Drive Thru Etiquette 101

Let's be realistic, here...how many people have never been through a drive-thru of some kind? Raise your hands; don't be shy; I know you're out there. How do I know? Obviously, one or more of you have chosen to be in front of me in line at either McDonald's or the credit union on several occasions. Even if you don't admit who you are, you're really easy to spot.

Let's start with driving through McDonalds. We'll pick McD's because 1) it's been around the longest; 2) is the most recognizable name for fast food drive-thru's; and 3) there's one on almost every corner if you live in a city/village/town with a population larger than 2000 residents.

Chapter 1: The drive thru is designed for people who are in a hurry, know what they want to order to some extent, have money to make such a purchase in the form of cash/credit or debit card, and have experienced driving thru and ordering food more than once in their life either as a driver or a passenger. The bottom line is that you have a clue as to what you're going to encounter when you get to the speaker.

Chapter 2: It's OK to stop a bit before the speaker to check out the menu and make a decision as to what you'd like to order. It's not OK to poll each of the 6 kids in your car. That's why they have inside dining. Find a parking space, take their orders and, if there's another adult in the car, one of you stay with the kidlets and the other go in and pick up the food. Now, I am a tolerant Mom and Grandmother and I've had car loads of kids with me as we stopped at McDonalds on the way to soccer, wrestling, dance class, or football games. Here's how I worked it. Every child over the age of 3 knows what he/she wants at McDonald's. Pull into a parking space, get the kids orders, make sure to figure out what you want at the same time, then go through the drive-thru. Oh, after you get your order, pull into another parking space and make sure the orders are right. Don't do it at the pick-up window, unless there's no one else in line behind you.

Chapter 3: Make sure you have the means to pay for your meal. The other day, on my way to work while I stopped for my usual, the car in front of me had 2 young ladies who had just ordered their double latte's with fat free milk, and extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top. Instead of pulling forward so that I could proceed to the speaker and order, they began the quest for the means to pay for their order. I saw one dive into the back seat to retrieve her purse; that was the driver. Her passenger jumped out, banged on the trunk until the driver opened it for her, snatched her backpack which looked like something you'd use on our quest to conquer Mt. Everest. Miss Backpack began to unload said luggage on the trunk of her girlfriends car, and I could see her retrieving coins, not dollars, but coins which she counted, scooped up, stowed in her wallet which she also found during her search, and got back into the car. Oh, she had her friend open the trunk, again, so she could put the backpack away. What was that all about? Now, the young ladies should have enough money to pay for their latte whatever's, you'd think, right? Not the case. They get to the pay window, and you can see their heads together, counting their loot only to find they didn't have enough to pay for both beverages. In the end, they drove away with only one beverage and, hopefully, they were good enough friends to share. Of course, the line for the drive-thru is backed up all the way to the parking lot entrance.

Chapter 4: When driving thru at your favorite financial institution, we must agree that, before you get in line, you know what you're there for. It's not like McDonalds; you don't get a whole menu of choices. You're either cashing a check, making deposit or withdrawal or both, doing a balance inquiry to see if you can make a withdrawal, or making a payment. Let's be real here, that's about all you can do at the bank drive thru. So, how hard is it to have your check signed with ID ready to put in the vacuum tube thing that whisks it away to the teller? Or, just for grins, let's consider that you've made out your deposit or payment slip(s) in advance. If you're making a withdrawal, why don't we just anticipate that the teller is going to ask for your identification before she takes your word for it that the account numbers you gave her are to your account before she drains down the balance just because you asked nicely.

Contrary to popular opinion, drive-thru's are a convenience and a privilege. Those great people who work there, whether it's fast food or fast finances, are not mind-readers, and you are not the only person they will service that day. Be considerate, prepared, and use common sense.

Now I feel much better. Thank you for listening.