Chicken Little

Okay, I totally slipped and had some fast food recently. I don't feel that bad about it because I don't do it regularly but I will cop to it. However, my guilt isn't what I want to share about the experience . . .

So I walk in and there's this older white guy standing in front of the cash register. I ask him if he's in line. He shouts, "No, I already ordered. They're telling me I have to wait 15 minutes for some chicken."

I look behind the cash register and see a whole lotta chicken up there. I figured he must have ordered something special. So I ask what he ordered, so I don't order the same thing. He shouts again, "I just ordered some chicken! And they're telling me it's going to take 15 minutes! What the hell is that!"

At this point, one of the women behind the cash registers decides she has had enough of Old Man Chicken. "You know, sir, you don't have to be rude about it!"

This only eggs him on. "I shouldn't have to wait 15 minutes for my chicken! I just want my chicken. You need to have the chicken ready. This is dinner time, you all need to be prepared."

Another person behind the register interrupts him. "Look it's busy! We have a lot of orders!"

"That doesn't matter," says Old Man who is now actively gesturing and approaching the counter, "It doesn't take 15 minutes for some chicken!"

I of course am feeling a little guilty. Did my harmless question about his order poke the bear? Have I incited this riot?

The cashiers and the Old Man proceed to go back and forth for another minute or so, until the manager comes out. I wonder to myself where she has been this whole time as they have all been engaged in a rather loud argument. She appears scared.

Again the Old Man lodges his complaint: he does NOT want to wait 15 minutes for chicken.

The manager offers him his money back. He takes it, but proceeds to let the manager and the entire staff know that he is "going over their heads with this." He tells them he hopes they all get fired. They don't seem too concerned.

I guess the lesson I got from this experience is that not only are fast food restaurants bad for your diet, they're really bad in general.

Oh, and don't EVER make an old man wait 15 minutes for chicken.