Comment by dajohnson89 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dajohnson89 | Hacker News Reader

I'm a regular McDonald's customer for breakfast, about 3-4 times per week. the ones I go to in NYC have kiosks. I refuse to use them. here's why:

* I order an off-menu item (scrambled eggs, they're delicious and you're welcome). it's literally impossible (afaik) to get it from the kiosk

* i want to see somebody and and have some kind of interaction. I'm a software engineer and I'm about to spend 8 hours staring at a computer screen with minimal human contact. I'm a huge introvert but still human and will go crazy alone just like everyone else.

* sometimes the cashiers are cool. I don't mean to be creepy but last week one definitely was flirting with me and asked where I'm from. it got so intense, that at the end she burst out in laughter and she was smiling at me the whole time till I got my order and left. Im a single guy in his 20s, don't skewer me for this. another time, this guy made a d&d joke (!!) and we both had a good laugh.

* I don't want to touch a filthy screen. there's 200+ ppl in these places at a given time... remember this is downtown Manhattan.they do an admirable job of keeping the place clean, but it's just one more unnecessary disease vector

* I used to be a cashier at a KFC in high school. it helped pay for my first, oh so shitty car. $7/hr, I was happy because minimum wage at the time was like $6.50. I made money, got tasty free employee meals, learned how to work with others, and met tons of cool people (and some shitty ones). it taught me a lot and we had fun.

Not sure how to fix the first one.

I'm totally opposite on point #2, I have social anxiety and don't like interacting with people if I can help it lol.

Third point: sometimes they are jerks too, and provide shitty service. But if I had their job, I would too - so I totally understand. Many don't speak much english here.

Fourth : Use a disinfectant wipe. The cashier touches lots of money, and the register, then may touch your food, drink containers, fries, etc...

Fifth: My first job was McDonalds, I've worked at Steak-n-Shake, a Mexican restaurant as a busser, and Papa Johns (Delivery) All before I was 20 (38 now).

It was valuable to me, but I believe in universal basic income, and I believe that in order for it to happen, and for us to move into post-scarcity we must haste the transition to automation. I'd like to see as many jobs as possibly turn over to machines in the next decade. It'll force conversations about alternate ways for society to exist.

We could choose to put all non-workers into concentration like camps, where they're fed shitty food, and just exist... maybe they ride bikes to power society and watch social media shows all day (Black mirror ep. on this)...

Maybe we give everyone basic income and they can afford a roof, food, clothes, education, and maybe many will start some side project or entrepreneurial thing when there aren't traditional jobs, there might still be barter/trade of sorts outside normal commerce.

30-40% of jobs will be gone by 2030 (that's 12 years away)... This is just one part of that move.

I'd be surprised if having a cashier breathing on you wasn't more unsanitary than touching the tip of you finger on a glass panel a few times.

More hands touch the door handle entering the building than the kiosk.

Fingers also touch faces including the inside of mouths, ears, eyes, etc.

Sounds like you're an ideal customer for a diner, not McDonald's.

I have about 10 minutes to grab food, not a half hour

Is there any way you could change your routine? Personally, I despise being rushed in my meals.

> about 3-4 times per week.

You might wanna rethink your diet, that makes a very unhealthy impression.

> I don't want to touch a filthy screen.

There is an app for it. I think it was/will released this summer.

>You might wanna rethink your diet, that makes a very unhealthy impression.

Coming from /u/PurpleRamen, that's rich :-). But seriously, I get oatmeal, scrambled eggs, a hasbrown and maybe a diet coke if not bottled water. Not terrific, but hard to beat the price/convenience/speed/taste factor.

> * I don't want to touch a filthy screen.

I usually interact with public touchscreens using the tip of my credit card for this very reason. Works better than my fingers anyway

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