Hot water costs 25 cents

I’ve been avoiding fast food lately.  A friend of mine gave it up for Lent and that made me think about how often I opt for fast food choices myself.  I’m not cutting it out entirely, but I think it would be healthier for me in general if I were to consume less of it.  Today, however, I went to McDonald’s.  Why?  Because my grandma, of all people, wanted to go. Why?  Because she had coupons.  You can’t argue with that logic.

We went to the one on No. 2 & Blundell in Richmond.  I’m not a big fan of this location.  Yes, I do consider myself to be somewhat of an expert regarding the various McDonald’s locations that exist in my area and the surrounding areas in which I travel.  I can’t remember why I didn’t like it but I think I had a bad experience there in the past.  I think the bathroom was dirty and the service was bad.

Anyway, the service was alright this time.  Except for one thing.  I went and ordered my McChicken sandwiches, fries, and drinks (no, they weren’t all for me, my brother and sister were there as well).  And I asked if I could also get a small cup of hot water.  My grandma also wanted hot water because that’s what she drinks.  It was bad enough that she was in a McDonald’s where they’ve apparently discontinued the grilled chicken sandwich that they used to have there and she used to order in the past.  She had to opt for one of their new bistro sandwiches, while eliminating the sauce, tomatoes, and ingredients that she cannot have in her diet.  Then again, she was the one who wanted to go there.

As for the water, I apparently could not have a small cup of hot water as I had so nicely asked for.  Apparently, hot water costs 25 cents.  Even if you’ve already bought stuff.  If I spend over $10 at McDonald’s, the least they could do is give me a small cup of hot water for free.  Hell, if I buy one item off the $1.39 menu, I expect that they’d let me have free water.  In other McDonald’s locations I’ve been to, they don’t charge you for water if you’ve bought something.  Even if you go to Starbucks or Tim Hortons, you can get hot water if you buy something.  So why does McDonald’s suddenly think that they’re water is such a precious commodity all of a sudden?

I don’t understand what the 25 cents is for.  Are they charging you for the cup?  No, because they’re more than willing to give you a cup to go get cold water.  And they’re willing to give you cold water for free.  So I guess they’re charging you for having boiled it?  The process of boiling it deserves a fee I guess?  But they boil water anyway, to make tea for the customers who order tea.  And those people aren’t being charged for the hot water, they’re being charged for the tea bag.  I guess it’s pretty much just a way for them to make a bit of an extra profit.  But I doubt that many people are asking for hot water.

I’d already paid, and I didn’t want to have to take out my Visa to pay for hot water.  Also I didn’t think I should have to.  So I asked for a cold water instead.  Which you do not have to pay for.  Usually they just give you tap water or something.  But here, they give you a small cup, so you can go fill it with water yourself where you fill your cups at the pop machines.  But there’s nothing to stop you from filling that cup meant for water with pop instead.  I find it interesting how they’re so overprotective of their hot water, but there are no regulations whatsoever put on their soft drinks.  Way to go, McDonald’s, way to go.