On the very first day of summer vacation for my son, I found myself facing a predicament many stay-at-home parents can relate to:
- Keep your child entertained every hour of the day, or
- Enroll them in overpriced activities that are inconveniently scheduled just to snag a moment of peace without hearing,
“MOM! I’M BORED! CAN WE GO TO THE POOL? CAN WE VISIT THE PARK? CAN THAT KID YOU’RE NOT FOND OF COME OVER FOR HOURS? CAN WE HAVE NUTELLA FOR A SNACK AND GET IT ALL OVER THE NEW CARPET? PLEASE! YOU’RE THE WORST MOM EVER! IN REBELLION, I WILL PLAY VIDEO GAMES ALL DAY AND THEN WHINE WHEN YOU MAKE ME TURN THEM OFF!”
It’s not quite the same as choosing between life-altering options, but it can feel overwhelming.
Naturally, I opted for choice number two, which is how my son found himself enrolled in a soccer camp last summer. Adding to my stress, this camp required me to a) wake up at the same hour as if I were taking him to school, b) drive the same distance as I would for school, and c) pack snacks and drinks as if I were preparing a lunchbox for a school day. And yet, the camp only lasted from 9 a.m. to noon. The horror!
This absurd schedule also meant I had to tackle my son’s lunch immediately after picking him up. Normally, I’d whip up something homemade, but one particular day, we decided to treat ourselves and swing by McDonald’s instead. Because what better way to celebrate summer than by hitting the drive-thru for a feast of burgers and nuggets, and then lounging in our air-conditioned home while binge-watching television?
However, our McDonald’s experience quickly veered off course. We rolled into a long drive-thru line, which I accepted as part of the deal since it was noon. While waiting, we talked about soccer camp until I reached the order speaker and placed a straightforward request:
- A chicken nugget Happy Meal
- Two cheeseburgers
- A small fries
I paid at the window without any issues. The trouble began when I arrived at the food pickup window, only to be told to pull into the parking lot and wait for my order. No big deal, I thought; sometimes, they need a moment for simple orders like nuggets and cheeseburgers. But then the chaos ensued.
Drive-Thru Employee: “Please park by that blue car and red car.”
Me (looking perplexed): “Um, I can’t. Those cars are already parked there, and there are no free spots around them.”
Drive-Thru Employee (frustrated): “Please park where that blue car and red car are!”
Me: “But there are NO SPOTS THERE. It’s full!”
Drive-Thru Employee: *sighs*
Me (feeling apologetic): “I’m really sorry, but I don’t understand.”
Drive-Thru Employee: “PARK WHERE THE BLUE CAR AND RED CAR ARE PARKED!”
Me (exasperated): “BUT I CAN’T! I LITERALLY CAN’T!”
Drive-Thru Employee (as if explaining to a child): “THEN WAIT UNTIL THEY LEAVE. THEN PARK THERE.”
At this point, I was so confused that I just exited the line, trying to decipher where I was supposed to park. Those two cars were not leaving anytime soon, surrounded as they were by other parked vehicles. So I settled for a spot a few cars down. It wasn’t directly where I was told, but I figured it wouldn’t be too hard for them to find us.
We rolled down the windows and waited. And waited. In my rear-view mirror, I watched as other cars zipped through the drive-thru, drivers happily clutching bags of greasy goodness. Frustration boiled over, and my son murmured, “Why are they getting their food while we’re just sitting here?”
Good question, kiddo. I waited for about 10 to 12 minutes before we both agreed that enough was enough. We climbed out of the car and headed into the McDonald’s, which was eerily empty.
Counter Employee: “Can I help you?”
Me: “Uh, we’ve been sitting in the hot parking lot waiting for our food.”
Counter Employee: “Oh, I didn’t know anyone was waiting. Did you park where the drive-thru lady told you to?”
Me: “Interesting you should ask. She directed me to park in two spots that were already taken. So, no, I didn’t. But I parked as close as I could.”
Counter Employee: “That explains it. Someone went out but couldn’t find you. Here’s your food.”
She handed me a bag with lukewarm nuggets and soggy fries. I stood there, incredulous. Really? They couldn’t find me? I was only three cars down from the designated area, engine running and windows open, with a six-year-old loudly complaining about our food.
With determination, I declared we would never return to that McDonald’s, as if anyone there would care. My son deadpanned, “We should have never trusted this McDonald’s.”
Turns out, he was right. Reflecting on that experience led me to rethink my summer strategy. Perhaps it would be wiser to skip the costly activities and embrace the local pool, or even bring our own lunch to the park rather than risk another McDonald’s debacle.
Because, as it turns out, not every McDonald’s is trustworthy. Just ask my son.
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