Saturday 23 August 2008

The cheaper option

Having stayed away from the Golden Arches for the longest time, we decided we could indulge in some pancakes and hashbrown this morning and since these places are so conveniently located inside supermarkets, we could finish up the weeks grocery shopping as well (doing the environmentally friendly thing and saving on gas/petrol). So off we went, not bright and early, but around mid morning.

We get there and surprisingly get to order after just a very brief wait. "two hotcakes, two hashbrowns and two coffees please. But hang on, I want to to know if it would be cheaper to order the happy meal rather than the item individually, and the happy meal comes with the toy, right?"

The girl behind the counter, "oh I don't know, hang on, let me find out. And yes, you get the toy."

She spoke to the lady with the scarf around her collar, who we presumed would know, since she is wearing the scarf around the collar and that probably means she knows a little more than the girl with a plain shit and no scarf.

So the scarf lady approaches us, and we repeat the question. Her response, "its not much of a difference, may be around fifty cents."

We say, "okay, so which would be cheaper? Should we just order the items separately or the happy meal?"

Scary lady, "like I said, it is just a fifty cents difference."

Me responding (not the patient of the two of us), "we get that, we just want to know which of the two options is cheaper."

Scarf lady, "I can't tell you the exact difference, then I have to punch it in, but it is a small difference."

Me (losing my patience, to the extent of not wanting the meal anymore, also for fear she might spit in the food), "I understand it is a small difference, I am just asking which of the two options is cheaper."

Scary lady, "let me punch it in." She does her finger dance on the punchy thing. "That would be 8.41."

Now I am not a mathematician, but 11.30 for the intial order and 8.41 for the meals as a combo work out to a little more than a fifty cent difference! I don't comment, but husband does, "well that is more than a fifty cent difference, what toys do you have?"

She probably was not impressed with two graying, obviously over the hill individuals asking for toys, but she plonks down Yoda and some other space thingy on the tray without making eye contact and proceeded to get us our order.

But honestly, why could she not tell us which of the two options was cheaper? Did she not understand what the word cheap meant, or was she not sure of the cost and did not want to admit it because she was the scarf lady? Whatever it was customer service is heading downhill faster than I am.

Tuesday 19 August 2008

What?

So Radovan Karadzic wants a new judge appointed because he believes that the presiding judge is not likely to be impartial and will likely convict him. If you ask me, anyone of sane mind would want this man behind bars. It is no secret that he was behind the 1990s genocide in the Balkans. It is this talk of 'democracy' and 'right to a free trial' that even allows guys like this to talk. Urrgghh!