sharing a drink at mcdonalds - is it stealing?

[vi edit]

Meh. Not something I'm going to lose sleep over. If my wife and I stop at a Fast food place she typically orders the "combo" meal and will supersize it. Then I'll just grab a sammich by itself and we'll split the fries and drink. We don't go back for refills. I don't buy drinks at fast food places unless the combo price is structured in a way that it actually is cheaper than buying a sandwich and a side separately.

I don't need my own personal liter of cola nor do I need my very own mountain-o-fries.

 

[kranky]

Sharing a drink is fine... up to the point where you get a refill. The buffet example is an apt analogy.

If you buy a small drink that you don't share and you refill it three times, then you beat the system by not buying a large drink in the first place. No problem with that.

It's pretty simple. Share all you want unless you're getting refills. I think most rational people get that concept.

 

[BurnItDwn]

If you refill it once, I dont see that as being any big deal ..
if you sit there for hours and refill it 8 times... then you are taking advantage of them/screwing them.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Meh. Not something I'm going to lose sleep over. If my wife and I stop at a Fast food place she typically orders the "combo" meal and will supersize it. Then I'll just grab a sammich by itself and we'll split the fries and drink. We don't go back for refills. I don't buy drinks at fast food places unless the combo price is structured in a way that it actually is cheaper than buying a sandwich and a side separately.

I don't need my own personal liter of cola nor do I need my very own mountain-o-fries.

I rarely drink soda. When I go to a fast food place I'm usually getting plain iced tea or just a cup of water. Nobody is sharing my drink.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

If you refill it once, I dont see that as being any big deal ..
if you sit there for hours and refill it 8 times... then you are taking advantage of them/screwing them.

I don't get that at all. Theft is theft, it's not a matter of degrees. If 8 refills is screwing them so are 7 and if 7 refills are screwing them so are 6 and if 6 refills are screwing them...

If the counter person looks away will you reach over and snatch a hamburger and then attempt to rationalize it with the argument that you only took one, not eight, so it's okay?

 

[Ichinisan]

Meh. Not something I'm going to lose sleep over. If my wife and I stop at a Fast food place she typically orders the "combo" meal and will supersize it. Then I'll just grab a sammich by itself and we'll split the fries and drink. We don't go back for refills. I don't buy drinks at fast food places unless the combo price is structured in a way that it actually is cheaper than buying a sandwich and a side separately.

I don't need my own personal liter of cola nor do I need my very own mountain-o-fries.

For years now, all the McDonald's restaurants I go to in GA are "any size, $1." If you eat inside, you get free refills. In this case, the combo is the one that doesn't make sense. I order the sandwich and a large drink. If I wanted fries, I wouldn't want more than a small fry order. It comes out less than the combo and I get a larger drink.

95% of the time, I go through the drive-through. I'm usually ordering for more than just myself, so I usually get 2 (or more) drinks...so I rarely get a chance to do refills at all.

I never go inside alone. I almost always just order 2 drinks when I go inside too. Recently, I was totally broke and didn't order one. Just had a few gulps from my brother's cup.

 

[jlee]

Delete that person off Facebook and continue sharing drinks.

Sometimes I want tea in my water cup to steal a beverage and I'll get tea in my water cup.

...

 

[Imp]

Sharing a drink is fine... up to the point where you get a refill. The buffet example is an apt analogy.

If you buy a small drink that you don't share and you refill it three times, then you beat the system by not buying a large drink in the first place. No problem with that.

It's pretty simple. Share all you want unless you're getting refills. I think most rational people get that concept.

I don't think it is... You usually pay an entry fee at a buffet and are then able to go batshit crazy at the food tables. The condition written, or maybe unwritten, somewhere is usually that you can only take what you can eat on the premises. And from what I can tell, you can't sit down at a table without being charged because the food is unguarded, there is no "reaching behind the counter." This is likely the prime revenue generator.

