Readers weigh in on letter from angry fast food window worker

3B LIFE
The Brunswick News / Tuesday, May 1, 2012 3B
Advice & More
Readers weigh in on letter from
angry fast food window worker
Dear Abby: May I comment
on the letter from “Working the
Window in Georgia” (Jan. 22),
the drive-through worker who
said people should have their orders ready when they pull up to
the speaker? Many drive-through
restaurants place their speakers
in front of the first menu you see.
Unless you frequent the restaurant, it’s impossible to know
what you want until you reach
the menu.
Also, if “Corporate” is timing
its employees, then maybe they
should dispense with having the
employees greet customers with
a long list of item suggestions
before taking the order.
Those of us at the other end
of the speaker often cannot
understand a word being said,
either because the speaker isn’t
working properly, because the
order-taker has a thick accent, or
the person is speaking too fast. –
Peggy in Thornton, Colorado
Dear Peggy: My readers
agree with you 100 percent!
Their biggest “beef” is the order
menu being located only at the
order window/speaker. Fast food
corporate America, please take
notice. Read on:
Dear Abby: How are we supposed to have any idea of what
to order when we don’t see the
menu until we pull up to the
window?
This is especially true when I
try a new restaurant. If restaurants post anything before that, it
Jeanne
Phillips
Syndicated advice
columnist
Dear Abby
is usually just a list of their most
expensive combo meals. Sometimes the prices aren’t even listed
at the preview menu window.
Here are some suggestions for
people working the windows:
1. I may not know your menu.
So please give me a chance to
look it over. If you have a drivethrough, I have a right to use it.
If you don’t want new customers
to know what you offer, then I’ll
be happy to take my business
elsewhere.
2. I know you are reading
from a script, but if I don’t want
a combo meal, please do not ask
me repeatedly if I want one.
3. Give me a chance to check
my order when you hand it to
me. I am really tired of getting
to my destination only to find out
my order is wrong.
4. Do not argue with me if I
want to verify that my drink is
a diet drink. I am diabetic and
a non-diet soda could make me
very sick.
5. Please understand that even
if I don’t have the radio on and
there is no background noise,
I may still have trouble understanding you.
Perhaps the speakers are
bad or I am slightly hearingimpaired.
6. Please give me straw if I
order a drink.
I have worked fast food before
and I know from experience it
is not an easy job. Yes, there are
rude customers, but there are
also rude employees. I know that
from experience, too. – Libby in
Little Rock, Ark.
Dear Abby: My husband
and I attended his nephew’s
out-of-state wedding. I shipped
a beautiful, expensive set of
porcelain dishes from a high-end
designer store. The nephew commented, “Those dishes don’t go
with anything we have.” Should
we request they be returned or
ignore their lack of appreciation?
– Appalled Aunt In Arizona
Dear Appalled: Your nephew’s comment was extremely
rude.
If he and his bride weren’t
registered, and their preference
of a china pattern wasn’t clearly
stated, then you did the best you
could under the circumstances
and were generous.
Rather than ask for the gift
back (which would be equally
rude), suggest he and his Mrs. go
online and exchange the dishes
for a pattern of their choice.
Most high-end stores have websites that display their inventory.
— Write to Dear Abby at P.O.
Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA,
90069 or www.DearAbby.com.
Dr. Anthony Komaroff’s medical advice column appears Tuesdays in the Health & Fitness pages of Life
and all other days on the Advice page.
Relationship causes family pain
Dr. Wallace: Our 20-year-old
daughter is still living at home
with my husband, our younger
children and me. She has been
dating the same guy for over two
years, and their relationship is a
nightmare not only for them, but
also for the rest of the family,
including our younger children.
Whenever they have a fight our
daughter becomes highly irritable, screaming and slamming
doors. This is a most unhealthy
relationship. One day it’s love;
the next day it’s hate. The relationship is totally void of trust on
both sides.
Our daughter has been to
counseling, but there has been
no improvement. It’s to the point
that my husband and I need to
attend counseling sessions for
ourselves; we cannot take any
more of this. I know the younger
children are adversely affected
by the whole situation.
My daughter and her boyfriend
are basically good – no drugs or
alcohol. All we want is for her
to be happy, the way she was
before she got a boyfriend. What
should we do? We are loving,
supportive parents. Our daughter
has a full-time job and is capable
of supporting herself. – Mother,
Jackson, Miss.
Mother: Since you haven’t
seen positive results working
Robert
Wallace
Syndicated advice
columnist
Between 12 & 20
with your daughter, concentrate
on the boyfriend. Set up a time
when you can talk to him alone
and explain that the “rocky”
relationship he shares with your
daughter is affecting your family
in a very negative way.
Ask for his help and suggestions on what the family can do.
If he loves your daughter, he
will go with her to get assistance
and guidance from a professional
counselor. If he is sincere, he can
help the situation immensely.
But if all else fails, you must
ask your daughter to move out of
the house.
