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The guy who told me this was the SC in this story, and he knew it later.
He had moved to a new town to take a job, and that job was not working out. He was upset by this, and riding around aimlessly when he saw a couple of fast food restaurants in front of a strip mall. He parked, sat there for a while, then shut off the car and went inside the Wendy's. Being the lunch rush, he stood in line a long time, silently thinking about the new job, the suckiness of having moved and then not liking it, the general decline of the universe, etc.
He finally ordered, got his order, and went out to his car. When he unwrapped and bit into his sandwich, the meat was still frozen. Somehow, in the rush, an uncooked chicken breast had been wrapped and put in his bag.
His final straw breaks. He decides that this problem is something to be handled forcefully. He storms into the restaurant, bag in hand. Looks at the line snaking through the ropes and decides he is not waiting. He makes a scene. Everyone in the restaurant is watching as he bulls his way to the counter. Once he forces his way to the front, he demands to see the manger on shift.
SC: " I just unwrapped my sandwich and it's frozen! You never cooked it! I want a new meal, some fresh hot fries, another drink, and I want it right F****ing now!"
The silence in the place is now total. Everyone has turned to see the outcome. The young, heavyset, pimply faced manager looks up and smiles. My SC friend said you could see the gears turning, because an opportunity like this is so rare. SC said that later he realized it was like the kid was lining up a laser sight on his forehead. The manager looked him, looked at his bag, looked up at him, looked at the bag, and smiled.
And then the manager spoke in a loud voice, while pointing out the window at the restaurant next door," You know what, mister, I'd like to help you. But this is Burger King, Wendy's is over there".
The customer in line behind him, the one he had shouldered past to get to the counter, delivered the final blow, by patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Well, I guess you told him!"
He said he stood there for a moment, looking up at the menus, finally realizing that in his anger he had walked into the wrong place. They shared a parking lot, and he parked in the middle, facing the road. The crowd of people was laughing, roaring, pounding on the windows. He said one of the lunch crew was laughing so hard they were crying.
SC can really tell this story, and I suspect I haven't done it justice. When I first heard it, I asked him did he go next door and try again? He said that he was so broken, he had just gone out to his car and drove away, went back to the office and quit.
He had moved to a new town to take a job, and that job was not working out. He was upset by this, and riding around aimlessly when he saw a couple of fast food restaurants in front of a strip mall. He parked, sat there for a while, then shut off the car and went inside the Wendy's. Being the lunch rush, he stood in line a long time, silently thinking about the new job, the suckiness of having moved and then not liking it, the general decline of the universe, etc.
He finally ordered, got his order, and went out to his car. When he unwrapped and bit into his sandwich, the meat was still frozen. Somehow, in the rush, an uncooked chicken breast had been wrapped and put in his bag.
His final straw breaks. He decides that this problem is something to be handled forcefully. He storms into the restaurant, bag in hand. Looks at the line snaking through the ropes and decides he is not waiting. He makes a scene. Everyone in the restaurant is watching as he bulls his way to the counter. Once he forces his way to the front, he demands to see the manger on shift.
SC: " I just unwrapped my sandwich and it's frozen! You never cooked it! I want a new meal, some fresh hot fries, another drink, and I want it right F****ing now!"
The silence in the place is now total. Everyone has turned to see the outcome. The young, heavyset, pimply faced manager looks up and smiles. My SC friend said you could see the gears turning, because an opportunity like this is so rare. SC said that later he realized it was like the kid was lining up a laser sight on his forehead. The manager looked him, looked at his bag, looked up at him, looked at the bag, and smiled.
And then the manager spoke in a loud voice, while pointing out the window at the restaurant next door," You know what, mister, I'd like to help you. But this is Burger King, Wendy's is over there".
The customer in line behind him, the one he had shouldered past to get to the counter, delivered the final blow, by patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Well, I guess you told him!"
He said he stood there for a moment, looking up at the menus, finally realizing that in his anger he had walked into the wrong place. They shared a parking lot, and he parked in the middle, facing the road. The crowd of people was laughing, roaring, pounding on the windows. He said one of the lunch crew was laughing so hard they were crying.
SC can really tell this story, and I suspect I haven't done it justice. When I first heard it, I asked him did he go next door and try again? He said that he was so broken, he had just gone out to his car and drove away, went back to the office and quit.
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