Wow, I'm overwhelmed how smart and savvy all you guys are! Isn't it incredible how this swine flu epidemic or whatever they are calling it, has gotten us all to come together and consider the options if something like what happened to my husband and me happened to you.
Twenty people (at the time I'm writing this response: 5:00 PM EST) commented and almost to a man/woman no one would have eaten the food handed over by the sneezing cashier. (Click here to read the sneezing story) Most of you said you would have gotten out of the car and gone into the manager and complained, most of you said you would have spoken politely and asked for your money back. Most of you didn't blame the kid cashier and most weren't interested in having the kid lose his job.
Terri said she would have called the local health authorities - not to get the kid in trouble but to encourage some hygiene instructions at that McDonalds. You said it, Terri! I never thought of calling the health authorities...
Kay made a couple of good points: the kid might have had a cold, not incipient swine flu. He doesn't make a lot of money so calling in sick wasn't an option, and exposure doesn't mean you'll get sick. And even if you get symptoms, so far the cases have been mild and non-threatening here in the U.S.
All that went through my head and I think it kept me from really doing anything.
When I was sitting in the drive-through, I thought about going into the manager. But I had my leg bound up in that big black boot because I had fractured my ankle. Getting out of the car with my cane and hobbling over to McD's door felt like too much and I would have had to explain to Vinny where I was going and there were two cars behind us. So I did nothing except yell loudly at the kid to cover his mouth when he sneezed.
When Vinny and I looked at each other on the way home that evening, I finally said to him, "You know we don't have to eat this food." In my mind I thought that maybe I was being too stuffy about it and over-reacting. But Vin said "I think you're right." He had a pained look on his face.
When we pulled into the driveway he immediately took the bag from me and dumped $10.00 worth of food in the garbage pail. We went in the house and washed our hands. I noticed how thoroughly Vinny washed. We even used some Purell.
Vinny got a plastic bag and went outside to wrap the bag of food tightly til the garbagemen came in two days. He washed his hands again when he came in. We ate cereal for dinner than night, just like Mo and The Pagan Sphinx said they would.
We talked about it. I was, for the most part, angry at the manager who would allow a kid sneezing like that to serve food at the drive-through. It was as if he hadn't listened to the news over the last few days. In truth the manager should NEVER let a sneezing, coughing kid serve food to customers.
I did wonder why that kid didn't sneeze into his elbow the way they say you should today.
To be honest I don't think the manager would have given us back our money. I bet he would have refused to do that and I really don't know if I would have lost it with him or threatened to call the health department.
Lois, no, Vinny didn't eat the McD's food. Actually he was MORE disgusted than I was.
Thanks everybody for participating. I appreciate knowing that I wasn't crazy dumping that food in the garbage.
Twenty people (at the time I'm writing this response: 5:00 PM EST) commented and almost to a man/woman no one would have eaten the food handed over by the sneezing cashier. (Click here to read the sneezing story) Most of you said you would have gotten out of the car and gone into the manager and complained, most of you said you would have spoken politely and asked for your money back. Most of you didn't blame the kid cashier and most weren't interested in having the kid lose his job.
Terri said she would have called the local health authorities - not to get the kid in trouble but to encourage some hygiene instructions at that McDonalds. You said it, Terri! I never thought of calling the health authorities...
Kay made a couple of good points: the kid might have had a cold, not incipient swine flu. He doesn't make a lot of money so calling in sick wasn't an option, and exposure doesn't mean you'll get sick. And even if you get symptoms, so far the cases have been mild and non-threatening here in the U.S.
All that went through my head and I think it kept me from really doing anything.
When I was sitting in the drive-through, I thought about going into the manager. But I had my leg bound up in that big black boot because I had fractured my ankle. Getting out of the car with my cane and hobbling over to McD's door felt like too much and I would have had to explain to Vinny where I was going and there were two cars behind us. So I did nothing except yell loudly at the kid to cover his mouth when he sneezed.
When Vinny and I looked at each other on the way home that evening, I finally said to him, "You know we don't have to eat this food." In my mind I thought that maybe I was being too stuffy about it and over-reacting. But Vin said "I think you're right." He had a pained look on his face.
When we pulled into the driveway he immediately took the bag from me and dumped $10.00 worth of food in the garbage pail. We went in the house and washed our hands. I noticed how thoroughly Vinny washed. We even used some Purell.
Vinny got a plastic bag and went outside to wrap the bag of food tightly til the garbagemen came in two days. He washed his hands again when he came in. We ate cereal for dinner than night, just like Mo and The Pagan Sphinx said they would.
We talked about it. I was, for the most part, angry at the manager who would allow a kid sneezing like that to serve food at the drive-through. It was as if he hadn't listened to the news over the last few days. In truth the manager should NEVER let a sneezing, coughing kid serve food to customers.
I did wonder why that kid didn't sneeze into his elbow the way they say you should today.
To be honest I don't think the manager would have given us back our money. I bet he would have refused to do that and I really don't know if I would have lost it with him or threatened to call the health department.
Lois, no, Vinny didn't eat the McD's food. Actually he was MORE disgusted than I was.
Thanks everybody for participating. I appreciate knowing that I wasn't crazy dumping that food in the garbage.
theteach
