Author Topic: Overheard at Work 2  (Read 1117155 times)

ice_beard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1550 on: September 26, 2019, 06:15:42 PM »
To get back on topic:

"I'm investing big in McDonald's!"
-"why?"
"Because when the economy is down, everybody gets MacDonald's because it's cheap, and when the economy is up, everybody gets MacDonald's because they're too busy to cook!"

yup. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-all-the-dividend-aristocrat-stocks-have-performed-this-year-2019-07-25

They're investing in something solid... Just not for the right reasons

I really don’t know if McDonald’s can compete going forward.  They’ve tried so hard for so long to increase their perception of quality and to get people to move up from the languishing dollar menu.  But why on earth would I want to spend day $4 on a Big Mac when I can get an in n out double double for $3.45?  The only thing they have going for them is essentially a loss leader
I don't eat at McDonald's if I can help it, but I own some stock, their stock price has more than doubled in the last 5 years.

My money's on Chick-fil-A

Actually my money is in vtsax, and Chick-fil-A is private, but my metaphorical money would be on them

They've got it down to a science

Not really.  They just brine their chicken in pickle juice.  Try it some time. 

Unbeknownst to me until somewhat recently....  My wifes grandma gifted her shares of McDonalds for a graduation present in the early 00s.  She casually mentioned this to me one of the times I was trying to get her to pay attention to our finances.  We found the online account.  It was not a huge gift, but it has certainly grown over the past twenty years. 

In n Out is only in 2 western states vs. a global restaurant.  Around the world, in most places, McDs is still seen as a unique treat vs here in North America, where it's just another fast food joint in a large pool of FF joints. 

ice_beard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1551 on: September 26, 2019, 10:12:21 PM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1552 on: September 26, 2019, 10:30:45 PM »
I previously had a boss who once came out with the following gem...

"It's simply not possible to take the family on holiday to South Africa for less than $100,000."
Er, maybe he meant SA Rand. 100,000 ZAR is worth about 6,654 USD. Now that would be more like it, lol.

jinga nation

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flipboard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1554 on: September 27, 2019, 01:14:13 PM »
In n Out is only in 2 western states vs. a global restaurant.  Around the world, in most places, McDs is still seen as a unique treat vs here in North America, where it's just another fast food joint in a large pool of FF joints.
U wot? Citation needed...

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1555 on: September 27, 2019, 02:46:46 PM »
In n Out is only in 2 western states vs. a global restaurant.  Around the world, in most places, McDs is still seen as a unique treat vs here in North America, where it's just another fast food joint in a large pool of FF joints.
U wot? Citation needed...
I've had McD's in a few other countries, and I can unequivocally state that the food is better in foreign McD's.  When I was in Russia, it was indeed a nicer place to eat--clean, well-lit, modern, and it tasted quite good.

turketron

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1556 on: September 27, 2019, 02:56:25 PM »
I went to McDonalds more during the 2 weeks I was in Guatemala last summer than I have in the US over the past 10 years. The food was better than here, and more importantly, it was the most reliable place to find a clean bathroom and/or wifi, especially when traveling outside of Guatemala City.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1557 on: September 27, 2019, 03:38:25 PM »
In n Out is only in 2 western states vs. a global restaurant.  Around the world, in most places, McDs is still seen as a unique treat vs here in North America, where it's just another fast food joint in a large pool of FF joints.
U wot? Citation needed...
I've had McD's in a few other countries, and I can unequivocally state that the food is better in foreign McD's.  When I was in Russia, it was indeed a nicer place to eat--clean, well-lit, modern, and it tasted quite good.

McDonald's in Italy were nicer too. And it was a treat when I lived there.

Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1558 on: September 28, 2019, 05:44:13 AM »
Maybe that has something to do with the fact that if something is called '100%beef' it actually has to contain 100% beef? In the US I seem to remember it only has to contain 70% (?) beef to be labelled 100%.

geekette

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1559 on: September 28, 2019, 07:29:48 AM »
Maybe that has something to do with the fact that if something is called '100%beef' it actually has to contain 100% beef? In the US I seem to remember it only has to contain 70% (?) beef to be labelled 100%.
It’s all beef, just not all lean.  It can contain up to 30% fat. You really don’t want a burger made with 100% lean as it would be incredibly dry.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1560 on: September 28, 2019, 01:27:13 PM »
McDonald's in Italy were nicer too. And it was a treat when I lived there.
Well sure, but I'm scepticals that the locals in Italy would consider it a treat, there's much better food to be had there after all.

