.”
Me (confused): “Um, I can’t. Those cars are already parked. There are no spots available.”
Drive-Thru Lady (frustrated): “Please park where that blue car and red car are.”
Me: “But there are NO PARKING SPOTS!”
Drive-Thru Lady (exasperated): “WAIT UNTIL THEY LEAVE. THEN PARK THERE.”
Completely flustered, I exited the drive-thru line, trying to decipher where exactly I was supposed to park. The blue and red cars were abandoned, surrounded by others that were also empty. So, I parked a few spots down. It wasn’t ideal, but surely the staff could find me.
So there we sat, windows down, waiting. And waiting. After about 10 or 12 minutes, my son and I decided we’d had enough. We hopped out of the car and walked inside McDonald’s, only to find the place nearly empty.
Girl at the Counter: “How can I help you?”
Me: “We’ve been sitting outside for 10 minutes waiting for our food.”
Girl at the Counter: “Oh, I didn’t know anyone was waiting. Did you park where the drive-thru lady instructed?”
Me: “Well, no, because she told me to park in spots that were already taken. But I parked as close as I could.”
Girl at the Counter: “That explains it. Someone must’ve gone out but couldn’t find you. Here’s your food.”
She handed me a bag of lukewarm nuggets and soggy fries. I was dumbfounded. How could they not find me? I was parked just feet away with my engine running and a six-year-old whining about the delay.
With a huff, I declared to my son that we were done with this particular McDonald’s. He summed it up perfectly: “We should have never trusted this McDonald’s.”
In hindsight, I reevaluated the summer dilemma: Maybe it’s better to skip the pricey activities and just head to the public pool every day. Or perhaps it’s wiser to bring along our own lunch instead of waiting in a sweltering parking lot for McDonald’s to get their act together.
Because, as my son learned, you can’t always count on McDonald’s.
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Summary
This blog chronicles a frustrating McDonald’s drive-thru experience, highlighting the challenges of parenting during summer break. When a simple lunch order turns into a waiting game, it leads to reflections on the difficulties of both managing children and trusting fast-food establishments. Ultimately, the experience serves as a reminder that sometimes, the simplest solutions—like packing your own lunch—are the best.
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