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January 24, 2009
The economy in the fast food lane
Yes, we all know that things could be better right now. Prices seem to grow and the money tree does not. Perhaps it's true that we are all struggling right now. Finally, though, I have proof of real adversity, and I found this proof Thursday night.
Thursdays are the longest days for me. I take Trixie to Petsmart for puppy daycare at 7, I work 7:30-4, I drive to IUP, I go to class from 6-8:30, I drive home, I sleep hard and fast (then I get up and get Trixie from Petsmart and go to work again--exhausted--but it's a living). So this Thursday I didn't have time to eat any dinner. Circumstances conspired against me in such a way that I did not arrive on campus until 5:40 and the bookstore did not have the only book I was searching for, so those precious minutes before class were wasted. No food for me.
After class, I got on the road, and decided to stop at McDonald's. I had a dollar-six ($1.06) and a very noisy stomach, so I drove up to the large illuminated menu.
Can I take your order?
Yes, I'll have a double cheeseburger with only ketchup.
Okay, that's $1.29, please pull around.
Waitaminute--what? It's on the Dollar Menu...
Actually, not any more.
(I study the Dollar Menu and, not finding the double cheeseburger, get confused while my stomach yells at me.)
Why not?
Well we replaced the double cheeseburger with the McDouble. (A non-answer.)
What's a McDouble?
It's two patties, but only one piece of cheese. The double cheeseburger is $1.19.
Oh. Give me the McDouble, then.
That'll be $1.06. Please pull around.
And I do. And I hand over my penny, nickel, and dollar bill, still puzzled over how a piece of cheese can truly raise costs for McDonald's.
It was almost 9, and I hadn't eaten since noon. I got my McDouble, and I ate it entirely too fast. So at least I bought indigestion at a fair price, even if it did only have one piece of cheese.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at January 24, 2009 9:40 AM