Does This Happen to You at a Drive through?

iNeed2Pee on 19/07/2021 - 13:06
Last edited 19/07/2021 - 15:48 by 1 other user

So let me start off by saying I am usually a patient guy. Unless I am in a rush to take a pee.

Every time I go through a drive through at a fast food restaurant I always seem to have 1 or 2 cars in front of me that take forever to order.

Sometimes they will be there for 2 or 3 minutes (doesn't seem long but it is) asking the staff member silly questions, then modifying orders.

Always happens to me. At least 80% of the time I have that in front of me. I mean it takes me probably 15 seconds to order what I want.

Anyone else experience this? Or am I Truman in the Truman show.

Poll Options

  • 396
    YES this happens to me all the time!
  • 91
    NO it never happens
  • 65
    I am that slow person infront of you
Food & Grocery

Comments

      • PAOK11 on 22/07/2021 - 11:16

        The app is terrible in the sense that you can't scan the last one for free coffee and you can't claim it immediately

  • Misplaced on 20/07/2021 - 08:19

    It really is angry-making when someone sits there for 5 minutes saying "I'll have some of this, and some of that, and some of this other stuff, and some other BS, and some bla bla bla bla bla ……….". But the worst thing is when the cars don't move at all and nobody can get to the speaker. It took me a full 45 minutes to get through the drive-through at my local Hungry Jacks the other day. 45 minutes! And it was 20 minutes before even the first car went through! Absolutely ludicrous! (I told them so, and they said they were getting new management and staff, and retraining everyone).

    • htc on 20/07/2021 - 09:10
      +3

      wow, every time I see a long queue at the drive me is enough to convince me to park the car and order normally.

      • Misplaced on 20/07/2021 - 09:57

        It wasn't even a long queue when I got there :) What means this "order normally" ?

        • popsiee on 20/07/2021 - 09:59
          +2

          My solution is drive off .

          • Misplaced on 20/07/2021 - 10:11

            @popsiee: Not easy to drive off once you're already there and cars behind you so you can't back out.

            • popsiee on 20/07/2021 - 11:13

              @Misplaced: Obviously if there is a big queue . One or 2 cars I'm fine with joining .

            • htc on 20/07/2021 - 15:08
              +2

              @Misplaced: Which is why drive thru is a bad idea, once you are in a queue, you can't get out. Where as if you park, and queue normally (not in car, in person) you will be able decide and even change your mind about ordering, particularly when you are waiting at a queue, and someone posted an awesome deal on ozbargain, you can change your mind on the spot :)

        • htc on 20/07/2021 - 15:06
          +1

          People have been using "order normally" in this forum. I think they are referring to park their car in the car park, then wallk to the restaurant and order from there.

    • belongsinforums on 21/07/2021 - 14:06

      They get told to take orders slowly so as not to make food production line too big. Makes sense when you think about it

  • MontyMacaw on 20/07/2021 - 08:28

    It’s the allergy revolution. If you haven’t chosen an allergy or three yet, get with the program and you too can be one of those long time ordering people.

  • singingwolf on 20/07/2021 - 08:51
    +1

    Get to the drive through 3 mins earlier.

    • iNeed2Pee on 20/07/2021 - 09:17

      Im sure if I got there 3 mins earlier, someone would be turning in before me. Beginning the cycle 3 mind earlier.

  • Eeples on 20/07/2021 - 08:56

    I think those with complex orders should think twice about using the drive thru.

    I think take away food is a bit risky (in Sydney) at the moment. (Maybe not covid but I can’t risk getting a cold).

    I think KFC should put there boxed meals inside paper bags without me asking. (What?! You gotta be on topic now?)

  • Brick Tamland on 20/07/2021 - 09:04
    +1

    This happens to me everywhere. How does it take over 2 minutes to order a coffee.

    • iNeed2Pee on 20/07/2021 - 09:16

      Apparently it does. Haha

  • jmagic0 on 20/07/2021 - 09:24

    This might be off topic but what blows my mind is when I'm with the family and we order takeaway from a restaurant that we have been going to for YEARS, some of them still need to check the menu for 15mins.

    • holdenmg on 20/07/2021 - 09:26

      Maybe today there will be a new McBurger or something…

      (nah!)