Same with literally any other country I know of. Except China, american fast food in China has a kind of special position.

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1561 on: September 29, 2019, 01:12:06 AM »
McD's not considered a treat in the UK or any of Europe I've been to. They were maybe 30 years ago. I mean kids think of McD's as a treat if they don't go there all the time, but not because it's amazing cuisine, but because there are plastic toys and play areas.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1562 on: September 30, 2019, 08:18:56 AM »
McD's not considered a treat in the UK or any of Europe I've been to. They were maybe 30 years ago. I mean kids think of McD's as a treat if they don't go there all the time, but not because it's amazing cuisine, but because there are plastic toys and play areas.

I think it's probably the novelty of it. I was in Moscow just after their first McDeathwish opened. Keep in mind this was before the Yeltsin administration so the Soviet planned economy was still in the process of failing to scale well. The line was around the city block. We didn't try to go in, but we debated why it would be such an attraction. We settled on a few key points: novelty, predictability (something many Muscovite restaurants had a problem with because supply issues meant they frequently ran out of food, whereas McDeathwish had its independent supply line because it was a franchise), a minor sense of rebellion in the form of embracing an obvious capitalist icon, and some quality control in the food safety which is something that can only be appreciated if you've seen raw meat for sale in an open-air market (no packaging whatsoever... planned economy strikes again).

Obviously Italy doesn't have the planned economy problems that the former Soviet Union did, so it must be a combination of the novelty and the tourists from the other side of the Atlantic.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1563 on: September 30, 2019, 09:16:09 AM »
McDonald's in Italy were nicer too. And it was a treat when I lived there.
Well sure, but I'm scepticals that the locals in Italy would consider it a treat, there's much better food to be had there after all.

Same with literally any other country I know of. Except China, american fast food in China has a kind of special position.

I made a mistake - we (my American friends) thought it was a treat b/c we were living in Italy and homesick to varying degrees. The McDonald's nearest us was usually busy just like here in the states. This was the early 1990s.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1564 on: September 30, 2019, 09:34:36 AM »
My Italian friends appreciated a good burger and introduced me to a great Mom 'n Pop place with a view of the bay. It was more of a sit down and wait kind of restaurant.

McDonald's in Italy was more upscale than the states at the time. Was more like a Starbucks than the kid themed, plastic furniture, clown mascot, 2 cent toy in your Happy Meal kind of place.

AerynLee

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1565 on: October 01, 2019, 11:27:07 AM »
Not overheard at my work, but from two gas station employees talking:

E1: T-shirts are like $23. No one makes $23 an hour
E2: Maybe software engineers
E1: I can't even afford thrift store shirt prices

solon

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1566 on: October 01, 2019, 11:32:37 AM »
Not overheard at my work, but from two gas station employees talking:

E1: T-shirts are like $23. No one makes $23 an hour
E2: Maybe software engineers
E1: I can't even afford thrift store shirt prices

I shook my head on every line of this dialog. By the end I was LOLing.

bluebelle

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1567 on: October 01, 2019, 01:15:59 PM »
Not overheard at my work, but from two gas station employees talking:

E1: T-shirts are like $23. No one makes $23 an hour
E2: Maybe software engineers
E1: I can't even afford thrift store shirt prices

I shook my head on every line of this dialog. By the end I was LOLing.
I think there's a tenancy to think everyone is 'just like me'.....but it's sad that they think software engineers make less than $50K a year. 

cloudsail

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1568 on: October 01, 2019, 01:27:04 PM »
Not overheard at my work, but from two gas station employees talking:

E1: T-shirts are like $23. No one makes $23 an hour
E2: Maybe software engineers
E1: I can't even afford thrift store shirt prices

It's been a while since I've heard a conversation where every single line was totally and completely wrong.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1569 on: October 01, 2019, 01:33:35 PM »
My Italian friends appreciated a good burger and introduced me to a great Mom 'n Pop place with a view of the bay. It was more of a sit down and wait kind of restaurant.

