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In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

theguardian.com

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Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#41

Post by mhurron »

nilkn wrote: post #23
CiPHPerCoder wrote: post #17

I personally avoid Chic-Fil-A because of their anti-LGBT and pro-religion values, but I'm glad to hear they're pleasant for children.

It's really unfortunate, because Chic-Fil-A is arguably the best fast food option in the US when it comes to user experience (depending of course on your exact definition of fast food and whether or not you include non-franchised local businesses that nevertheless operate similar to fast food places). I'm routinely impressed with the level of customer service at Chic-Fil-A. It's frankly better than what I've gotten a…

I find Wendy's to be the best option. Chili instead of fries is nice in the winter. If you want the fast food is going to instantly give you a heart attack experience (admit it, sometimes you just want some horrible for you food), there is always Hardees, they get some good specialty burgers from time to time.

I had only been to a Chic-Fil-A a few times before refusing to go there after their stance, and I really do not see what is so special so I'm not feeling like I'm losing out on anything.

I'm laughing, well more smirking really, about the cleanliness of McDonalds in the thread. I stopped eating there after I got sick after getting a drink at two different ones. This was after their McCafe upgrades so it's not like it was a 50 year old restaurant.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#42

Post by stcredzero »

ZeroFries wrote: post #13
smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

Take your kids to McDonalds if it makes sense to you. If you base your decisions on how to raise kids based on social norms/stigmas, you're going to make sub-par decisions.

If you base your decisions on how to raise kids based on social norms/stigmas, you're going to make sub-par decisions.

Just like most of the parents in all of history. People all throughout our history have made "sub-par" decisions. You could say it's the "human condition."

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#43

Post by boona »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #15
RodericDay wrote: post #2

Reminds me of this 2014 article about a "standoff" between McDonald's Employees and elderly Chinese people using it as a community space http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/McDonalds-Elderly-Senio... Also, chess players being evicted from a Vancouver mall after 50 years of congregation http://www.timescolonist.com/chess-players-offered-new-play-... I have an ideological axe to grind here, but I can't help but think…

There's something incredibly American about a multibillion dollar fast-food corporation that's unwittingly found itself as the gathering place for those abandoned by a society that has gutted and underfunded social services.

>gutted and underfunded social services

The US spends so much, that social security and medicare combined have nearly 33 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities. To give you a sense of scale, that's half of the world's gdp. In terms of taxes, there are 4 payees for every beneficiary and it's estimated that by 2030 that number will be 2 to 1.

When you sift through all the propaganda, America is financially imploding because it gives so much. So feel what you wish, but to state that the services are underfunded doesn't match reality.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/01/17/you-think-th...

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#44

Post by shrugger »

gh-lfneu28 wrote: post #31
shrugger wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are the main reasons I go there so often. It's a certain caliber of customer that seems to go there, and I really enjoy the atmosphere and the certainty that there won't be any weirdos or spiky-haired freaks while I'm trying to eat my food. I'm not so big on the whole religion thing, but whatever. They've a right to think that.

Sad to see you downvoted for expressing a great American freedom, voting with your dollars.

Let them.

I have a lot more dollars to vote with than downvotes to sit through.

I have as much right to avoid contributing to disgusting deviants as they do to dislike me for doing so.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#45

Post by slapshot »

grecy wrote: post #30

> I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. Wow. It saddens me to see that statement. I thought it was commonly knowledge that McDonalds isn't actually "food" in the nutrition and health sense of the word any more than cotton candy and pure salt are.

I'm not suggesting that you eat only McDonald's every day. Nobody is. But relative to some of the stuff that kids find palatable? It's not really much better or worse. It's saltier than I would cook at home, but a healthy kid can pass plenty of salt without a problem:

Chicken Nuggets -- pretty standard breaded chicken [1]. I don't love autolysed yeast, but it doesn't make it not "food."

Milk -- same as you can get anywhere else.

French fries -- potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt. Definitely "food."

Chicken sandwich -- again, saltier than I'd cook at home, but the major ingredient is the same chicken meat as anywhere else.

[1] http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/getnutrition/ingredientslist....

[edit: punctuation]

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#46

Post by stevecalifornia »

I recently went to a McDonald's in Austria. I was blown away by how they were going exactly for the community center vibe.

There was a bar with four or five internet connected tablets a half-basketball court next to the jungle gym and patio seating like you'd find at an upscale resteraunt. It also had a dedicated coffee and desert bar. Also, the cash registers were gone and in their place were four huge touchscreens for ordering. The place was like a restaurant from 50 years in the future.

I was shocked at how nice it was and that we don't have any in the US.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#47

Post by bpodgursky »

grecy wrote: post #30

> I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. Wow. It saddens me to see that statement. I thought it was commonly knowledge that McDonalds isn't actually "food" in the nutrition and health sense of the word any more than cotton candy and pure salt are.

There are plenty of "real", "local", "organic" restaurants where the kids' meal is (local) grilled cheese and (organic) fries. How could this possibly be less nutritious?

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#48

Post by robhu »

ccallebs wrote: post #36
CiPHPerCoder wrote: post #17

I personally avoid Chic-Fil-A because of their anti-LGBT and pro-religion values, but I'm glad to hear they're pleasant for children.

That's fair. It was surprising to me that a few local Chic-Fil-A restaurants served food Sunday to those donating blood in Orlando. Maybe it was PR, maybe it wasn't sanctioned by corporate, but I didn't see it coming.

It is part of the Christian religion to love those who are your 'enemies'.

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#49

Post by tetromino_ »

smokey_the_bear wrote: post #6

McDonalds is the only restaurant I enjoy eating at with my 2 and 3 year olds. Every other restaurant is a slog to get through the meal. Honestly I'd eat there more often if it weren't for the social stigma of it. (I live in Berkeley). I am pretty sure the cheeseburger, apple slices, and chocolate milk are not much worse, and probably better, than the typical fare on a slapped together kids meal. When I was a kid, my…

Your kids are your kids and it's your choice how to raise them given your financial and time constraints, but teaching a 3-year-old to associate comfort and happiness with unhealthy food doesn't strike me as the wisest decision. When they are old enough and responsible enough for their bodies, they might decide on their own that they enjoy nicotine, corn syrup, salt, starch, and fry oil - but why bias them towards suboptimal choices so early on?

Re: In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

#50

Post by gh-lfneu28 »

CiPHPerCoder wrote: post #33
gh-lfneu28 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sad to see you downvoted for expressing a great American freedom, voting with your dollars.

I suspect they're being downvoted for comparing LGBT folks to "weirdos or spiky-haired freaks" moreso than having a contrary choice in fast food restaurant.

They didn't draw any comparisons though.
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