  • 91rs on 20/07/2021 - 09:29
    +5

    If I see a Tarago or Carnaval in the drive-thru line up I give up and go elsewhere, you know that car alone will take 5mins+ for them to deal with.

    • kyle on 20/07/2021 - 10:42

      So true!!!

    • jonagrah on 21/07/2021 - 11:39

      Or a banged up Delica…

  • OzzyOzbourne on 20/07/2021 - 09:35

    Not just drive throughs, it happens in most queues where there's any kind of extended process or decision making involved….. Airport check-in is another classic… If you can remember those.

    It seems some people are completely unprepared for the thing they've been queuing up for sometimes.

    • Brianqpr on 20/07/2021 - 10:08

      This is so true and not just when decisions have to be made.

      I remember commuting to work by bus in the pre smart card days. People who had clearly been at a bus stop for some time suddenly realising they have to get cash out and fumbling around with their money as if they've just discovered they have to pay the same fare they pay every other day.

      • OzzyOzbourne on 22/07/2021 - 15:03

        Yep, another classic case

  • Lurk Hartog on 20/07/2021 - 09:44
    +3

    And thennnnnn?

  • cashless on 20/07/2021 - 10:01
    +4

    Drive throughs. For lazy folks that can't be arsed to get off their butts

    • gimli on 20/07/2021 - 14:25
      +1

      isn't that all of us?

  • Kamsi on 20/07/2021 - 10:02
    +2

    Skip fast food and you will thank me later :)

    • gimli on 20/07/2021 - 14:25
      +1

      nice try

  • Brianqpr on 20/07/2021 - 10:06
    +1

    Hate drive thru, to the point where I will park the car and go inside to order instead. Don't care that it might take longer, its far less irritating for me.

  • Waltervp on 20/07/2021 - 10:06
    +2

    It's Murphy's Law, applies for any qeue I pick. Whether it be customs or checkin queues at airports, supermarkets, petrol bowsers,… Or even the lane I'm driving in. Murphy's Law also dictated that the more you are in a rush the more this will happen. And my pet hate is someone attempting 3 parallel parks in a narrow street where you have to wait (and watch…) behind them and cannot pass. They farkle and try and move to the next huge spot and try again and I am stuck behind them for 10 minutes with (seemingly more patient) cars behind me …. It's just painful to watch these slow people in front of you. Just deal with it, count to a million, nothing you can do

    • GG57 on 20/07/2021 - 10:45

      Once upon a time queuing was not a thing at all.
      People would go to places to do what they need to do, the people that needed to be served first were served first so they could move on, the people that had some spare time waited. It was very harmonious.

      This is an interesting read: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/design-of-waiting-line… (if you have the time).

  • El cheepo on 20/07/2021 - 10:49
    +2

    I stood behind one bloke that took 5-10 minutes to order 2 dishes at a small Korean chicken restaurant last week.
    The restaurant only had one cashier.

    Basically they only serve chicken variations and not a whole heap of them yet he managed to discuss every option available at length.

    As he went through each menu item he asked questions like:

    Is this delicious?
    Will this fill me up?
    I eat a lot, is this big?
    What is this sauce like?

    While also telling stories about his family and day.

    The fire within me was raging…
    The que went from him in front and me second when he began ordering, to out the door by the time he finished.

    And the kicker?
    As soon as i got to the counter to order someone rang and she answered the phone to take an order and they took a few minutes. 🤪

    • GG57 on 20/07/2021 - 11:13
      -5

      But really, it was only 13? minutes out of your day.
      Sounds like the person ahead of you wanted a conversation; maybe they were lonely or depressed, or both.
      The real impact? The business owner might have lost some customers that day, who chose to go elsewhere when they saw the queue.

      • Clear on 20/07/2021 - 12:07
        +4

        If I was working and wanted to grab something then 13 minutes is 13 minutes out of my lunch break that I could have spent eating or going back to the office.

        Don't assume everyone has all the time in the world to wait. 13 minutes to order anywhere seems excessive. Instead take the menu, go off the side to make your decision so others can order.

      • El cheepo on 20/07/2021 - 12:34

        I was 30 minutes late to where i was supposed to be and already having a very bad day.

