Unhelpful, Through And (Drive-)Through

(I work from home and keep odd hours, so for “dinner” I throw on some PJs and head to the drive-thru of a popular chicken joint that will be opening just about then. I pull up in my little economy car and give the employees a few moments to register that I am there because they just opened, after all. A few moments later, another car pulls up behind me; it’s a huge, red pickup truck. There are people moving around inside who couldn’t possibly have failed to see it. A little while later, I figure maybe my tiny car didn’t trip the weight sensors that let them know there is someone in the drive-thru. Unfortunately I’m in my PJs and don’t want to go inside, and there are now three cars behind me, anyway, so I do what any modern technology-using person would. I pull out my cell phone, look up the store’s phone number, and give them a call.)

Me: “Hi! Is this [Chicken Place] at [Intersection]?”

Employee #1: “Yes, how can I help you?”

Me: “I’m in your drive-thru!”

Employee #1: “No, you aren’t.”

Me: “Um… I’m pretty sure I am.”

Employee #1: “No. No one’s there.”

Me: *looking at the line behind me, which anyone could see from the store window* “Are you sure?”

Employee #1: “Yeah.”

Me: “All right.”

(I hang up and pull through their drive-thru to the first window and gently knock on the glass.)

Employee #2: *sees me, speaks to someone I can’t see* “Hey! I think it’s the woman who was on the phone.” *opens the window* “Hey. We can’t really take orders from this window. Could you drive around again?”

Me: “There are cars behind me now.”

Employee #2: “Well. We can’t really take orders here. The orders have to be entered over there.” *indicates computer literally five steps away from him*

Me: “You know what? Never mind.”

(I haven’t been back.)