Corporations doing their very best to make and keep America fat. I'm not going to pretend that I'm any sort of authority on the topic on food politics, but I do have one personal experience that pisses me off even now.
Let me set the scene:
I had a rough day at work, and like any recovering emotional eater I had one thing on my mind. CHOCOLATE.
I spent a good two hours resisting that siren beckoning me to the McDonalds drive-through until I just couldn't take it anymore and gave in. Emotions won. I was on my way to get one dollar McDonalds hot fudge Sundae.
My mouth watered at the thought.
On the way there, my watering mouth reminded myself to get some H2O to go with my sundae because there's nothing worse than having no water to sate the post ice-cream thirst. You know what I mean?
I pull into the double drive-thru and a woman with a latin accent asks me if I want to try some dulce de apple thing and I reply with my kindest voice, "no, but thank you for the offer."
Totally jars me when a completely different, male voice pipes up on the intercom to get my order seconds later. Damn you, McDonalds! Your savvy marketing gets me every time!
Anyway, I proceed to order. "may I please have a hot fudge sundae and a large cup of water, please?"
"nuts with your sundae?" McDonalds man-boy.
"Yes, thank you for asking"
"We don't have large waters. We only have courtesy waters. You have to pay for large waters."
In my head, I'm thinking, since when did water become a courtesy? Isn't it free? But then I remember some places selling that bull crap story about the cost of the cup to justify charging for free tap water and I reply:
"oh, okay. Well, how much is a large water, then?" I figure I'll spring for the extra five cents for the big cup. It's one of my healthy habits. I try to always get a large water when I go out to eat to attempt to balance out all the processed junk I'm shoveling in, seeing as how water is so so important.
"The same cost as any large drink. Do you want that or the courtesy water" McDonalds man-boy.
This is the point where I get EXTREMELY pissed. WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU CHARGING THE SAME PRICE AS A SODA FOR A CUP OF FREE WATER?
Oh yeah, because you know average Joe is probably just going to say "give me a coke then" instead of taking your rinky dink water cup. Seriously, that thing is four ounces of liquid! Americans want more value for our dollar, even if it means ingesting a liquid that is a proven risk to our health.
"No thank you. I don't want any water at all" I replied.
I've never had a McDonalds sundae since and I do my best to avoid that place. I'm not usually one to get all up-in-arms about evil corporations, but I think that McDonalds "courtesy water" policy is complete bull crap.
I'd rather stick with Starbucks, where I can at least order a venti water to accompany my non-fat venti misto extra hot (and feel like a complete tool for using their lingo so fluidly).
At least they're getting something right in my book.
What do you think? Is McDonald's courtesy water as bad as I think it is?
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