Drive-Thru behaviour, no matter how many times I have
the opportunity to observe it in real time, is always a great source of
entertainment. I wish that I had a video camera at times. The mission-like
determination of the drivers gives way to all thought of, well, anything. They
seem to forget that there are other things within a reasonable proximity like other
vehicles and people. Their sheer focus alone is something that could be admired
if not for the fact it was so laughable.
On this particular day I was fortunate enough to be in
attendance to witness a delivery to a coffee shop while working out of town.
Due to the parking lot design the delivery truck was parked in such a way as
to, not block access to the drive-thru entrance but make it so that the cars
would have to, with plenty of room to do so, drive around the front of the
truck to gain entry to the drive-thru itself.
Now
this seems a simple enough solution to such a dilemma. Yet as I watched the
traffic flow for close to 15 minutes there were six drivers that could not make
the initial adjustment. One driver after another would drive up within two feet
of the side of the truck and stop. As if expecting the unoccupied truck to move
out of the way. They would then leer at the truck and at the driver who was too
busy unloading to notice them. Next came a quick look around the area for
anyone who may sympathize with such a plight. Now is when it becomes a little
more frantic as they look behind them, voice their displeasure to their
passenger whether there is one or not, look around again, grimace, attempt a
comment out of the closed driver side window, look behind them again then exhale
and then slump in utter defeat.
Finding
no alternative they would reverse their vehicle and begrudgingly drive around
the nose of the truck while repeatedly shooting stern looks in the direction of
the truck driver. One driver looked as if they had taken a pen and wrote down
the truck identification information as well as the licence plate number.
I
literally laughed out loud a couple of times and considered the idea of setting
up hidden cameras at various locations. I’m positive that I could easily
retrieve enough footage for a weekly half hour reality show episode.
Find a coffee shop drive-thru and perch yourself with a
cup of Joe in full view of the cars entering and just watch. You will be quite
surprised at what you see. For added entertainment, go to one that has two
lanes that merge to one lane just before the “order here” speaker. This takes
on a whole new set of issues. It is now a competition of who was here first.
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