McDonald's in Italy was more upscale than the states at the time. Was more like a Starbucks than the kid themed, plastic furniture, clown mascot, 2 cent toy in your Happy Meal kind of place.

It's still like that here in Italy.  I've only been to McDonalds maybe 3 times with the kids since I've lived here in Italy but each time the place has been packed with well dressed Italians for a family meal out.  I think it's a combination of the fact that the McDonaldses here are nicer than in the US (cleaner and often in historic buildings) and the fact that people have a lot less disposable income here as a rule due to low salaries so eating out is always a treat.  My Italian friends were kind of surprised that I had a negative view of McDonalds.  Fast food isn't a big thing here so McD's is pretty much your only option of that's what you want.

Jouer

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1570 on: October 01, 2019, 02:04:09 PM »
Re: McD's in Europe:

They were everywhere in eastern europe when I visited last month. I grabbed a late-night drunken Big Mac in Salzburg one night b/c there was nothing else open.

Keeping with stereotypes, the only others in there at that hour besides us (drunk Canadians) were drunk Aussies.

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1571 on: October 01, 2019, 02:17:04 PM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.

bluebelle

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1572 on: October 01, 2019, 02:29:42 PM »
Re: McD's in Europe:

They were everywhere in eastern europe when I visited last month. I grabbed a late-night drunken Big Mac in Salzburg one night b/c there was nothing else open.

Keeping with stereotypes, the only others in there at that hour besides us (drunk Canadians) were drunk Aussies.
drunk Canadians and dunk Aussies - now THAT sounds like a party!   

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1573 on: October 01, 2019, 03:44:00 PM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.

You don’t like americano?

Kris

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1574 on: October 01, 2019, 04:49:27 PM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.

You don’t like americano?

Yeah, when I was living in France and my parents came to visit me is when I discovered the Americano. It was the only coffee at a cafe they could handle. It worked just fine for them, though.

Gremlin

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1575 on: October 01, 2019, 06:28:16 PM »
I previously had a boss who once came out with the following gem...

"It's simply not possible to take the family on holiday to South Africa for less than $100,000."
Er, maybe he meant SA Rand. 100,000 ZAR is worth about 6,654 USD. Now that would be more like it, lol.
Whilst that does sound more reasonable, I can definitely confirm that wasn't the case...

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1576 on: October 01, 2019, 08:51:02 PM »
Re: McD's in Europe:

They were everywhere in eastern europe when I visited last month. I grabbed a late-night drunken Big Mac in Salzburg one night b/c there was nothing else open.

Keeping with stereotypes, the only others in there at that hour besides us (drunk Canadians) were drunk Aussies.
drunk Canadians and dunk Aussies - now THAT sounds like a party!

Add in a few drunk South Africans and you have yourself a base metal mine! They all drink way too much, I couldn't keep up.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1577 on: October 02, 2019, 09:21:48 AM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

We work a 5-4-9 schedule where we're off every other Friday.  TPTB discovered years ago that making payday the Thursday before the off-Friday was a great way to prevent this.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1578 on: October 02, 2019, 09:22:00 AM »
Not overheard at my work, but from two gas station employees talking:

E1: T-shirts are like $23. No one makes $23 an hour
E2: Maybe software engineers
E1: I can't even afford thrift store shirt prices
There is an easy solution to this: Kick out one of them and let the gas station be run by only the remaining one, like it is done here everywhere.
Than the other could earn double the salary... well, actually not, because of capitalism. He would likely earn less since there is now one more worker waiting to take his job.

But going away from the propaganda: What would happen if you told those two guys that in the not so distant past poor people did not worry one inch over T-Shirt prices, because all they could ever hope to have was 2 sets of work clothes covered with patches and one good set for sundays?

