"Will that be to eat in or to go?"

FTLComm - Prince Albert - Monday, August 19, 2002

"Will that be to eat in or to go?" I looked at Rupert blankly trying to figure out what this question meant and what was the right response. "Tell me Rupert, what is the difference?" Rupert returned an equally empty stare, he was about seventeen or eighteen and was just following directions saying what he was to say and doing was he was to do as he looked after the order til at the counter. I had ordered an ice cream cone. No doubt at some point you have had to endure one of my endless rants on fast food outlets or indeed heard others exclaim their exasperation at these "fast food" places that call themselves "restaurants" and are neither fast nor do they sell food. They exchange customers money for the three main food groups; fat, lard and grease. This was my first inside visit to the Prince Albert Macdonalds which had moved three blocks South and their new building resembles a sort of barn motif. But new on their wall is the Macdonalds health food menu which includes several over priced salades and bottled water. Macdonalds and other stores like them always have a sign on their window or somewhere advertising for people to work for them and no one works in one of these places full time as all work is part time and at the lowest possible wage which legally function without drawing the attention of the Provincial department of labour. Benefits are not part of the job. No wonder my good man Rupert asked me, "Will that be to eat in or to go?"