Drinks are a revenue generator, but I've only seen free refills for soda (maybe juice?), which consists of what? Syrup, CO2, and tap water? From what I've heard from people who've worked in restaurants, you can probably refill it a couple times before they start to lose money. Someone in corporate/ management probably decided that its a low cost customer retention policy.

Is it "stealing"? Probably. Not exactly grand theft auto though.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't get that at all. Theft is theft, it's not a matter of degrees. If 8 refills is screwing them so are 7 and if 7 refills are screwing them so are 6 and if 6 refills are screwing them...

If the counter person looks away will you reach over and snatch a hamburger and then attempt to rationalize it with the argument that you only took one, not eight, so it's okay?

For fuck sake, if two people order one drink and split it it's not theft, it's only theft if they refill it before they leave? What if I order a drink and refill it before I leave but I end up throwing half of it away. Is that also theft?

What if I accidentally hit the soda button instead of the water button when filling my water cup? Should I throw away the soda because I didn't actually pay for it?

I swear, you guys will argue about the dumbest shit. :thumbsdown:

 

[AznAnarchy99]

...

http://www.examiner.com/article/why-soft-drinks-are-huge-profits-for-fast-food-restaurants

The cup costs more than the drink. When I worked fast food years ago we didn't give a damn if someone put soda in their water cup. It was all led from a big plastic packet of sugar and flavoring that costs pennies.

 

[vi edit]

For years now, all the McDonald's restaurants I go to in GA are "any size, $1." If you eat inside, you get free refills. In this case, the combo is the one that doesn't make sense. I order the sandwich and a large drink. If I wanted fries, I wouldn't want more than a small fry order. It comes out less than the combo and I get a larger drink.

McDonalds is the ultimate last resort. Ok not total last resort. I'd probably eat something off the floor of a truck stop bathroom before I willingly ate at White Castle again. Drinks are more in the 2'ish dollar range at most places.

 

[moonbogg]

Is it stealing? No more than sharing a stupid idea on ATOT.

 

[JulesMaximus]

By the way, the cafeteria here at work gives free refills on their soda. I go down and fill up a reusable large plastic cup every day with ice and then fill it with soda water (just plain seltzer water) and they don't charge me for it ever.

A cup of carbonated water is free but add 11 cents worth of sweetener and dye and it costs $1.80.

BTW-If you want one of their disposable cups they charge 10 cents for it.

 

[Imp]

For fuck sake, if two people order one drink and split it it's not theft, it's only theft if they refill it before they leave? What if I order a drink and refill it before I leave but I end up throwing half of it away. Is that also theft?

What if I accidentally hit the soda button instead of the water button when filling my water cup? Should I throw away the soda because I didn't actually pay for it?

I swear, you guys will argue about the dumbest shit. :thumbsdown:

Talking like that, I bet you're a person who speeds and doesn't voluntarily turn himself in to pay the ticket. And worst yet, I bet you listen to music on the radio/YouTube or a friend's stereo without paying the artist... The record industry hates you.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I don't get that at all. Theft is theft, it's not a matter of degrees. If 8 refills is screwing them so are 7 and if 7 refills are screwing them so are 6 and if 6 refills are screwing them...

If the counter person looks away will you reach over and snatch a hamburger and then attempt to rationalize it with the argument that you only took one, not eight, so it's okay?

My argument is that you are allowed a free refill. Any place that gives you access to the soda fountain allows you a refill.

So, I consider filling the cup + refilling it and sharing it the same as filling the cup and refilling it and just drinking the drink ... the whole "sharing" part is negligible IMO.

If you are talking a number of refills, at some point you may drink enough to cause a real loss to the business, where instead of "reduced profit margin" you are pushing it from black into the red ...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Talking like that, I bet you're a person who speeds and doesn't voluntarily turn himself in to pay the ticket. And worst yet, I bet you listen to music on the radio/YouTube or a friend's stereo without paying the artist... The record industry hates you.

Guilty as charged. :$:biggrin:

 

[JulesMaximus]

My argument is that you are allowed a free refill. Any place that gives you access to the soda fountain allows you a refill.

