I was wrong! In one of my very earliest posts I made the statement that Teresa was smarter than me. I was wrong, and she proved it today by agreeing with old John.
I know I live in little old St Thomas as opposed to the sophisticated metropoli of Fergus or Cambridge but my experiences with my drive through challenge have been consistently positive and at times absolutley exuberant. This is what I got yesterday today.
Lady: Welcome to Tim Hortons may I take your order.
Me: Hello, how are you today?
Lady: (after a brief pause)....Fantastic! How are You?
Me: I'm good thanks, could I have, blah, blah, blah.
Lady: very good sir, please pull up to the window
...and after our transaction
Lady: Have a fantabulous day!
...yes she actually said fantabulous.
I believe I can tell you why something like this happens to me almost every time. To start with the very nature of the drive through routine precludes people from even expressing the inane little courtesies that they may do so in a face to face situation. Because of this fact the person at the other end is always surprised when you indeed ask them how they are. Further to that I am totally convinced that at least in St Thomas the sincerity I choose to put into my voice is actually received by the person on the other end of the speaker. I have been doing this regularly for about a month now and with only one exception I have received in return a sincere response. I can also tell you that almost without exception the tone of voice is one that suggests that they have all the time in the world. I always get the sense that the person is so grateful for a brief respite from the stupid tedium they face every 30 seconds, that they would gladly have a little chat with you if you chose to do so. Lineups be damned! This is the part that initially surprised me. I mentioned the one exception....in that particular case the young man at Arbys was so stunned that I had to ask him the question again before he responded!
My experiences have been so totally positive that I am completely convinced that every time I do this I brighten a persons day if only for 5 or 10 minutes....actually I think that some times it makes a persons whole day!!
So Teresa sorry you're not so smart anymore but maybe it will pass. At least you got your wish for a little dialogue. Lets see if Old John has anything intelligent to say in return....and where the hell's Cory?
And even though Old John isn't any smarter he is indeed funny at times. I called him today on another matter and he obvioulsy saw who was calling because he answered the phone this way. "Hey, how are you...not that I care!"
On the training front I ran amost 5 kms today in 21 minutes...slowly it comes back. I know that once I can run 5k in 20 minutes in training that I should be able to do 10k in 40 minutes in a race.
I'm really starting to enjoy Roo's training as well since she's getting to the point she's bitching about it. Woohoo!!
“All doors open to courtesy"---Thomas Fuller
“Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy"---Ralph Waldo Emerson
love
peter
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8 comments:
I'm going to back up my dad on this one. He's right. After all, he is the wisest.
I'm going to back up my Michael on this one because he is after all the smartest of the boys! I don't think any of the other boys read this.
Well Mike although I do agree with your dad. I don't agree that he is the wisest. My mom obviously is the wisest of all you idiots. HA!!! Pete....Arby's and Tim Hortons??? I think we should be talking about the bad habits that are coming back. Sounds to me like someone is slipping on the healthy eating. Why don't you try being nice to the cashier at the grocery store when your buying some healthy food instead of going through the drive through at the fast food restaurant. Exercise aint shit if you eat like shit. Oh yeah and why the hell has no one said anything about Peter's fight??
I don't use the drive thru at all, because it is very bad for the environment and way too impersonal ;)
Love Old John
I am going to back up my son as he is very wise for the offspring of an "idiot"!! More importantly, he is always very KIND to his mother for which I am constantly grateful. I do, however, agree with Old John that complementing anyone on a difficult job well done is much more helpfull than asking how they are. I think, just for fun I will go to the drive thru on my bicycle, hold up traffic and see what happens. I can only order a cup of tea though as I don't eat that crap either.
Hi its me - I wasn't lost, just playing catchup!! And I disagree with all of you of course. I'm one of those people who is always running late and I get right nasty if people ahead of me in line take too long. And I really don't care about the people who work at Timmies - I pretty much think they're a bunch of lazy gits who have no manners. BUT... I do save my pleasantries for the face to face time mostly because the people who work at these places in Guelph (those other donut shops that I frequent because they are on the way and the lines aren't as long - sorry Roo) don't speAK GOOD ENGLISH AND WOULD BE VERY CONFUSED BY MY ORDERING A "HOW ARE YOU TODAY" - i DON'T KNOW WHO HIT THE CAPS LOCK BUT i DON'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE IT OFF RIGHT NOW. aNYWAY, THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING YOU COULD TRY - WHEN i GO THROUGH i WILL OFTEN PAY FOR THE ORSER OF THE PERSON COMING UP BEHIND ME, AND THAT LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE WORKER AND A TOTAL STRANGER TO HAVE A VERY PLEASANT CONVERSATION THAT i DON'T EVEN GET TO HEAR. sO IN ONE FELL SWOOP, i AM PLEASANT AND COUTEOUS TO A WORKER, i MAKE A TOTAL STRANGERS DAY, I SAVE THE PLANET A LITTLE BY PUTTING LESS NOXIOUS GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE OF THE SHORTER LINE, AND BECOME VIRTUALLY A SAINT IN THE EYES OF GOD. i AM KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN'S DOOR - ITS CRUNCH TIME FOR ME YOU KNOW - iM OLDER THAN SOME OF YOU.
FYI Mary. I am pretty sure it is company policy that you will not be served if you try to bike through the drive thru. I think someone even threatened to sue them because they would not serve him as he went through on his scooter, or lawn tractor I can't remember.
Old John
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