Fast Food Creates Rude Behavior

I have been wanting to address this topic for a very long time.  As do many folk, I feel that we, as a society are getting ruder, more self absorbed and more impatient.  I am not casting stones here.  There have been moments that I am not proud of and I like to think that I am ascending, not descending.  Evidence concurs with this.  

But people, maybe it isn't our fault.  Like everything else that sniffs of unpleasantness about the human nature, we can make this a syndrome.  Rather than correct it, we can fight to have it instated in the DSM-IV (or V?).  That way, someone will write a book, others will read it and absolve themselves of all responsibility and need to improve.  Think about it.  There are syndromes for children of alcoholics, highly sensitive people, highly insensitive people, orphans, children who grew up without pets, people who can't stand plants, people who smoke for sixty years and then blame the tobacco companies.  The lists is endless as is the book describing the syndrome, the manual and workshop offered for recovery, the author who gets a spot on a talk show.  All this allows us to embrace the problem as an excuse instead of working out a solution.

I am not denouncing the wounded of this world.  But many wounded do not embrace the syndrome du jour, but rather realize the need for change.  "That sucked and I don't want to feel that way so how can I reframe my life for the better?"  

But I have found the syndrome to end all syndromes:  The Rudeness Syndrome.  And the Fast Food industry is to blame.

We have precedent here.  They already have fessed up for burning little old ladies with hot coffee.  

The rudeness syndrome occurred to me as I was in the car with the kids going through the drive thru.  The particular vendor doesn't matter, because this is pervasive and industry wide.  I pulled up to place my order.

"Yes, I would like a number 7 with..."

"Medium or Large?"

"Large."

"Cheese or not".

"Not."

As I try to continue and finally complete the order, I counted 15 interruptions before receiving the dispensation to move ahead.  This in a three minute time frame.  If we had interrupted our parents that much, a saponification mouthwash would have followed.

But somewhere along the way, we gave up or gave in.  I am guilty of interruptus impatiens (I think the DSM requires latin to make the syndrome official.) But I am a victim.  I have been going through fast food drive thrus for the vast majority of my life.  They caused it.  I have been trained at the feet of the corporate motivation masters.  All for their efficiency.  Interrupting has become an accepted phenomena pervasive through all aspects of society:  media, politics, ladies who lunch, men who don't, big business, entertainment.  IT IS EVERYWHERE.  We have become inured, nay even find it acceptable.

That teaches us all that what we have to say is too important to wait for while the other person finishes whatever is unimportantly coming out of their mouth.  No one is listening.  Everyone is just waiting to speak.  It is the downfall of society and it lies at the feet of the companies who are teaching their employees to but in and ask, "Do you want fries with that?"

Couldn't these companies find people with enough ROM to remember to ask at the end of each value meal and sacrifice a couple of seconds to save what is left of proprieties in society?  Appparently not.  And that makes us all victims.  We could get a big settlement.  We could get a bigger one if the interruption syndrome got us so upset that we too spilled hot coffee in our laps.

C'mon people, help save the planet from complete anarchy.  Let's start by telling these automatons that we will be happy to answer their questions at the end of the order and in the meantime, please let us finish.

Let's do it for our kids sake.

In the meantime, I am sure some pharmaceutical company is working on meds that will alleviate the stress we engender from fast food rudeness.