Kipling

I don’t know if the works of Rudyard Kipling are still taught in the classroom these days, but his is one of the names I remember from my school years.

Long before the internet, and in the early days of television, we read books. Someone decided whose works were important enough to be widely distributed and Rudyard Kipling made the cut. I often wonder if he would be relevant in our new technological age if his writings had not already been deemed to be important.

As a young student, I remember this joke:

“Do you enjoy Kipling?”

“I don’t know – I’ve never kippled.”

Kipling’s star may be fading, though. In this age of Harry Potter novels, I wonder how many young people could even tell you who he was. After all, he died almost 75 years ago.

And when was the last time you hear of parents naming their child Rudyard?

Senior Coffee

The other day I was at McDonald’s for breakfast. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and a small coffee. The small coffee currently sells for $1.09 plus tax. I prefer it to most expensive coffees sold elsewhere. As I waited for my order, I observed a man step up to the next cashier and order a “senior” coffee. He was charged 53 cents, which I assumed meant the “senior” coffee was 50 cents plus tax. Since he didn’t look that “senior” to me, when there was a break in the action, I asked the counterperson who served him how old you had to be to qualify for a “senior” coffee. She replied, “Fifty.”

I was stunned and muttered, “You mean I’ve been overpaying for years?”

Later in the day, I sent an e-mail to corporate asking this question: “What is the minimum age to be eligible for a senior coffee?”

Several days later I got a reply from McDonald’s. It read in part:

“Because we value senior citizens' patronage…we spoke with many of our senior customers to learn what they'd like from a discount program. They told us they wanted a uniform policy that promises them a good value and doesn't require a purchase. As a result, we encourage all restaurants to offer a discounted senior program. However, because 85 percent of our restaurants are independently owned and operated, participation, age requirements, and pricing may vary.”

So it seems there is no set policy or age – each store makes it’s own.

Later in the week I was again at a McDonald’s during breakfast hours. This time I ordered a sandwich and a “senior” coffee. When I looked at the receipt, I saw I was charged only 35 cents for the “senior” coffee. So the price does vary from store to store.

It seems McDonald’s cash registers have a button for “senior” coffee. The cashier doesn’t ask for proof of age, but simply presses the button when you request a senior coffee. The "senior" coffee is exactly the same as a small coffee.

So, the bottom line seems to be if you are of a certain age, even if you don’t look or feel old, simply ask for the senior beverage.

As the old adage goes: There’s no harm in asking.

Ten Cents

Recently a young man asked if I had a nickel. He wanted to purchase something from a vending machine and was apparently five cents short. I told him I did not have a nickel, but I did have a dime, which I gave to him.

He proceeded to make his purchase and sat down near me without saying a word.

Frankly, since he only needed a nickel, I was expecting five cents change from the dime I gave him. But either I was too optimistic, or the young man didn’t know much math. He did not give me a nickel, nor did he thank me for the dime, but that’s another story.

My father taught me that if someone asks to borrow money, and you have some to lend, go ahead and make the loan. If the person never pays you back, the wise course of action is not to hound him for it, or hold a grudge, but rather to simply remember never to make a second loan to that person.

Based on that philosophy, there are quite a few people who won’t be getting a dime from me.