The MacDonald’s Menu

We picked up David for a quick trip to the Diary Queen but he argued that ice cream would be cheaper at MacDonalds. Bonnie was amenable, for with the change of plans, now David could show me his new skill: how to order electronically.

Just touch the screen and order.
Then wait for your number to come up.
Never fear, if you look like you are in trouble,
someone will appear to help you get on track
and then they will disappear again
until you need help again.

No human interaction ... almost.

“You mean that now you can get food with no human interaction at all? How wonderful is that! Never having to look another human being in the eye! Go for it!”

I went on and on. David was nodding in agreement.

No human interaction except that which was occurring between a boy and his grandmother. 

I watched both his skill on the large electronic billboard, and at how easy it was for him to customize that burger (cheese $.50 extra, no onions).

He could cancel the order with a flick of the finger and go back to our original plan -- just there to get ice cream, after all and now we can do it with no human interaction!

I hadn’t expected an added bonus in the outlet, but because this is the Halloween weekend, several groups of people were coming into the store asking for toilet paper. Apparently they were on a Halloween Scavanger Hunt. Bonnie went over to look closely at some of the costumes. David went back to order a McFlurry, since one cone is not enough for a boy in Grade VI.

But by now, human interaction or no, excitement was happening. A loud obnoxious man had spilled his coffee all over the floor, blaming the accident on the way the server had put the cup on his tray. He was shouting his analysis to other members of his party sitting, way back at the end of the room.

Another scavenger-hunt team had driven up requesting their “toilet paper from MacDonalds”. The man who went to retrieve it was wearing the toilet paper as a tail out of his trousers. Charming.

A second man was wearing a Monica Lewinsky mask and he had a rude slogan on the button of his jacket lapel. The slogan made my blood boil, but I couldn’t see the point in offering my analysis to the party-goer. If he didn’t get it when he put the button on, I doubt anything I could have said would have changed his mind.

“I guess Halloween is a good chance for people to come out who want to cross-dress,” Bonnie whispered to me of him.

A man sat down at the next table to us, blackened eyes, white paint on his face, fake blood in his hair, his nails painted purple, his white frock bloodied, giving a toothless grin to David who slid across the bench and jammed his body up against the window in mock horror.

The Halloweener loved it and wanted to give David a high five. David walked by him and gave him a slap.

Well, there went the chance for no social interaction at MacDonalds for David.  The total bill under $8 and well worth the show.

Arta