Clothing has become so rediculously cheap (and admittely often of the equivalent quality) they should never be on your list of worries. Not because of the price. Shoes that fit my feet - now that is a different topic :(

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1579 on: October 02, 2019, 11:37:39 AM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

We work a 5-4-9 schedule where we're off every other Friday.  TPTB discovered years ago that making payday the Thursday before the off-Friday was a great way to prevent this.

Some jobs ago I had co-workers who often called us in for a payday visit to the pub, each month again. Of course, I never saw the point of spending your payday the first day in the pub. In the further past this happened regularly, working men spending their paycheck in the pub, leaving their wife and children without income.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2019, 02:18:49 AM by Linea_Norway »

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1580 on: October 02, 2019, 03:01:17 PM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

We work a 5-4-9 schedule where we're off every other Friday.  TPTB discovered years ago that making payday the Thursday before the off-Friday was a great way to prevent this.

Some jobs ago 8 had co-workers who often called us in for a payday visit to the pub, each month again. Of course, I never saw the point of spending your payday the first day in the pub. In the further past this happened regularly, working men spending their paycheck in the pub, leaving their wife and children without income.

Here too, back in the 1860s - it was the start of the temperance movement in Canada. In 1945 when Family Allowance was introduced, the money went to the mothers in hope that the money would get spent on the children instead of at the pub.  It mostly worked.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1581 on: October 03, 2019, 08:57:50 AM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.

If I recall correctly you have to ask for a "Caffè Americano". Its a watered down espresso but gets the job done.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1582 on: October 03, 2019, 09:05:56 AM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

We work a 5-4-9 schedule where we're off every other Friday.  TPTB discovered years ago that making payday the Thursday before the off-Friday was a great way to prevent this.

Some jobs ago 8 had co-workers who often called us in for a payday visit to the pub, each month again. Of course, I never saw the point of spending your payday the first day in the pub. In the further past this happened regularly, working men spending their paycheck in the pub, leaving their wife and children without income.

Here too, back in the 1860s - it was the start of the temperance movement in Canada. In 1945 when Family Allowance was introduced, the money went to the mothers in hope that the money would get spent on the children instead of at the pub.  It mostly worked.

That's the kind of history people need to be taught. The temperance movement was more than a bunch of wet blankets. Well, I'm sure there were some wet blankets among the supporters. ;)

Wonder if the legalized pot will ever go sideways and become a problem?

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1583 on: October 03, 2019, 09:30:31 AM »
I work in a hospital and on some "pay day" Friday nights, an absurd amount of staff call off work.  Nurses, nurses assistants, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Even when I was a teenager and got paid on Fridays, I never had to call off work so I could spend that money the day I got it.  I don't get it.

We work a 5-4-9 schedule where we're off every other Friday.  TPTB discovered years ago that making payday the Thursday before the off-Friday was a great way to prevent this.

Some jobs ago 8 had co-workers who often called us in for a payday visit to the pub, each month again. Of course, I never saw the point of spending your payday the first day in the pub. In the further past this happened regularly, working men spending their paycheck in the pub, leaving their wife and children without income.

Here too, back in the 1860s - it was the start of the temperance movement in Canada. In 1945 when Family Allowance was introduced, the money went to the mothers in hope that the money would get spent on the children instead of at the pub.  It mostly worked.

That's the kind of history people need to be taught. The temperance movement was more than a bunch of wet blankets. Well, I'm sure there were some wet blankets among the supporters. ;)

Wonder if the legalized pot will ever go sideways and become a problem?

The temperance movement was an attempt to get beyond paycheck-to-paycheck living and live-for-the-moment culture, which large numbers of people recognized as not being conducive to health or happiness especially in old age. However they misidentified alcohol as a vital link in the chain, if not the root cause of both those cultural problems. In reality, cultural problems such as the widespread acceptance of irresponsible living and the boring, meaningless lives (the kind that people drink or drug themselves up to avoid) stretched way beyond booze, and addiction turned out to be a phenomenon that didn't require alcohol.

I doubt live-for-the-moment culture will ever go away; it's become mainstream.

flipboard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1584 on: October 05, 2019, 08:39:55 AM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.
I thought the whole point of travelling was to experience how life is lived in other places.

Then again if one really wants filter coffees, most specialty coffee shops around the world seem to  offer both espresso-based drinks and pourover.

