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Topic starter
27/10/2022 1:26 pm
TRAFFIC LIGHTS and MCDONALDS
If you've ever wondered why we have "traffic lights", rest easy, I've figured it out for you. They were created by McDonalds! Okay, okay, I'm being facetious, that was an attempt at my warped humor. But then being honest, I don't think I'm really that far from the truth on this.
It's no secret that I enjoy going for my morning coffee using the McDonalds Drive-thru. It's easy and convenient...usually. Performing this little ritual most every morning, I've come to realize that there are certain things in play for how this Drive-thru process works. On a good morning, I can pull up to the Drive-thru lane, listen to the "mumble, mumble" that screeches out at me from the speaker, to which I only assume they are maybe saying, "good morning, can I take your order?". I blurt out as clearly and concise as I can, "I want one large black coffee, that's all please", and then I again hear some "mumble, mumble screeching" and I pull forward to the pay window. But as I said, that is on a good morning that it goes this smoothly.
At least three or four mornings out of every week, I will come around the corner to pull in to the Drive-thru lane and there will be four, five, as many as 7 or 8 cars in the lane. And, there will be another 2 or 3 coming from the other side of the street that are headed to the lane as well. My usual observation (and comment to my self) is, "For the love of Pete, are they giving the coffee away free today?". My immediate next thought is, "How does this happen that at this particular moment in time, are there this many cars in line and coming it to the Drive-thru lane?". Obviously since it will take me a few minutes to place my order, I ponder this "why" question.
My conclusion is, "it's the traffic light at the corner". When that light turns "green", the cars that make the turn, are headed to McDonalds. When the light is "red", and I'm timely enough to be coming in to the Drive-thru lane, I'm the only one there. I place my order, pay for it at window #1, cruise slowly to window #2, get my "large black coffee" handed to me, and I'm on my home to down that coffee and relish in the moment of doing so.
Now this traffic light theory, though unsubstantiated as being fact, is now genuinely holding some water. This morning I was pulling up to the Drive-thru lane and there were TEN cars in line, I was number eleven pulling up, and coming in behind me were numbers 12, 13, and 14. I waited my turn while continually looking in my rear-view mirror to catch any additional cars coming in, and there were none. As usual, after paying, getting my coffee handed to me, and driving away, I glance at the Drive-thru lane...NO CARS in it. Down at the corner, there are cars lined up at the "red" traffic light. Theory proven folks!
The thought has occurred to me that, the traffic light wasn't created to regulate traffic at all, but rather that McDonalds figured out a way to get folks to visit their Drive-thru. Again I'm being facetious, because that is not how/why the traffic light originated.
Taking the Time Machine back over a hundred years ago, when the automobile was becoming the "in vogue" way to travel, soon our roads were becoming more crowded. Speed limits, driving laws, first the "stop sign", and eventually the "traffic light" were created to keep the streets safe and to regulate traffic in the hopes of preventing traffic jams and accidents.
But did you know, that when the very first traffic (signal) light was originally instituted, it was called a "Go light?". Fact, it was! They were placed on corners as a means of assisting drivers to know when to "GO' through an intersection or turn a corner. But human nature took over, as most people are inclined to think in a negative manner, meaning they had to "Stop", and those traffic signals were quickly referred to as "STOP lights". They remain so to this very day.
The irony is that it appears drivers are frustrated at having to wait at a traffic light to "Go", but waiting in a McDonalds Drive-thru lane is of no concern to them. I think there could be a study in psychology on this subject. The Drive-thru lane has to be the anticipation of the forthcoming coffee. Maybe we should be handing out coffee at the "red" light.
Me? I can't wait for tomorrow morning. One large black coffee please, and another day off to a great start.
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
27/10/2022 2:24 pm
A “Go” light - another perspective is always good. Thanks for another Coffee Talk.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Topic starter
27/10/2022 3:25 pm
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota