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.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Reading between the lines
A lawyer friend of mine recently called another attorney regarding an overdue settlement check on a personal injury case. The latter lawyer told him, “I love saying this when it’s true – the check is in the mail.”
Of course, this implies that he also says it when it’s not true – he just doesn’t love saying it then.
Of course, this implies that he also says it when it’s not true – he just doesn’t love saying it then.
Truth in Labeling
I’m thinking of suing someone for false labeling.
The other night we ordered Chinese takeout. As usual, after spooning some brown rice onto my plate, I reached for a packet of soy sauce. For some reason, I began to read the ingredients listed on the packet. I knew from past experience that ingredients are listed in descending order. This particular packet listed a total of six ingredients: water, salt, vegetable protein, corn syrup, caramel color and 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate.
Buy wait! Where was the soy?
It turns out there is no soy in American made packets of “soy” sauce.
Just to make sure I wasn’t missing something, I went to the refrigerator and located a bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce. Sure enough, the ingredient label read: water, wheat, soy beans, salt, less than 0.10% sodium benzoate as a preservative.
So, should I sue the Chinese takeout restaurant or the American manufacturer of “soy” sauce for false labeling? Or should I just shut up and eat?
Either way, I’ll probably be hungry about an hour later.
The other night we ordered Chinese takeout. As usual, after spooning some brown rice onto my plate, I reached for a packet of soy sauce. For some reason, I began to read the ingredients listed on the packet. I knew from past experience that ingredients are listed in descending order. This particular packet listed a total of six ingredients: water, salt, vegetable protein, corn syrup, caramel color and 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate.
Buy wait! Where was the soy?
It turns out there is no soy in American made packets of “soy” sauce.
Just to make sure I wasn’t missing something, I went to the refrigerator and located a bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce. Sure enough, the ingredient label read: water, wheat, soy beans, salt, less than 0.10% sodium benzoate as a preservative.
So, should I sue the Chinese takeout restaurant or the American manufacturer of “soy” sauce for false labeling? Or should I just shut up and eat?
Either way, I’ll probably be hungry about an hour later.
Customer Service
The other day, a friend who works at the customer service desk of a department store told this story:
A woman called and said. “ I just got home and I noticed there was only one shoe in the box of shoes I bought today.”
Customer Service Rep: “Didn’t you check that there were two shoes in the box when you bought them?
Customer on the phone: “No. I tired the shoe on and didn’t realize the other one was missing.”
CS Rep: “Okay, just bring it back and we’ll refund your money.”
Customer: “Oh, no, I like the shoe. I just want you to look for the missing one.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
A woman called and said. “ I just got home and I noticed there was only one shoe in the box of shoes I bought today.”
Customer Service Rep: “Didn’t you check that there were two shoes in the box when you bought them?
Customer on the phone: “No. I tired the shoe on and didn’t realize the other one was missing.”
CS Rep: “Okay, just bring it back and we’ll refund your money.”
Customer: “Oh, no, I like the shoe. I just want you to look for the missing one.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Fortune
At dinner the other night, I opened three Chinese fortune cookies. They were very specific. One read: “You will inherit some money.” Another read: “Your love life will be happy and harmonious.” The third read: “It is a sunny day.”
In fewer than 24 hours, one of them came true.
Then it got dark again.
In fewer than 24 hours, one of them came true.
Then it got dark again.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A Perry Mason Surprise
I grew up watching television in the 1950s. One of my favorite shows was Perry Mason, the criminal defense attorney who always won his case before the end of the hour. He had a secretary/gal Friday named Della Street and a private investigator named Paul Drake. His usual opponent was prosecutor, Hamilton Burger.
As I recall, there was never anything mentioned about Perry’s home life. Was he married? Did he have children? What did he do in his spare time? None of that seemed to matter since the show was all about the courtroom drama and how Perry figured out who the real criminal was. It always amazed me that he only defended innocent people – he never won a case based on reasonable doubt, a standard whereby even guilty people were acquitted because of a lack of evidence. There was always another person who confessed from the witness stand before the episode ended.
Perry Mason was one of the reasons I became a lawyer. It should be noted that I was also a big fan of TV westerns, but there didn’t seem to be much of a future in being a cowboy.
I must also admit that E.G. Marshall of The Defenders was also an influence. His young associate was played by actor Robert Reed, who later came out of the closet, but who displayed no hint of gayness on the show. Which brings me to the shocking revelation that the actor who played Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, old Ironsides himself, was gay.
I learned this by reading a newspaper article by the author of a book titled, “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr.” The author, Michael Starr, wrote this:
“…he did a complete about-face from his TV alter-ego, concocting a web of deceit that included two dead wives and a dead son, fabrications repeated so many times that Burr dug himself into a hole – forced to play the heartbroken husband-and-father role to the end of his life….no one ever questioned Burr’s ‘biography,’ even though family members as close as his sister said they never met any of his dead wives or his son – and even though the dates Burr gave for his tragic losses didn’t compute when matched to the verifiable facts of his life.”
As Jerry Seinfeld so correctly stated in an episode of his classic sitcom, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” It’s just that I never imagined Raymond Burr in that way. I guess I should be thankful that they never showed Perry Mason’s home life, or I might have concluded that he, too, was of that persuasion.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
As I recall, there was never anything mentioned about Perry’s home life. Was he married? Did he have children? What did he do in his spare time? None of that seemed to matter since the show was all about the courtroom drama and how Perry figured out who the real criminal was. It always amazed me that he only defended innocent people – he never won a case based on reasonable doubt, a standard whereby even guilty people were acquitted because of a lack of evidence. There was always another person who confessed from the witness stand before the episode ended.
Perry Mason was one of the reasons I became a lawyer. It should be noted that I was also a big fan of TV westerns, but there didn’t seem to be much of a future in being a cowboy.
I must also admit that E.G. Marshall of The Defenders was also an influence. His young associate was played by actor Robert Reed, who later came out of the closet, but who displayed no hint of gayness on the show. Which brings me to the shocking revelation that the actor who played Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, old Ironsides himself, was gay.
I learned this by reading a newspaper article by the author of a book titled, “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr.” The author, Michael Starr, wrote this:
“…he did a complete about-face from his TV alter-ego, concocting a web of deceit that included two dead wives and a dead son, fabrications repeated so many times that Burr dug himself into a hole – forced to play the heartbroken husband-and-father role to the end of his life….no one ever questioned Burr’s ‘biography,’ even though family members as close as his sister said they never met any of his dead wives or his son – and even though the dates Burr gave for his tragic losses didn’t compute when matched to the verifiable facts of his life.”
As Jerry Seinfeld so correctly stated in an episode of his classic sitcom, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” It’s just that I never imagined Raymond Burr in that way. I guess I should be thankful that they never showed Perry Mason’s home life, or I might have concluded that he, too, was of that persuasion.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
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