2024, Business, Food, Mysteries

The Last Straw!

43 Comments

I have to admit that I am a regular at the Taco Bell drive-through.  Bean burrito with extra red sauce, Fiesta potatoes and usually a large diet Pepsi.  This is my normal order – this stop is usually if I’m out and about doing errands.  I never just leave the house to go there.

My most-stopped-at location is the one near Southdale as many of my errands have me in that neighborhood.  About four months ago I noticed that the straw that came with the diet Pepsi was very flimsy and split while I was trying to get it through the little hole on the lid, making it unusable.  If I’d been the passenger in the car, I probably could have jerry-rigged it but as the driver it wasn’t do-able.  Luckily I was on the way home.

I thought I was a fluke but the next couple of visits confirmed that they had switched to these crappy straws.  If you poke a good hole in the lid first with your finger and are VERY careful unwrapping the straw and putting into the cup, you’ll be ok but there are too many ways to screw this up.  I started taking a straw of my own re-usable straw in the car if I thought I might be hankering for a burrito but it wasn’t a perfect solution. Interesting side-note… it’s just this location.  The other location close to us hasn’t switched to the thinner option.

Last week I stopped by and realized I hadn’t brought my re-usable.  I thought about asking the drive-through guy for two straws but decided that was just too silly.  When he handed me my pop, he handed me two straws and I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing.  He laughed too and said they’re giving out two straws now because so many folks have complained.

Reminded me of when my company changed to a thinner toilet paper ten years back.  I’m sure it was cheaper but if you use twice as much because it’s so thin, I’m pretty sure the savings go out the window.  The thin tp only last a few months.  I don’t know if people complained or if they realized right away they weren’t saving money.  Or both!

I will keep bringing my re-usable straw (if I remember) but am wondering how long it will take this location to figure out that giving out two thin straws isn’t smarter than just have decent straws.

What do you drink if you splurge on fast food?

43 thoughts on “The Last Straw!”

  1. I stopped at perhaps the worst Starbucks yesterday in the Denver Airport on my way home from Brookings. They had many pastries on display, most of which they were out of. They also were out of real milk, so I had to have my mocha latte made with almond milk. The latte I received was a plain one, not mocha. I rarely order fast food, only mocha lattes on the rare occasion I order a coffee.

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    1. I don’t go to Starbucks too often because I prefer Caribou. But in both places all I ever order is decaf plain because I just can’t bring myself to spend the time to learn what all the different drinks actually are. And at Starbucks I continue say medium even though YA reminds me every time we’re in the car together that I’m supposed to say venti. I just can’t bring myself to buy into that silliness.

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      1. A venti is not a medium. Tall is 12 ounce, Grande is 16 ounce, venti is 20 ounce. That’s if it is a hot drink. If it’s a cold drink, a venti would be 24 ounces. 

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    3. oat milk is the correct choice. Daughter worked as a barista at Starbucks and almond and soy milks are not choices any more at all

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  3. I seldom stop at fast food places. Sometimes when we’re on a road trip we’ll stop for an Egg McMuffin or a Bruegger’s bagel, in which case I’ll get a cup of coffee. I haven’t had a soda in years.

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  4. I never get a drink with any fast food – always have my water bottle, which I prefer to soda, with me. I will go to the drive-thru coffee place if I’m out and about for a lot of errands… half-caf with triple cream.

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  5. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    Good picture in the header VS. Diet Coke, but I do not drink it often–only as a treat to myself. 

    I have encountered those straws and had them fold. Instead of “Bee Colony Collapse Disorder” I call it “Drinking Straw Collapse Disorder”. Then I throw away the bad straw, remove the lid to the cup, and proceed to spill all over myself. I get irritated, then throw away the entire thing.

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  6. I don’t do fast food, although some call Caribou or Starbucks fast food, so I’m guilty of going to Caribou. Also, my local coffee shops serve food quickly, so they might qualify. If I have a beverage other than coffee from a fast food place, it’s usually diet cola. I don’t care which brand. All taste similar.

