A minor curiosity today was about the state of the fast food drive thru in Iceland. I assume that the concept has infected the little island. But are they as insidious as they can be at times on this side of the big puddle? I’m not saying they are evil, I use them too but they can be stinky inefficient adventures into the cultural void.
If you like coffee in Canada you’ll know which particular brand has the hottest drive thru. I pretty much can’t use their restaurants any more because of the DT. I never do DT if there appears to be more than a one minute wait. And I don’t eat in the car. Not that I can’t wait that long but it is the stupid feeling I get thinking about the cost of fuel compared to what I’m buying, the very bad air, and finally the high probability of not getting what I ordered unless I order a ‘double double‘. I don’t do sugar in my coffee. But I do like sigur rós…
So instead I go inside only to discover that the buzz of order filling is focused on the drive thru customers. Clearly this is where the money is. They even have a timer showing how long each car order is taking. Who is that sign for, me or the employees? I may or may not get served.
On the way out for a short drive with the kids we decided to grab a snack. The time is right, no lineup outside or in, we make a simple order and we’re back on the road in record time. I even had exact change although I also like playing the game ‘dump the most coins and get the biggest paper change‘. Even in this computer age it is a funny game that often amuses me with the confusion it can create. Anyway, my simple order was wrong for 3 out of the 3 items. We didn’t notice until we got to our destination. We ate it and didn’t complain, we had a laugh about it instead.
What did bug me was the later attempt at getting a late lunch on the way back. The same drive thru had a few cars so the plan was to go inside. We’re only 2nd in the line but neither of us are getting served or even looked at. The DT has all the attention and it appears to be in a state of confusion. While very entertaining to watch it isn’t what we wanted since we already had a laugh earlier. So we moved on, I’ll quietly leave and take my money elsewhere.
My bakery is across the lot from a coffee shop with a stupid style drive thru. I’ll get a fresh pastry and the week’s bread from the bakery and then watch a few minutes of DT comedy. Mostly large sized vehicles of the van and suv variety are clumsily navigating the parking lot hoping for the perfect park or the best slot at the DT. It never fails to entertain.
I’ve been to a classic and maybe the last of its kind drive thru. The “Toot N Tell It” is on a small off the beaten track country road in the high country of North Carolina. You don’t drive thru, you drive up and park. You “toot” your horn and when she comes to your car (no roller skates since this is a dirt lot) you “tell” her your order. Perfect.
Hello! great idea of color of this siyte!