June 25, 2004
Steak Mistake
I was coming home from my old-time ensemble practice a few days back and stopped by the local Steak-n-Shake to pick up another two double-burgers with my one remaining coupon. But I wanted it to be made to my specifications. So I politely asked for a quad, while sitting in drive-through. The attendant shot back at me: "What's a quad?" I replied that it was two double-burgers on one sandwich. That is, 4 patties on one sandwich. Keep the other bun, compliments of me, for being so accommodating.
She carefully read back my request to me and, satisfied I was being served in the most professional manner, I awaited my turn.
After another three or four minutes, I was able to pull up to the window, and there I received my bag of food. In a bit of a hurry to get home and photograph my meat while it was still reasobably hot, I drove on without inspecting the contents of the bag.
When I returned to my house and opened the bag, I knew immediately that I had been the victim of a mistaken order.
You see, I didn't get a quad. I got two sandwiches, not one. They had screwed it up.
What was worse, they hadn't simply ignored my request for a quad. They actually attempted to fulfill my desire. The burger-maker had gotten as far as the third patty on a sandwich before he gave up. What had possessed him to manufacture a triple? The other sandwich, I could see plainly from its thin profile, only had one patty. It appeared to be an afterthought. How undignified.
But then the strangest thing happened. As I peeled away the bread to weigh the meat, I noticed something odd about the number of patties. I added them up. I counted again. I looked at my notes. There was no denying it. I was looking at not 4 patties, but 5.
These kids working fast food must really get bored and sleepy back there in the kitchen.
But I'm not complaining.
Posted by eric at June 25, 2004 04:52 PM