"I'm lovin' it." Not really.

"This is NOT what I ordered," it was an old lady who was at the cashier looking through her big brown paper bag from McDonald's. She was holding up a McMuffin wrapped burger.

"I do NOT give away free food. So go away and leave me alone," the manager had a real nasty tone in her voice.

This accident was actually pretty recent actually - it was right after I had finished another session of Chinatown Literacy Project. Melanie, another writer on AAYA!, and I had went to McDonald's looking forward to fill our stomachs with some fast food. So we entered the MickeyD's and the lines were long and the place seemed really crowded but we didn't mind the wait - we just wanted to eat and go. As we were looking up at the menu, I heard a commotion between a White worker and an Asian lady to our right. The lady was waving the wrapped burger in her left hand with an exasperated look on her face while the worker looked very annoyed.

They exchanged some loud comments to each other and the costumer walked away with a dissatisfied attitude. During the midst of their conversation, Melanie wandered off to the line on right where the arguement was taking place. Right after the worker, whom we assumed was the manager because of the different style of the shirt (it was striped, unlike the other workers whose shirts were solid blue), ordered Melanie's meal, a young Chinese boy was demanding for his happy meal. [At this time I had already ordered my meal and received it and walked over to Melanie.] The manager became more annoyed and scolded, "I gave you your Happy meal RIGHT there. Right in front of your face. I ain't givin' away free food to any of you."

Melanie asked the boy what was wrong. He had simply replied he paid for a happy meal and had not received it yet. When the manager came back to give Melanie her food, Melanie told the manager the situation again and the man. only repeated the same line again. And had added, "Oh my God. I put it right in front of you. Maybe the old lady took it or something." I really did not like her nasty attitude.

So we talked to the boy and his grandfather and told them that we'll talk to the lady and see what's wrong. So we did... and her grandson was eating a happy meal and she was sitting there, arms crossed, all angry-looking. We asked her, "What's wrong?"

"That worker is stupid and doesn't know what she's doing. I ordered a cheese burger and they gave me this sandwich and I don't even know what the hell it is. They charged me 19 dollars and I don't even know what I even paid for."

I nodded. I asked to see what was in the bag and she let me, and as I was looking through it she told me, "I ordered 3 happy meals and I don't even know what she gave me."

So Melanie and me were like okay, let's go back and talk to the manager again; we asked the lady to watch after our food and she was like okay.

We go back to the manager and tell her what the lady said, and she replied, "She didn't order 3 happy meals... she ordered TWO." and I'm pretty sure I went, "whoa" in my head. "Look, I could show you what she ordered. I would print the receipt but the printing isn't working." But she tried to print it out for us about 3 times as we stood there. I decide to go back to tell the lady what's going on and so does Melanie; I told her and she said, "I ordered THREE. One, two and THREE!" Her grandson was eating the third one as the other two were still in the bag. "I won't believe a thing that woman says unless she gives me a receipt. I don't even know what I paid for." Melanie walked away and as I was about to, "I'm not watching after your stuff anymore. If someone takes it, it's not my fault."

I'm not very easily annoyed from situations, but this. This was a no. I understand if you were frustrated, but if someone is trying to help you settle this situation, you would think that you would help watch that someone's stuff. I found that extremely rude coming from someone who Melanie and I were trying to help out. So I just took it and walked to Melanie.

The manager had showed what the lady had ordered on that nifty little computer the cashiers use and as it turned out, she DID order two happy meals and a McNugget 20 piece. We went back to the lady and told her that she did order two but she kept insisting she ordered three and won't give anything back unless there was a receipt shown. Melanie went to go ask the manager for a receipt but unfortunately, the printing machine was broken - bad management if you ask me.

We told the boy about his happy meal and all he said was, "it's okay. She's a b****. My sister is helping me order a happy meal right now so it's okay..." Honestly, he didn't even look alright. He seemed pretty upset. Unfortunately, the matter didn't resolve - the lady's son and another one of her grandsons came and ate the food; and the boy's family left feeling resentment towards the manager and the old lady.

As it turned out, inside that McMuffin wrapper WAS the cheeseburger - they ran out of cheeseburger wrappers. Another poor management problem - and did I mention, they ran out of straws and didn't even bother to refill? AND they don't have ketchup packets. Wow McDonald's... Restock more..

Honestly, I don't want to blame anyone, but I do. In my opinion, I thought it was the restaurant's poor management skills for the mix up. And the manager didn't really help with the situation. To me, managers should be calm and try to work out a problem. However, she was more annoyed than helpful. It seemed like she was stereotyping Asians... [A typical stereotype: Asians are cheap.] But, the only problems I heard were "wrong order" and "didn't get my happy meal", where was the "if I get fries, would you give me soda for free?" or something like that. Instead she assumed that they were asking for free food. A real manager would calmly explain, "That's not the wrong order - we ran out of cheese burger wrappers, so we're relying on these wrappers now," or "Are you sure you didn't receive your happy meal? Maybe someone took it when you didn't see."

Even though we didn't really settle the matter, we both felt pretty accomplished? Well we both felt good that we tried to help out with the situation. There were plenty of costumers who understood what was going on, but decided not to help. If I didn't help, I think I would have regretted not helping - I'm glad that we were able to speak out and help others (or at least tried to) than sitting back and watch two families feel even more frustrated. At least we found out what happened even though it wasn't resolved...

We all know a McDonald's is built in any busy district of New York filled with workers and a manager or two. These workers all understand many people wander the streets of NY - they all understand they need to work harder in order to make each costumer satisfied. So why are the people not satisfied in Chinatown? Doesn't McDonald's work on the satisfaction of the consumers? Whatever happened to, "a free meal if we don't smile at the register"?

Are you happy? Are you "lovin' it" ? Well... I certainly am not.

I was shopping in Soho the other day, and I had stopped by a store to buy my Munny. It came out to a total of twenty-four something, so I asked the cashier, who was African American, if I could use my American Express gift card.

She said, "Of course, you can use it everywhere."

Everything was fine until the other cashier, who was also African American, said in this nasty tone, "Yea, everywhere in America."

At the time, I didn't really have a response, I just felt really embarrassed and wanted to leave the store as soon as possible. It didn't occur to me that I wasn't the one at fault here, and that the comment was totally uncalled for.

It also brings to mind an argument I had with my mother a while back, where she was worried about me going out late and saying how I might get mugged by people of color. I still remember the confidence in my voice when I had told her, "Mom, racism doesn't exist anymore."

I wouldn't really call my little experience with the cashier racism, but it definitely woke me up to the tensions and disputes between people. Comments like, "Go back to China," or "Ching ching chong," shouldn't hurt, because I know better, but they do hurt, because I'm also a person with feelings.

Half way through the school year?

It's always "gotta learn. gotta earn. gotta succeed".
...so how about "gotta chill"?

My history teacher gives us a page filled with Calvin & Hobbes cartoons attached with every homework assignment packet. Maybe she wants to cheer us up? De-stress us? Make us laugh when reading about the 20 pg history homework assignment we have to do? I don't know, but some of them are hilarious. Below are some of my favorites. :)

Hope these brighten your day!