Breaking the Chain

I had an irritating event happen to me last Friday night.

First, I lost my iPod. That's especially bad because I need the iPod to listen to on the road. Well, why don't you play a CD? Because my CD player was broken. Plus, all the CDs I had in my car were all scratched up. So, I couldn't play a CD. Well, why don't you listen to the radio? Oh yeah, how great is terrestrial radio these days? "Hey folks, important information ahead, right after these commercials! Traffic alert, right after these commercials! Tonight's weather, right after these commercials! More commercials ahead, right after these commercials!"

I sat and stewed in silence.

On the road, that's not the worst thing. You should be paying attention to the traffic anyway. And radio is a distraction.

Sitting in line at a drive-in, that's a different story.

All I needed was a Diet Coke. Large size. Some ice. And a cup to carry it all in. That was it.

How hard can that be?

Apparently, pretty damn hard.

Fifteen minutes passed before I even placed the order. Five more minutes before I pulled up to the window.

Then I get this shock. The car is front of me had paid for my order!

Was this great or what? How generous!

Gag me with a fork!

I was furious. First, losing the iPod was bad enough. Now I've waited almost a half-hour for a simple soft drink. No, this little gesture was an insult. And no way in hell was I paying for who knows what behind me. No, I took my drink for free, and drove up.

Which took several minutes anyway. And that was plenty of time for me to have heard the snide remark from one of the little burger boogers behind the mic. "And there's the guy that broke the chain!"

Excuse me?

First, it's pretty crappy service to make anyone wait almost a half-hour for "fast food." And I wasn't even getting any food. Just a drink! Second, why should you care? You got your payment, that's all that matters to you. Finally, I did not ask for my drink to be paid, I will not pay for someone else, not without their expressed consent and knowledge. Sorry if I rained on your little dopamine parade, but I live in the real world. Of course I do things to help others. I do it on my terms, not to virtue signal.

I should have gone to Chik-Fil-A. I may have paid more, but at least, their employees know to keep their opinions to themselves.