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1585 on: October 05, 2019, 08:59:07 AM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.
I thought the whole point of travelling was to experience how life is lived in other places.

Then again if one really wants filter coffees, most specialty coffee shops around the world seem to  offer both espresso-based drinks and pourover.
Sure. But when you live there for a year sometimes you just want a damn coffee like at home.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1586 on: October 05, 2019, 10:33:56 AM »
I don't eat fastfood when I'm at home, but when I'm on holidays you can find me in a McD a lot more often, for several reasons: they have reliable wifi, clean toilets and safe food. I have immune issues so when I doubt in foreign countries, I look for the big yellow M. These days they offer pretty good quality food (for a fastfood place) lots of salads and veggie options on the menu. Their food is probably the best quality of all the cheap fastfood places. My doctor always recommends food from big American corporations in countries where the food quality is lower, because they risk getting sued for $$$$$ so they go to extreme lengths to make sure their food is safe and their internal regulations are super strict. I guess compensation culture is good for something :)

They are opening McCafe's in many cities in Europe now, that basically look like Starbucks except they cost half as much. They look pretty nice on the outside and McDonalds is known to have good coffee (at least in my country, don't know if they use the same machines everywhere). We grab a coffee from them with a group of coworkers a couple of times a year because it's the only restaurant in walking distance from our office and our work coffee is awful. It's maybe 5 times a year so the bonding aspect is worth the money.  I have never visited Starbucks ever because it just seems so expensive - who in the right minds would pay over €5 for a cup of coffee when it costs half elsewhere?

nnls

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1587 on: October 05, 2019, 04:17:11 PM »

They are opening McCafe's in many cities in Europe now, that basically look like Starbucks except they cost half as much.

McCafes have been in Australia for a long time, are they new in Europe and the USA?

Edit: I looked it up apparently they started in Australia


« Last Edit: October 05, 2019, 04:19:15 PM by nnls »

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1588 on: October 05, 2019, 07:54:16 PM »
In France I went once with a friend because it was the only place you could get a cup of coffee. Any cafe where you ordered a coffee would serve an espresso.
I thought the whole point of travelling was to experience how life is lived in other places.

Then again if one really wants filter coffees, most specialty coffee shops around the world seem to  offer both espresso-based drinks and pourover.
Sure. But when you live there for a year sometimes you just want a damn coffee like at home.
My uncle legit treats Starbucks like the Hard Rock Cafe.  He travels all over the world but HAS to hit a Starbucks in every city and hopefully get a mug if it has a local print.  There are fewer Starbucks abroad (especially nations that have high coffee pride like France and Italy) but they do exist in tourist areas

geekette

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1589 on: October 05, 2019, 08:35:10 PM »
My mom (who has traveled to over 100 countries) has a goal every trip of getting pics of a McDonald’s, a bride, and a cat. Oddly, the latter is often the hardest!

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1590 on: October 06, 2019, 01:59:16 AM »
My mom (who has traveled to over 100 countries) has a goal every trip of getting pics of a McDonald’s, a bride, and a cat. Oddly, the latter is often the hardest!

Such a fun idea!

Mellow Mallow

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1591 on: October 06, 2019, 03:32:15 AM »

They are opening McCafe's in many cities in Europe now, that basically look like Starbucks except they cost half as much.

McCafes have been in Australia for a long time, are they new in Europe and the USA?

Edit: I looked it up apparently they started in Australia

I didn't know that either. Our national caffeine addiction strikes again! :)

dcheesi

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1592 on: October 06, 2019, 05:27:17 AM »

They are opening McCafe's in many cities in Europe now, that basically look like Starbucks except they cost half as much.

McCafes have been in Australia for a long time, are they new in Europe and the USA?

Edit: I looked it up apparently they started in Australia

I didn't know that either. Our national caffeine addiction strikes again! :)
It's been a 'thing' in the US for a few years now.

BlueHouse

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1593 on: October 06, 2019, 09:06:10 AM »
Office mate at work traded her car in for the exact same model, just another year.  No reason other than the dealership offered it to her and she thought it was a good deal.  It didn't cost her anything out of pocket and her payment stayed exactly the same. 