    The crappy straws and thinner toilet paper are the less noticed versions of shrinkflation. Everyone seems to think shrinkflation is a new phenomenon, but it’s been happening for decades. Use less of the material to make the straw or the TP and it costs less to manufacture. That equals more profits for the business, but more annoyed customers too. Is it worth driving customers away by giving them cheaper straws that earn them a whole penny more in profit? I doubt it in the long run.

    My big pet peeve is increased cereal box “flimsiness.” Cardboard that barely holds together when you open the box. Inner plastic bags that are nearly impossible to open neatly, often tearing downward and spilling cereal, and they barely hold the contents these days–no room to roll over the bag to help keep the cereal fresh. The worst offender is Quaker Oats LIfe cereal. Everytime I open a new box, I get the urge to fire off an angry letter to the CEO and tell him he’s in serious danger of losing a lifelong customer (no pun intended). *Grr*

    Let’s talk about something more pleasant, okay? How about that dang war in Gaza? :-0 (Just being facetious)

    Chris in Owatonna

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    1. i delivered 100 dollars worth of Japanese food in a flimsy paper bag with the two rope handles 15+ lbs when I took it out of the thermal bag I put stuff in to keep it I warm to the front door the warm steam made the bag so weak that as I pulled it up the bottom corner and started a cascade of entrees sides and sauces onto the driveway. I cleaned up the slop. Went to knock on the door to tell the people what happened called the resteraunt and told them I wanted them to recook it and when I got there the resteraunt wanted an additional $100. Grubhub called the people and told them to simply cancel the order they never received

      the resteraunt didn’t get paid for either order

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  8. My preferred beverage is plain old water – don’t like coffee in any way, shape, or form. Occasionally I’ll get a small strawberry shake from Culver’s.

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  9. too thin Hand towels irritate me. Like you said, if you’re using twice as many, what’s the point.

    I even told one local theater that I would fund the paper towel cost if they’d just buy better ones.

    Never happen.

    Ben

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    1. at the movies I ask for triple butter or heavy butter in the middle and again on top

      i bring a bottle of San pellagrino in my moms walker

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  10. Can’t remember the last time I had fast food, and I never drink pop. Depending on the time of day, I might have coffee, a glass of water, and/or a glass of wine or beer.

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  11. I don’t often stop at fast food places either. When I do, I just drink from my usual water bottle.
    I noticed they’re using paper straws here. I had one yesterday in Northern Ireland. It held up well but I didn’t use it to push open a hole in the container.
    our flight leaves here at 1 PM tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to getting home! It’s just beautiful here. Overwhelming sometimes. Fun sometimes. Beautiful always. Amazing.

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    3. I’ve been watching your fb posts with awe. Hopefully I can convince you to do a couple of pieces for the Trail???!!!!!!!

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  12. I usually order hot drinks. Coffee drinks, or maybe a chai latte. If I order something cold, it will likely be a lemonade or an iced tea. Panera has some nice cold beverage selections.

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  14. I’m a huge Taco Bell fan

    potato cheesey breakfast burrito with extra potato’s jalapeno sauce extra cheese and guacamole $3 breakfast

    and soft spicy potato taco with pica de gallo

    are two items on my favorite list for mobile app orders

    bk has mobile app whopper Wednesday where my impossible whopper is $3

    they also have a impossible rodeo burger with bbq sauce for 2.50 and a $1 any size fries for non wednesdays

    subways $5 sandwich went away during the pandemic

    it went to 9.99 and I won’t be going back went from great deal to a no no never

    i taught my daughter who recently became a veggie that mc Donald’s #10 (2 cheese burger meal put the burger on the side for critters) is the only veggie choice (really mc Donald’s?)

    i never order liquid . I have tea in two large thermos at all time with an occasional san pelligrino (glass 1 ltr. Bottle)

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  16. At Starbucks, sizes confuse one and all,
    There’s “grande” and “venti,” then “tall.”
    A new customer cried,
    “Can I just get a ride
    To a place where small means simply small?”

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