There are some things which really get my goat. Poor customer service is top of the list, especially this week. McDonalds isn’t my first choice when it comes to dining out, but between classes during the week the branch at Centro Coyoacan is handy. It’s cheap, quick and has a bathroom where I can wash an hour of metro and microbus germs off my mits before I eat.
But not any more. No, if you want to use their bathroom now, you have to show the spotty teenage attendant hovering outside the door a receipt to prove you’ve eaten there. Then he’ll unlock the door and allow you entry. Eat first, wash your hands afterwards. The message is loud and clear. They don’t care how many genuine customers they inconvenience, if they can keep the odd stray person out, then it’s worth it.
The real irony though, is the fact that the Swine Flu outbreak happened just a few weeks ago. The government implored everyone to wash their hands. Wash them well, wash them often. Wash them before you eat. And McDonalds in Coyoacan responded by introducing a policy to prevent this. They can hardly have failed to notice the swine flu. The photo below is of the offending store, with all the seats taped off to prevent people from sitting and eating, as per the emergency regulations.
I couldn’t persuade the spotty loo attendant to let me wash my hands. So I didn’t buy a burger. I went to Burger King instead. The joy of having a choice. And just one more reason why you shouldn’t eat in McDonalds.
The Mexile 
That’s a stupid rule! Anyways, I despise McDonalds, and haven’t eaten there in almost a year anyway, so I totally support your “boycott”.
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I hadn’t thought of starting a boycott….chiefly because too many people got there before I did! 🙂
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That’s sad, I have not eaten anything from Mcdonald’s (except one or two ice creams, when the price was 2 pesos) in 10 years or more, though i used to use that particular bathroom pretty often.
I wonder if they’ll start asking for proof of purchase before even sitting down. I remember back in my high school, about 20 of us would always hang out at Mc donalds, but never bought anything.
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It is amazing, with the general rep they have, that they are still in business. But they are more than simply ‘in business’. They flourish.
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So Burger King is nearby and does not do this? Go there, as you said. However, I imagine it was more than an “odd stray person” using their facilities.
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Call me suspicious, but I just feel that too many people in the world are petty, and that the person introducing this policy belongs in that club. It’s not the sort of area to attract hordes of seriously unruly and unwanted visitors anyway.
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You’re lucky you missed Darth Vadar at the drive-in window.
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I like it when Darth Vader is at the drive in window. With the big mask on it means he can’t spit in my burger!
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