Sunday, December 4, 2011

A Different Proposal


Here I was missing the oddities of living in another culture and I get one in my own. :-)

Stopping at Burger King to get an icee on my way home, I called my little brother and ask if he’d like one. “No, but I want onion rings,” he answers. I lower my window to order.

“What can I get you today?” The faceless man through the box queries. “I’d like an icee and medium onion rings, please.” “That will be a bamedium…arg…seeicee…arg! An icee and onion rings? Sorry about that, I got my words mixed up,” announces the box. I chuckle and tell him it’s no problem.

Arriving at the window, a gentleman in a red Burger King visor leans out. “That’ll be $1.57.” “One fifty-seven?” I ask. “Shouldn’t my total should be more than that?” “Yeah,” the guy grins and looks me in the eye. “I’ve got a proposal for you.”

Oh dear. The last dozen proposals I’ve received have only been for one thing: marriage. But since this guy and I met mere moments before, I’m hoping it’s something else…

“Here’s my proposal. You take the satisfaction survey, tell them V** gave you awesome customer service, and I’ll give you a free icee!”

I ponder quickly. Hmm…can he do that? Give away free food for good reviews? Is this corruption on the lightest level? I guess he knows the rules better than me since he works here. A free icee would be nice. I definitely consider free food awesome customer service, so…

“Sure,” I say. “Thanks!” He turns around, tossing the onion rings into the brown sack. “I’ve got one more surprise for you.” Reaching out, he hands me the bag. “It’s a large.” Smiling broadly, the guy bids me goodnight and I pull away.

I don’t know if this is normal in America now, if he does this to everyone or just people who are nice to him when he stumbles over his words, but I certainly was laughing on the way home, sipping my Coke icee in bliss. ;)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

When one’s job security is on the line, he/she tends to do whatever it takes even if he/she may be aware that it’s wrong to do so. Your story with a Burger King employee here reminds me of the growing number of cheatings in student test results by teachers and school officials across the country (google “NY Times cheating scandal”) because if the students don’t do well on those administered tests, they will get fired.

Anonymous said...

I’m pretty sure you got all of those dozen marriage proposals in Madagascar. Just for laugh: I think Malagasy men got the memo from Beyonce’s song “Single ladies”: “If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it”.

Anonymous said...

What are the odds? I personally think that Cara is due for an American proposal!!! We wait and see!