        Cant comment accurately on the depression side of things but he was pretty jovial with his mates that were sitting waiting for him…

        The op and my post are not about mental health of customers as no one can know what’s going on in a strangers head.
        But, I’d say more often then not the cause of these people making unnecessary delays is a complete lack of awareness or care for other people’s time.

  • TEER3X on 20/07/2021 - 11:22
    +3

    Only once when a Karen was complaining about her order for 15 minutes holding up the entire queue.

    15 minutes in line at the drive through feels like 2 hours.

    15 minutes of playing halo feels like 2 minutes.

    ~ Albert Einstein

  • frewer on 20/07/2021 - 11:35

    I always seem to have 1 or 2 cars in front of me that take forever to order.

    LOL

  • MiscOzB on 20/07/2021 - 11:38
    +1

    Surprised no one has said this but the restaurants themselves are usually the main offenders for slowing down the drive thru. Happens nearly every time for me. Service is just horrendously slow these days. I kid you not, I had to wait a good ~40 minutes in a Macca's drive thru not too long ago, no exaggeration there.

    Also, ordering in store isn't always faster, in fact sometimes slower (as I experienced at KFC recently even though drive thru as usual had cars queued to outside of the drive thru.

  • dogboy on 20/07/2021 - 11:52
    +2

    Same happens at traffic lights. Wait for 2 sets of lights as 3-4 cars go through each time. When it is my turn to go through we get 10-12 cars through. WTF! And don't get me started on people who drive 20kms under the limit on single lane roads then speed up to the limit as soon as it opens into two lanes. Infuritating…

  • FilePeter on 20/07/2021 - 11:56
    +4

    Every. Single. Time.

    The person before me, discusses the subtle nuances of every product on the menu, before then proceeding to call 6 other people to verify their orders. Asks if their gluten free rabbit can have a McFlurry or not. Asks for half ice in their Coke, but maybe a bit more than half but definitely not a full amount because thats how they rip you off. Do you accept AMEX? Can I pay half cash half card? Did I not mention that the card is a Kathmandu gift card? But you said it was ok. By the way, last time I came here my fries were too hot.

    Me: Hey, I ordered through the app #6613.

    • m34nstav on 20/07/2021 - 14:44

      You may laugh at this, but I have a business that sells aforementioned gluten free variants of items, and wow the questions you get asked. And half of them then order non-gluten free items, and when you mention it, "oh it doesn't matter." Immediate eye roll and move on.

      And yes a sure way to drag on an order is to make one order, and ask to pay for items individually with varying payment methods. There is a reason many restaurants do not allow you to split pay bills. Pro tip: order separately and save everyone the confusion.

    • popsiee on 20/07/2021 - 17:11

      gluten free rabbit

      Yum Yum :)

  • KozieSeller on 20/07/2021 - 12:22
    +1

    It's the lazy families that are ordering plus sized meals costing like 50+ everytime just for all that preservatives and transfats

    • TEER3X on 20/07/2021 - 13:29
      +1

      Does your order come without those?

  • twist3d on 20/07/2021 - 13:25
    +5

    My partner is a manager at a popular fast food chain. She hates it when people take forever to order, her thing is you gotta know what you want if you use the drive through, otherwise go inside.

    • iNeed2Pee on 20/07/2021 - 13:30

      That is the exact same mentality I have. I don't expect you to give a 10 second answer, there are times where things are not available and you have to come up with something.

  • gimli on 20/07/2021 - 14:27

    I mostly use my phone. When I don't the ordering part is almost just as quick. (My orders are simple )

    with 2-lane drive through sometimes i get stuck behind the slow person and other times I'm in the good lane and "jump the queue". I always fill its dodge when this happens but whatevs.

  • umoddbro on 20/07/2021 - 14:46

    Yep always my luck I get stuck behind that one car that takes 15 minutes to order…. Sucks as well especially if you've got a mobile order which is supposed to be quicker.

  • mrhanky71 on 20/07/2021 - 15:49

    its a 50:50 for me.
    But I usually find that the wait time for your food is a lot shorter when you purchase via drive thru than it is for when you are ordering in store.

    • iNeed2Pee on 20/07/2021 - 17:56

      See I also used to think that was the case, but sometimes I did notice say 6 or 7 cars in drive through and 2 or 3 people in store.
      So I have tried my luck and I def beat them!

