Randy Wray’s Blog

We had some family business to attend to this morning which required a visit to Baltimore. We went up late yesterday afternoon to spend the night for an early morning appointment. I’m always fascinated by the differences of viewing the hotel online and viewing the hotel from the driveway. I also expect certain things from a hotel based on the price I’m having to pay per night. Ah yes, but what would life be like without surprises and disappointment?

Our hotel in Baltimore was connected to the Greyhound Bus terminal. This in itself should give you some indication as to the part of town were inhabiting for the night. I’m not sure if you have spent much time around bus stations. It’s a fascinating microcosm, a whole city within a city.

I walked across the parking lot with Reese to McDonald’s, the only “suitable” place nearby to get something to eat. We ate and talked and sat for a long time and people watched. I would have liked to been inside his brain for the wheels were certainly spinning. “Reese, don’t stare” I would say and then two minutes later I would say, “Reese, don’t stare.” If you’re not sure what I’m talking about go hang out at the local bus station for an hour or so.

I’ve heard all the anti-big business arguments against McDonald’s and I’ve heard all the anti-obesity arguments against McDonald’s. I personally don’t think Americans are obese today because of McDonald’s. I think people are obese because we eat too much. Listen, I don’t care where you are or where you eat three times a day for thirty days. If you eat 9000-calories-plus a day at Salad-R-Us you’re going to gain weight. But, again, I’m not really interested in that discussion today. I just want to make an observation.

The majority of the people we observed coming off the bus and into McDonald’s were able to get something to eat because of the dollar menu. I’m not talking about ordering seven to 10 dollars worth of food off of the dollar menu. I’m talking about one man who ordered a single double cheeseburger (which costs $1) and a glass of water and paying with pocket change. I’m talking about a mother with her two small children who ordered the three $1 items for her whole family. I’m talking about the one girl who wasn’t going to eat anything but when her friend discovered some more change in her pocket they could each get something from the dollar menu.

Would they have been better off eating fruit and salad and granola? Probably. I guess seeing enough people eating out of garbage cans makes me glad that when at last some pocket change is scraped together a hot and fresh item can be ordered from a dollar menu. There’s certainly some pride and a feeling of normalcy to walk up to a counter and choose from a dollar menu instead of rummaging outside in a trash bin looking to eat what someone else was too full to finish.

I would have liked to have had a way to serve those people last night. I thought about it on the drive home today. It would have been interesting to have had some subtle signal, pre-arranged between the cashiers and myself, whereupon I would have paid (without the person knowing) for some meals. Just sitting back in the corner table with Reese and nodding my head or touching my nose signaling to the cashier, “I’ll take care of this one.” An unrealistic idea I’m sure, but as I thought about it driving home it sure sounded a lot better than just sitting there staring.