I pointed out that she in essence just rented her last car for the past year.  She didn't see why that was a bad thing.  She felt it was totally normal and okay to always have a car payment.  With that in mind, I didn't see any way to talk her out of doing this again next year.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1594 on: October 06, 2019, 02:00:35 PM »
Office mate at work traded her car in for the exact same model, just another year.  No reason other than the dealership offered it to her and she thought it was a good deal.  It didn't cost her anything out of pocket and her payment stayed exactly the same. 

I pointed out that she in essence just rented her last car for the past year.  She didn't see why that was a bad thing.  She felt it was totally normal and okay to always have a car payment.  With that in mind, I didn't see any way to talk her out of doing this again next year.

There's no point. I've tried it with people whose 5-year lease contract ends and they "get" to pick out a new car. They talk about it like it's a gift from Father Christmas instead of a big purchase with their own money.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1595 on: October 06, 2019, 03:46:09 PM »
Office mate at work traded her car in for the exact same model, just another year.  No reason other than the dealership offered it to her and she thought it was a good deal.  It didn't cost her anything out of pocket and her payment stayed exactly the same. 

I pointed out that she in essence just rented her last car for the past year.  She didn't see why that was a bad thing.  She felt it was totally normal and okay to always have a car payment.  With that in mind, I didn't see any way to talk her out of doing this again next year.

There's no point. I've tried it with people whose 5-year lease contract ends and they "get" to pick out a new car. They talk about it like it's a gift from Father Christmas instead of a big purchase with their own money.

Whereas I'm over here having a minor meltdown because I have to get a new car after mine was flooded and declared totaled. I don't exactly make a habit of throwing around thousands of dollar in a single purchase.

Kris

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1596 on: October 06, 2019, 04:05:02 PM »
There is a contingent in our population that literally thinks of car payments as so normal they can’t wrap their heads around the concept of paying one off... and then not having a car payment. Just owning a car.

I never had a car payment until I was 37 years old. Before then, I just bought beaters and only paid what I could afford. I bought one new car, realized what BS that was, and then went back to used cars I could pay for.

I’m super thankful for my early experiences. I can’t even imagine how much I’ve saved on this over the years.

prudent_one

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1597 on: October 06, 2019, 04:12:26 PM »
My mom (who has traveled to over 100 countries) has a goal every trip of getting pics of a McDonald’s, a bride, and a cat. Oddly, the latter is often the hardest!

Maybe in some countries, McDonald's got to the cats first? ;)

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1598 on: October 06, 2019, 04:23:39 PM »
Office mate at work traded her car in for the exact same model, just another year.  No reason other than the dealership offered it to her and she thought it was a good deal.  It didn't cost her anything out of pocket and her payment stayed exactly the same. 

I pointed out that she in essence just rented her last car for the past year.  She didn't see why that was a bad thing.  She felt it was totally normal and okay to always have a car payment.  With that in mind, I didn't see any way to talk her out of doing this again next year.

There's no point. I've tried it with people whose 5-year lease contract ends and they "get" to pick out a new car. They talk about it like it's a gift from Father Christmas instead of a big purchase with their own money.

This is why Apple introduces the iPhone purchase plan.  I know people who pay monthly and “get” the new iPhone when it comes out every year.  Act as if it’s a miracle from saint jobs

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #1599 on: October 07, 2019, 04:26:28 AM »
Office mate at work traded her car in for the exact same model, just another year.  No reason other than the dealership offered it to her and she thought it was a good deal.  It didn't cost her anything out of pocket and her payment stayed exactly the same. 

I pointed out that she in essence just rented her last car for the past year.  She didn't see why that was a bad thing.  She felt it was totally normal and okay to always have a car payment.  With that in mind, I didn't see any way to talk her out of doing this again next year.

There's no point. I've tried it with people whose 5-year lease contract ends and they "get" to pick out a new car. They talk about it like it's a gift from Father Christmas instead of a big purchase with their own money.


My uncle's second wife wanted a new car every three years.  It finally got to the point where they decided it was better (or the dealership could no longer roll enough negative equity into the deal) that they should just lease her cars.