Trashcans and 'Thank You's
I walked into an unusually busy McDonald's outlet with my mother.
All the tables were occupied. While my mom ordered at the counter, I hunted vacant tables. When I saw someone leaving, I rushed to reserve that table. I did get the table.The table the man left behind was quite a view. There was a tray with ketchup strewn across it on one side. On another side, lay an empty , cardboard burger box. Adjacent to the tray was a mess of paper napkins, and a glass of coke. The man expected McDonald's employees to clear his table for him. Although cleaning tables isn't part of the employees' job descriptions, they are forced to do it.
The very facts that trash cans are placed publicly and a pile of used trays is placed right above the trash cans hints that at McDonald's, you serve yourself. Even if one assumed that perhaps it's optional to clear your own table, McDonald's does not seem to be joking when it places a sign that reads "Place your trays here" above those trash cans.
However, most of us tend to ignore this simple rule of self service: Clean up after yourself! None of us like being welcomed by a messy table. Then why do we not leave the table the way we'd like to see it? Only the man who left without cleaning his table and numerous others who follow suit can answer that.
After munching down a burger and some french fries, my mother and I picked up our bags to leave. I gathered our trash onto the tray, disposed it and placed the tray on the pile above. I heard someone say "Thank You". That someone was in a McDonald's uniform. It made my day.
All the tables were occupied. While my mom ordered at the counter, I hunted vacant tables. When I saw someone leaving, I rushed to reserve that table. I did get the table.The table the man left behind was quite a view. There was a tray with ketchup strewn across it on one side. On another side, lay an empty , cardboard burger box. Adjacent to the tray was a mess of paper napkins, and a glass of coke. The man expected McDonald's employees to clear his table for him. Although cleaning tables isn't part of the employees' job descriptions, they are forced to do it.
The very facts that trash cans are placed publicly and a pile of used trays is placed right above the trash cans hints that at McDonald's, you serve yourself. Even if one assumed that perhaps it's optional to clear your own table, McDonald's does not seem to be joking when it places a sign that reads "Place your trays here" above those trash cans.
However, most of us tend to ignore this simple rule of self service: Clean up after yourself! None of us like being welcomed by a messy table. Then why do we not leave the table the way we'd like to see it? Only the man who left without cleaning his table and numerous others who follow suit can answer that.
After munching down a burger and some french fries, my mother and I picked up our bags to leave. I gathered our trash onto the tray, disposed it and placed the tray on the pile above. I heard someone say "Thank You". That someone was in a McDonald's uniform. It made my day.
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