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America's fast food culture

Tenebrae

Verified
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
3,999
Points
38
Homer Simpson (running out of a Krusty Burger): RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! THE CRAP WE USED TO EAT IS NOW FOOOOOODDDD!!!!!
 
My positive memories of fast food are those occasional occurrences where it really does feel like a treat - a very long journey and you stop off at Little Chef (now pretty much gone in the UK) , a quick fix when you're waiting for a train at Liverpool Street, a good night out and you stop off for a pizza at the fast food shop on the way home (here I resonate with what the article says about people coming together and socialising with the regulars that you know will be there at that time - a sort of Wetherspoons for people who are still out at 2am).

The things that bug me though:
1. Why do the photos of the Egg McMuffins at McDonalds show an egg that is almost 2 inches thick, yet when you get the bloody thing, it's just a normal, floppy, overcooked egg
2. Why are the hell are such long queues for McDonalds/Costa etc drive throughs every single morning?! I may have answered my own question further down this post, but my initial thought is why don't these people just whack the kettle on first thing every morning, or stick a frozen chicken fillet in the oven and have it in a roll with some cheese? I just don't see the appeal. It's like they've been brainwashed into queuing up for something that's supposedly out of the ordinary (and presumably perceived to be trendy), when really it can be replicated to a better standard at home within the same time period and for a fraction of the cost (granted, fast food is excellent value compared to other meals out, but you can still easily beat the cost at home over the long run).

What I do notice from the drive in queues is that it's most definitely not those who are considered 'lower-class' using the fast food chains and you can make a fair assumption on this based on the vehicles they are driving (or from the company vans, the salaries they are likely on) and the fancy suits they are wearing.
The number of vans in the queues alludes to the socialising aspect again - more often than not, I see a group of lads having banter over breakfast before they head off to lay some carpets or install some plumbing. 2 or 3 vans from the same company parked up. It's quite nice to see in a way.

And perhaps those smartly suited people in high pressure, fast paced jobs are wrapped up in this kind of false perception that they have to go and "grab a coffee on the go" because they're far too busy and far too important to stay at home 10 minutes longer and drink one from their own kettle! Or maybe it's just 10 minutes to themselves in between the school run and arriving at the office. Who am I to judge?!
Maybe for those with money it's just part of the daily routine. Taken for granted. And for those with less money, it's a treat, or a chance to meet up with those close to them and have a laugh with the family/kids over some grub.

My most recent fast food meal was on a long journey back from somewhere and I stopped at a McDonalds - I couldn't believe to find that they were offering table service. That's probably the last thing I'd associate with fast food. Perhaps that makes me a snob. When you think of it, there's nothing faster than rolling up, grabbing a table, ordering what you want from an app and within minutes it's arrived to your table - no queues, no standing up waiting. Nobody came to ask me "Is everything ok with your meal?" - that would have been a step too far and just too surreal.
 
My take on fast food: It tastes a LOT BETTER than it did 50+ years ago but on the downside it is really Really REALLY BAD FOR YOU!

A single big mac, large fries, and large diet soda contain an entire days worth of calories!
 
My positive memories of fast food are those occasional occurrences where it really does feel like a treat - a very long journey and you stop off at Little Chef (now pretty much gone in the UK) , a quick fix when you're waiting for a train at Liverpool Street, a good night out and you stop off for a pizza at the fast food shop on the way home (here I resonate with what the article says about people coming together and socialising with the regulars that you know will be there at that time - a sort of Wetherspoons for people who are still out at 2am).

The things that bug me though:
1. Why do the photos of the Egg McMuffins at McDonalds show an egg that is almost 2 inches thick, yet when you get the bloody thing, it's just a normal, floppy, overcooked egg
2. Why are the hell are such long queues for McDonalds/Costa etc drive throughs every single morning?! I may have answered my own question further down this post, but my initial thought is why don't these people just whack the kettle on first thing every morning, or stick a frozen chicken fillet in the oven and have it in a roll with some cheese? I just don't see the appeal. It's like they've been brainwashed into queuing up for something that's supposedly out of the ordinary (and presumably perceived to be trendy), when really it can be replicated to a better standard at home within the same time period and for a fraction of the cost (granted, fast food is excellent value compared to other meals out, but you can still easily beat the cost at home over the long run).

What I do notice from the drive in queues is that it's most definitely not those who are considered 'lower-class' using the fast food chains and you can make a fair assumption on this based on the vehicles they are driving (or from the company vans, the salaries they are likely on) and the fancy suits they are wearing.
The number of vans in the queues alludes to the socialising aspect again - more often than not, I see a group of lads having banter over breakfast before they head off to lay some carpets or install some plumbing. 2 or 3 vans from the same company parked up. It's quite nice to see in a way.

And perhaps those smartly suited people in high pressure, fast paced jobs are wrapped up in this kind of false perception that they have to go and "grab a coffee on the go" because they're far too busy and far too important to stay at home 10 minutes longer and drink one from their own kettle! Or maybe it's just 10 minutes to themselves in between the school run and arriving at the office. Who am I to judge?!
Maybe for those with money it's just part of the daily routine. Taken for granted. And for those with less money, it's a treat, or a chance to meet up with those close to them and have a laugh with the family/kids over some grub.

My most recent fast food meal was on a long journey back from somewhere and I stopped at a McDonalds - I couldn't believe to find that they were offering table service. That's probably the last thing I'd associate with fast food. Perhaps that makes me a snob. When you think of it, there's nothing faster than rolling up, grabbing a table, ordering what you want from an app and within minutes it's arrived to your table - no queues, no standing up waiting. Nobody came to ask me "Is everything ok with your meal?" - that would have been a step too far and just too surreal.

This was a fantastic post! Thank you so much :thumbsup: Great read, really, I was hooked from start to finish~
 
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