This brings to mind the oft mentioned idea of “what’s wrong with kids these days?”
It seems to me, upon reading your column, that the problem isn’t the kids: it’s the adults. You’re the one with wisdom. You’re the one with life experience of different eras, cultures and business models. It’s not her fault she’s only known combos.
It’s your fault you wouldn’t make the effort to enrich her though. That’s what’s wrong with kids these days!
I’m breaking out in a cold sweat just reading the column!!! No, I don’t want the “combo”, the “meal deal”, “a drink” or a damn “apple pie” with it either!!!! If that’s what I had wanted, that’s what I would have ordered! On the same kind of topic, the topper for me was the time we stopped at a restaurant up north and a bunch of us went in for the breakfast special…2 eggs, bacon, toast, homefries and coffee for $4. Good deal until you tell them that you only want one egg, at which time you are told that the special consists of 2 eggs and that if you insist on only one egg, the price of the breakfast will be $5.75. We all giggle, she’s joking. Wrong!!!! When the bill came, the breakfast with the one egg was indeed $5.75. Strangely, the place burnt to the ground…and we were no where in the area at the time!!!! Ah, karma!
Moving off food for a second, combos are also big in home entertainment. Both Rogers & Bell want to be your everything provider and will swear up & down how much $ you will save. For various reasons that I won’t go into, I decline those offers every time. I am very happy with Rogers as my internet provider, Bell for my home phone & Shaw for my TV watching. These retailers need a “do not call list”.
The other thing about restaurants is that if you want a “special” order, you have to figgure out which place you are in. With Wendy’s for example, you must tell them what you don’t want for them to get it right. “#4 combo but no mayo on the burger please” seems to work (and they have chilli cheese fries now so I’m happy to take the combo ). At Harvey’s you get to tell them what you want on the burger and at Micky-D’s, a special order just freaks them out in my experience, which is why we never go there.
@ pinkypie…sounds like a scene from “Five Easy Pieces.”….as you’ll recall: eventually Jack Nicholson makes the request the the waitress put the toast in-between her…
But aside from movie memories, I’d like to ask you: was it too hard to just order the damn special and leave whatever you didn’t want to eat on the plate…or would that have offended your sense of control and superior frugal sensibilities?
London
This brings to mind the oft mentioned idea of “what’s wrong with kids these days?”
It seems to me, upon reading your column, that the problem isn’t the kids: it’s the adults. You’re the one with wisdom. You’re the one with life experience of different eras, cultures and business models. It’s not her fault she’s only known combos.
It’s your fault you wouldn’t make the effort to enrich her though. That’s what’s wrong with kids these days!
I’m breaking out in a cold sweat just reading the column!!! No, I don’t want the “combo”, the “meal deal”, “a drink” or a damn “apple pie” with it either!!!! If that’s what I had wanted, that’s what I would have ordered! On the same kind of topic, the topper for me was the time we stopped at a restaurant up north and a bunch of us went in for the breakfast special…2 eggs, bacon, toast, homefries and coffee for $4. Good deal until you tell them that you only want one egg, at which time you are told that the special consists of 2 eggs and that if you insist on only one egg, the price of the breakfast will be $5.75. We all giggle, she’s joking. Wrong!!!! When the bill came, the breakfast with the one egg was indeed $5.75. Strangely, the place burnt to the ground…and we were no where in the area at the time!!!! Ah, karma!
Moving off food for a second, combos are also big in home entertainment. Both Rogers & Bell want to be your everything provider and will swear up & down how much $ you will save. For various reasons that I won’t go into, I decline those offers every time. I am very happy with Rogers as my internet provider, Bell for my home phone & Shaw for my TV watching. These retailers need a “do not call list”.
). At Harvey’s you get to tell them what you want on the burger and at Micky-D’s, a special order just freaks them out in my experience, which is why we never go there.
The other thing about restaurants is that if you want a “special” order, you have to figgure out which place you are in. With Wendy’s for example, you must tell them what you don’t want for them to get it right. “#4 combo but no mayo on the burger please” seems to work (and they have chilli cheese fries now so I’m happy to take the combo
@ pinkypie…sounds like a scene from “Five Easy Pieces.”….as you’ll recall: eventually Jack Nicholson makes the request the the waitress put the toast in-between her…
But aside from movie memories, I’d like to ask you: was it too hard to just order the damn special and leave whatever you didn’t want to eat on the plate…or would that have offended your sense of control and superior frugal sensibilities?
So, what’s so hard to simply politely decline the suggestions of combos etc. and just politely insist on the selection you wish to purchase?