  • Vote for Pedro on 20/07/2021 - 18:33

    How good are apps for modifying orders. No more confusion or mistakes like before.

    I use apps for all orders now.

  • Drakesy on 20/07/2021 - 22:43

    Just go inside and order?
    Simplez

    • MiscOzB on 20/07/2021 - 22:59

      Can happen inside too, and will often take even longer than the wait in drive thru (not just due to customers but also slow service).

  • bmerigan on 20/07/2021 - 22:49
    +3

    The worst thing is when you order a sundae and it is made promptly, then sits there on the counter melting for the 3 minutes while you are queued.

    • jackary on 21/07/2021 - 17:58

      THIS

  • deme on 20/07/2021 - 22:55

    No

  • Morphio25 on 21/07/2021 - 06:40

    If you don't know what you want to order go in store…it's really that simple.

    Don't be a d**k and hold up everyone else just because you don't know what you want and/or you want to take your time to read over the menu.

  • Topdog on 21/07/2021 - 07:56

    The coffees and the millenal drinks take for ever to make.

  • DiscoJango on 21/07/2021 - 08:50
    +1

    Let’s go to McDonald’s, the menu hasn’t changed in like 20 years! Gets to McDonald’s, what would you like? Hmmmmmmmmm, give me a minute let me think……

    • holdenmg on 21/07/2021 - 09:35

      Can I have a Yumbo? lol

  • blorx on 21/07/2021 - 09:52

    You know what grinds my gear, is being asked to park in the carpark, cas the 3 bays are full and they want to jack up their numbers. My local's carpark goes against the flow and exit of the carpark and is a tight 180 or zigzag. Although it is super-rare. That and forgetting sauces I paid for.

  • kaleidoscope on 21/07/2021 - 10:01

    Why just drive-through… Happens to me every time i’m in a queue.

  • HeyHeyHeyIsItADeal on 21/07/2021 - 11:01

    I use the app… Say my online order number, done.

  • eccles30 on 21/07/2021 - 11:51

    I blame coffees and over-customised mcflurries… should be a coke or cones only rule for drive thru.

  • OzHunterNSW on 21/07/2021 - 14:53

    Yes, even if you count the heads, they seem to be waiting and waiting, then when it is your turn, they throw the stuff at you

  • dartsahoy on 21/07/2021 - 15:50
    +1

    Yeah I always seem to have Big Smoke from GTA San Andreas in front of me when I'm at the drive thru.

  • dr on 21/07/2021 - 17:22
    +1

    OP is this you? :-)

    https://www.tiktok.com/@tic_mock/video/6986409030767971585

    • iNeed2Pee on 21/07/2021 - 17:52

      😂😂😂 That is me, but that's my internal thoughts hahaha!!

    • OzzyOzbourne on 22/07/2021 - 15:07

      Presume the guy shouting is sat in a Commodore 😂

  • giventofly on 21/07/2021 - 17:37

    Never really experienced this.

    Can't be worse than wanting a milkshake/sundae/McFlurry/soft-serve and they're like "ummm…the machine isn't working"

  • DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 21/07/2021 - 20:27
    +2

    I was at a Domino's this one time waiting for my pizza and I overheard a employee describing to a person over the phone the shape of a pizza and how they cut it into slices.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2021 - 20:33

    We have seen people reversing their cars post they place an order… I mean c'mon….

  • wizzlesticks on 22/07/2021 - 01:29

    Pretty sire this is OP at the drive thru: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSJpQ89K3/

  • [Deactivated] on 22/07/2021 - 09:12

    I have this happen all the time, it's like people are making a life changing decision in the most mundane of situations.

  • PAOK11 on 22/07/2021 - 11:24

    This happened to me at a kebab shop the other night, standing out in the cold. Admittedly I wasn't dressed for the weather but I was thinking to myself why is this taking so long its a friggen kebab shop what could possibly be taking so long

  • SolitaryMan on 22/07/2021 - 11:52
    +1

    They need a new system - take more than 40 seconds to order and you pay $1 off the next person’s order. Take more than 60 seconds, $2. More than 3 minutes it’s $10.

  • PinzVidz on 22/07/2021 - 12:58

    Nothing shits me more than the "office chick" who is in front of me, in the drive-thru at Zarraffas and orders coffees for the whole office, like 20 of them. FFS, walk in!