So, I consider filling the cup + refilling it and sharing it the same as filling the cup and refilling it and just drinking the drink ... the whole "sharing" part is negligible IMO.

If you are talking a number of refills, at some point you may drink enough to cause a real loss to the business, where instead of "reduced profit margin" you are pushing it from black into the red ...

I seriously doubt a person, or even two people could drink that much soda in a day.

Would I do it personally? No, I'm not that cheap but would I give someone else shit about it if I saw them do it? Nope... not even online where I can spout off the dumbest shit that pops into my head with no thought of the consequences whatsoever.

Actually, now that I think about it, I probably have had a sip of my son's soda from time to time. He usually doesn't go for a refill but he may have at some point. Guess I'm a thief just like the OP.

 

[Ruptga]

All I really want to know is what the hell you were doing in a McDonald's? Their "food" is always the nastiest at any given price point, and they try to cover it up with advertising their "100% beef" patties. 100% cow would be more accurate... cow trimmings, cow fat, cow viscera, and just a pinch of actual cow meat. They would have gone out of business a long time ago if not for their advertising and real estate strategies.

 

[Imp]

P.S. Those of you at work and on ATOT, you're "stealing" too... Damn thieves.

All I really want to know is what the hell you were doing in a McDonald's? Their "food" is always the nastiest at any given price point, and they try to cover it up with advertising their "100% beef" patties. 100% cow would be more accurate... cow trimmings, cow fat, cow viscera, and just a pinch of actual cow meat. They would have gone out of business a long time ago if not for their advertising and real estate strategies.

Don't shit on my beloved food, yo.

 

[Ruptga]

Don't shit on my beloved food, yo.

I won't, that would be redundant.

 

[jlee]

I seriously doubt a person, or even two people could drink that much soda in a day.

Would I do it personally? No, I'm not that cheap but would I give someone else shit about it if I saw them do it? Nope... not even online where I can spout off the dumbest shit that pops into my head with no thought of the consequences whatsoever.

Actually, now that I think about it, I probably have had a sip of my son's soda from time to time. He usually doesn't go for a refill but he may have at some point. Guess I'm a thief just like the OP.

You really can't see the difference between "a sip of soda" vs intentionally piling multiple people into one free-refill cup?

I am disappoint.

 

[RaistlinZ]

It's not stealing at all. If I pay for a 32oz soda, what I choose to do with that 32oz is my business.

Now, if I put half into my friend's cup and we ask for refills, then yes we are stealing. But if you pay for 32oz and you drink 32oz it doesn't matter if you're sharing it with someone else, IMO.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You really can't see the difference between "a sip of soda" vs intentionally piling multiple people into one free-refill cup?

I am disappoint.

Stealing is stealing, whether it's a sip or a gallon. ()

 

[manimal]

http://www.examiner.com/article/why-soft-drinks-are-huge-profits-for-fast-food-restaurants

The cup costs more than the drink. When I worked fast food years ago we didn't give a damn if someone put soda in their water cup. It was all led from a big plastic packet of sugar and flavoring that costs pennies.

doesnt matter. No matter what justifications you make its still a product that someone charges a said price for. If said price isnt payed its considered theft. It doesnt matter what it costs.


A thief is a thief imo no matter how small the item.


My kids last week at the store tried to open a small piece of candy at the store from one of the bulk bins with the scoops. I took her up front to the checkout line and explained the sitch to the cashier and we rang out the candy because I didnt want her to grow up thinking its ok to steal things even if you can get away with it.


Seems to me your parents missed a few lessons for you.

 

[manimal]

It's not stealing at all. If I pay for a 32oz soda, what I choose to do with that 32oz is my business.

Now, if I put half into my friend's cup and we ask for refills, then yes we are stealing. But if you pay for 32oz and you drink 32oz it doesn't matter if you're sharing it with someone else, IMO.

does that restaurant offer family portions? Do they have a two for 1 price? if not your stealing.