I know this would be a painful
decision, but you cannot allow
a dysfunctional member of the
family to keep the entire family
in constant turmoil.
Dr. Wallace: I’m on the school
drill team that performs at the
halftime of football and basketball games and at pep rallies.
It’s great fun, and I really enjoy
being a part of the team.
My parents demand that I get
outstanding grades. So when I
Sorority holds cotillion
received a B+ grade in my first
semester of geometry, they made
me drop out of the drill team.
I’m devastated by this because
our drill team will perform at
the 2012 graduation ceremony
and my cousin will be one of the
graduates.
I really want to be back on the
drill team by then. I really don’t
think my parents are being fair
and I know you’ll agree with me.
Please respond to my letter. –
Callie, San Diego, Calif.
Callie: There are hundreds
of better ways for parents to
encourage their child to do well
in the classroom. They make a
mistake when they take away an
enjoyable educational activity as
a punishment for a low grade.
Besides, who says a B+ is a low
grade in the first semester of
geometry? I can remember when
I would have been thrilled to
receive a B+ in geometry ... and
my parents would have fainted!
Luckily, geometry became a bit
easier as the year progressed.
I hope your parents relent
and you once again become a
member of the drill team. It’s
a great honor to participate in
this wonderful extra-curricular
experience.
Fire captain motivates Girl Scouts
Elizabeth VanBuren is the leader of the Junior
Girl Scout Troop No. 30024 and shared an inspirational message with the girls. She pursued her
career and became the first female fire captain in
Glynn County.
Pictured are Emilie Trawick, from left in first row,
Vivian Koehn, Ashley Cowman, Elizabeth VanBuren, McKenzie Karwacki, Riley Robertson, Cheri
Williams and Hartlie Jones.
In the second row, Kendra Niehaus, from left,
Posted by Kelly Terhune
Natalie Martin, Robert Franklin, Ashley Franklin,
Abaigeal O’Brien, Gabriella Careri, Reagan Jones
and Gracie Hagen. In the third row, Heather Hall,
from left, Karsyn Long, Brianna O’Brien, Seren
Thomas-Jackson, Emily Sherbanenko, Isabella
Ivery and Emma Watson.
In the fourth row, Juliette Criss, from left, Sabbrina Yeomans, Hannah Williams, Shelby Miller,
Aimee Yeomans, Katie McCullough, Shelby Ryals
and Faith Poppell.
HEARING TEST
SET FOR
SENIOR CITIZENS
Brunswick, GA Free electronic Everyone, especially those over
hearing tests will be given this 50, should have an electronic
Tuesday, May 1st thru Friday, hearing test at least once a year. If
May 4th.
there is a hearing problem, a free
electronic hearing test may reveal
A Georgia Licensed Specialist will
that newly developed methods of
be available to give this free test.
correction will help, even for those
The test has been arranged for who have been told in the past that
anyone who suspects they are losing a hearing aid would not help them
their hearing. Such persons generally should be tested.
say they can hear but cannot
For those
those wishing
wishing the
the free
free test,
test,
understand conversation clearly. For
appointment time
time may
may be
be
Testing with the latest electronic an appointment
arranged by phoning
phoning 912-267-1400
912-267-1400
equipment will indicate whether it arranged
Brunswick,
GA.
can be helped electronically.
B
— Write to Dr. Wallace at
[email protected].
Posted by Millicent Sweeting
Tribute to Women Leaders 2012
Where: Grand Oaks Hall on Jekyll
When: May 8th 2012
Meet & Greet @ 11:00 AM
Tribute at Noon
The Brunswick Chapter, Zeta Iota Omega, of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. recently hosted its
biennial debutante cotillion at the Grand Oaks Hall
in the Morgan Center on Jekyll Island.
This year’s theme was “Jewels Empowered:
Leadership, Scholarship, Elegance, and Poise.”
Thirteen young ladies from Glynn, Camden and
McIntosh counties were presented to the cotillion
in a choreographed waltz and promenade.
Since October, the junior and senior high school
ladies participated in a variety of developmental
activities, career and scholarships workshops,
leadership training and community service.
Cynthia Danielle Green of Camden County High
School was crowned Miss Cotillion 2012 and will
be awarded a scholarship. Five other debutantes
also received awards, Breanna Jones of Glynn
Academy, Carmen Bowman-Randall of Brunswick
High School, Shantel Bridges, Jacqueline Ratliff
and Lauren Uliene all of Camden County High
School. Dr. Sabrina J. Nixon served as chairman
for this event and Rose D. Andrews is president
of the chapter. Pictured are Breanna Jones, from
left, Carmen Bowman-Randall, Shantel Bridges,
Cynthia Danielle Green, Jacqueline Ratliff and
Lauren Uliene.
Guest Speaker: Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.
Commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health
and State Health Officer
Advanced Tickets are $60 through May 1, $75 May 2-May 8th.
Tickets may be purchased at The Golden Isles YMCA
144 Scranton Connector, Brunswick, GA or by calling 265-4100