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 22/07/2021 - 16:30

    I don't have this happen at drive-through, but it happens all the time with people at registers in front of me… The attendant finishes scanning everything and then when they tell the person the amount, the customer then seems shocked and confused and only then tries looking for the wallet/purse… Same with the deli when the person waits in line but only starts thinking about what they need when the assistant asks 'What can I get for you?.

  • etc on 22/07/2021 - 21:49
    Merged from Drive Thru Etiquette

    This happened to me yesterday at KFC drive thru. The drive thru has two lanes (left and right) with one employee taking orders through the telecom, alternating between the two drive thru lanes. (right, left, right, left, etc)

    I pull up to the drive thru, two cars are in the left lane and one in the right so i choose right. Right lane car in front of me gets his order in and i move into the front spot while the first car on the left lane makes his order. KFC employee then switches the telecom over to me straight away and i give him my order number which i preordered using the app. Just as I finish providing my order number, I hear screaming from the second car on the left who has now pulled up to the telecom. He's screaming loudly that he was waiting in line before me and i should wait my turn. KFC employee can hear all this and just tells me to move up in line, which i do.

    No further new cars had arrived at the drive thru while this all occurred so screaming driver went from being second last to last. He was visibly angry in my rear view mirror as I progressed to picking up my order. If this was inside a restaurant, I'd probably let the other person go first since they were there first. Before COVID, i wasn't a regular drive thru customer but was wondering if the in-restaurant ordering etiquette applied in drive thru as well. What would you have done? Are there drive thru rules i should know?

    • Hybroid on 22/07/2021 - 21:50

      What would you have done?

      Park up and order/pickup normally.

      • etc on 22/07/2021 - 21:55
        +1

        that's what i normally do if i can see that the inside of the restaurant isn't too busy. Given the COVID situation in NSW, it's just smoother to go through drive thru these days without the need to QR code check in, wear the mask and be exposed to other customers.

    • kyle on 22/07/2021 - 21:51
      +12

      The employee decides who's first

    • Forfiet on 22/07/2021 - 21:52
      +8

      Let the KFC employee decide who they serve first….. IMO….

    • jjjaar on 22/07/2021 - 21:59

      What would you have done?

      https://youtu.be/iEKLFS-aKcw

    • jakka on 22/07/2021 - 22:00
      +3

      You did nothing wrong, the other driver chose the wrong lane when they joined the queue. They just need to be patient, it ain’t t worth worrying about 1 spot in a line.

    • TEER3X on 22/07/2021 - 22:00

      What would you have done?

      Get a job at KFC and spit in yelling driver's food.

    • mickyb80 on 22/07/2021 - 22:18
      +1

      Id have just sat there a bit longer and let them carry on some more.
      Or, turned the car off and acted like it broke down in the middle of the single lane area. See their reaction then!

      Why do people like this even exist in this world?!?!
      Not your fault!

      • TEER3X on 22/07/2021 - 22:20
        +1

        No need to stoop to their level.

        • mickyb80 on 23/07/2021 - 00:17
          -1

          Was it you TEER3X? just joking.
          I'm more of a dog person and joke cats are oxygen thieves. But people like the OP has described are even lower than cats in my book.

    • SF3 on 22/07/2021 - 22:26

      What would you have done?

      Record as video, post it on YouTube (or alike), hope it goes viral.

    • deva5610 on 22/07/2021 - 22:31
      +6

      Same as a supermarket. Sometimes you get the slow lane, sometimes you don't. Simple.

    • thatonethere on 22/07/2021 - 22:38

      Just luck of the draw when you see the double drive thru and try and guess which car is currently placing their order and queue up behind them.

    • undocked838 on 22/07/2021 - 22:42

      The situation you're describing in the drive-thru is an extremely simple zipper merge. If the driver already in the queue decided to queue behind someone else, instead of taking the free lane, it's their own fault they have to wait. It is quite literally left-right-left-right. Do they also not know how to walk? misread, thought one lane was free

    • poboy on 22/07/2021 - 23:01

      I DON'T CARE!

  • rickb on 23/07/2021 - 13:23

    Same thing happens to me when I'm queuing at an ATM.

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