Dear lady working the counter McDonald’s inside the Walmart Supercenter in Northwest Reno:

I need to give you a little background before I discuss what went down between us this afternoon.  See, I was at the store alone with my three kids.  This isn’t probably a big deal to a lot of moms, but it’s a HUGE deal to me.  I hate leaving the house with the kids by myself.  But we’re out of food at home and I pretty much had to go.  I timed the trip specifically.  So that we could be home by lunch and the kids could then get their naps.  I also timed it so I could easily grab lunch at McDonald’s before going out to the car.  We could take it home and eat it there.  Easy peasy!  This works for us because for whatever reason, the drivers-side window on our minivan won’t roll down.  So drive thru’s are difficult and there’s just no way that I’m getting all three out of the van to go into some joint just to order lunch.  I’m not THAT crazy.

That’s the beauty of a McDonald’s inside Walmart.  I can swing by on my way out to the car and grab lunch to take with us, easy.  This was my plan.

Of course, my youngest was rather unhappy.  She was tired and hungry and thirsty and just plain tired of shopping.  I was looking forward to getting her a sippy cup full of lemonade to keep her happy for the drive home.  Maybe a fry or two to tide her over.  So yes.  She was crying.  Loudly.  She was past being humored.  I had done that moments before while in the checkoutline.  We just needed to grab our lunch and go.

But it wasn’t that simple.  Becasue apparently your card swiping machine was on the fritz.  And whomever you were yelling at in the back didn’t care enough to come to the front to help you out.  And I think you got flustered.  And you asked if I had cash.  No, if I had had cash, I would have paid with that upfront.  I don’t carry cash.   I don’t like to carry cash.  It makes me feel itchy.  I prefer to deal with debit cards.  And you had several of these swipers.  But I guess if one goes down, they all go down.

Did you say nicely and apologetically to me, “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to cancel your order then”?  Nope!  You chose to holler out to whomever is in the back, “Cancel that order! She doesn’t have cash!”  This was for the benefit of everyone in the line too, who was now staring at me and my crying child.  My oldest had already taken his cup over to the fountain to get his soda and you snapped (yes, SNAPPED), “I need to have that cup back now.”  This was while I was already telling him to bring the cup up.   He got flustered and confused and started to cry.  Becasue I had promised McDonald’s as a reward for making it through shopping without makingme want to slit my wrists.  And now he had done something wrong?

Nope, but he got snapped at anyhow.  At this point, I was so angry, I didn’t stay and tell you what I wanted to say.  I left as quickly as I could, all the eyes in the vincinity upon me and my kids as we hurried, shoulders hunched, out of the store.  I wanted to ask you, “Can you please be a little nicer?  I’m just a mom.  And I’ve got my hands full.  I’m sorry I don’t have cash on me, but a LOT of people don’t have cash on them these days.  You don’t have to announce my business to a restaurant full of people.  You don’t have to snap at me and my son.  I understand if you’re feeling pressured, but that’s no excuse for losing your manners.  You are PAID to provide a service to customers.  And today, you just lost one.”

Next time, put yourself in your customers shoes.  Maybe stop for a second and see that the mom with the three kids is just trying to hold things together and maybe give her a little consideration.  Just because we’re busy doesn’t mean we need to lose our humanity.

And I will be hard pressed to step foot in that McDonald’s again.  Not as long as you’re working there (and you have been there quite a while… I see you there almost every time we’re at the store).   There are plenty of other fast food restaurants nearby that I would rather go to now.   I was HUMILIATED and shamed and I did not a damned thing wrong.  My kids were upset that they weren’t getting McDonald’s for lunch and they didn’t do a damned thing wrong either.  Thankfully, there is another McDonald’s located just across the street and we were able to go over there.  I made do with the broken window by opening the car door.  Not ideal but at that point, I had promised my kids and I was going to live up to it.  Even though all I wanted to do was go home and crawl under a rock and die.

Oh, and thanks for reinforcing why I don’t like to leave the house with the kids alone anymore.   I was starting to think my mistrust of people in general was misplaced.  Guess not!

Love and Kisses,
Marilyn