The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Backwards Interface?

This may be off topic, but it may be interesting none the less. Feel free to delete.

Today I went to McDonalds. Yes, the grease pit of all grease pits. But I wanted to try the McGriddle. As many of you know a McGriddle is good... but that's a different story. Also, please note, that in my travels, I have been to McDonalds in places like Kuwait, Europe, Japan, Eastern, Middle and Western USA, Canada etc...

I pulled up to the speaker and placed my order. The girl on the speaker said to pull around to the second window. So, having been to numerous fast food places, I pulled around to the >first window I came to<. Which is normally referred to as the second window. No one was there, so I waited a minute and still no one showed up. I thought I must be at the wrong window. Sure enough, I pull around to the other side of the building and I get to the second window where I discover the McDonalds crew is laughing at me. ;)

That's ok, because I had a talk with the manager and she said that she thought it was normal and I explained to her that she might want to check out some other drive thoughs. I assured her that her window numbering was backwards. Anyway, we all had a good laugh.

Rain
Friday, May 21, 2004

Actually I always think of the 2nd window as the second window I come to. I've never heard of it referred to in reverse before.

I'd have to say I come down on the side of the McDonald's workers in this one, other than the laughing.

Andrew Hurst
Friday, May 21, 2004

Rain,

How come you have all this inside information on the McDonalds drive-through-window numbering?

Are you a shift manager?

Patrik
Friday, May 21, 2004

"Actually I always think of the 2nd window as the second window I come to."

Ditto. How would any other numbering make sense?!?

Almost Anonymous
Friday, May 21, 2004

I think I've heard it reffered to both ways. On the other hand, I just always drive until I find a person. Seems to prevent laughter and embarassment anyhow. . .

Elephant
Friday, May 21, 2004

No I'm not a shift manager Patrik. I don't work at McDonalds.

It wasn't that embarrassing for me, because I actually thought I was in the right. I guess I had been conditioned to think of it as the reverse of what they had.

Rain
Friday, May 21, 2004

Here in Ontario the windows are referred by the order that you, the customer, pass them.

"Drive to the 1st window" means the first window you come upon.

"Drive to the 2nd window" means to pass the first window and stop at the 2nd.

This seems like the only logical interpretation.

Dennis Forbes
Friday, May 21, 2004

"Also, please note, that in my travels, I have been to McDonalds in places like Kuwait, Europe, Japan, Eastern, Middle and Western USA, Canada etc..."

And you've left laughing crews in Kuwait, Europe, Japan, Eastern, Middle and Western USA, Canada etc...

.
Friday, May 21, 2004

Yea, I've seen Wendy's and McDonalds with two Windows in a row on one side of the building and they are numbered like "Rain" says. "2" is the first one and "1" is next. And different places do it different ways.

Although you did say you had to drive to the other side of the building. It may be that the reverse numbering only takes effect when both windows are on one side? Who knows I guess... kinda funny anyway.

Anon
Friday, May 21, 2004

>>>Here in Ontario the windows are referred by the order that you, the customer, pass them. <<<

Same here in Maryland. The OPs expectations sound backwards to me. Around here they even have a little number over the window.

Having the staff laughing at you doesn't sound all that unlikely though. I hardly ever go to McD's any more. It is not the food, but the unpleasant attitude of the staff that has turned me off to the place. Never tried the McGriddle.

mackinac
Friday, May 21, 2004

"Never tried the McGriddle."

The McGriddle is heavenly. I treat myself to one every other weekend. Like everything good, too much will kill you...

Almost Anonymous
Friday, May 21, 2004

I always though it was a zero-based system, so when told to go to Window #2, I pull up to the 3rd.

yet another anon
Friday, May 21, 2004

McDonalds tries too hard to minimize their inventory diversity (get a kid's meal "grilled cheese" -- it's two center buns from a BigMac with a piece of the standard square oil cheese). I had finally found a breakfast item I liked there (the Western bagel which had an omelette with some green peppers and onions in it) and, at least in my area, it disappeared - keeping a different style of omelette wasn't worthwhile if they could just force customers to accept the subset of diversity.

What really turned me off of McDonalds was when MD Canada did a huge publicity show of announcing that they were removing trans fats from their products. Like Microsoft and the Messenger protocol, everything suddely went quiet, the information all disappeared from their website, and one was left wondering if they actually did it or not (hint: They didn't. They got the the public benefits of pretending, so there was no need for actual action).

Dennis Forbes
Friday, May 21, 2004

If the windows are backwards then there better be big signs that say "Window 2" on the 1st one, "Window 1" on the 2nd. With no other information you can only assume that 1st and 2nd refer to the order in which customer gets to them.

5v3n
Friday, May 21, 2004

What I don't understand is why there would be two windows to begin with. I just don't really see a point in more than one.

Craig H
Saturday, May 22, 2004

Craig: It's called pipelining. A huge performance boost.

mb
Saturday, May 22, 2004

They could design the windows in different, clearly distinguishable ways. That way they could refer to them as the "Ronald's laughing face Window" or the "Coca Cola Window" or whatever. Actually the whole house could be a big Ronald McDonald standing on all four and you'd order from the rear. "Sir, please order from the Ass". That'd be hard to misunderstand.

Kaba
Tuesday, May 25, 2004