Foo - Some one ordered $38 worth of food going through the Del Taco drive thru line!

I admit; I do the drive thru line thing at lunch alot. I have only about 20 minutes to get out and get food and get back.

Del Taco is a fast food mexican place like Taco Bell only much better. The best thing its cheap. I can get a taco, a small burrito and a medium ice tea for $2.30.

So I drive through. There is one car ahead of me. Its one of those newer VW bugs (which I think are ugly) I see two women in it. There is an DT employee outside taking orders. They chat back and forth for at least 10 minutes. The line behind me is now backing up and a mess. I finally get my turn and say "good grief what were they doing - refinancing a house???" She replies "No but close. They ordered $38 worth of food - enjoy your wait!!!" Obviously she was as ticked as I!

OK People - Drive thru etiquette:

1) Before you get in line have some idea what you want. Don't spend time asking "so...what's in that?" or "How big are the portions?" If you have questions, GO INSIDE!

2) 2 order per car maximum - period. Only exception is a mom with some kids. Otherwise GO INSIDE!

3) Don't change your order at the pick up window. Get it right the first time. If you have a grievance, GO INSIDE!

4) If you are lonely, go to park and annoy people there. Telling the employee your life story is not OK especially when there are people behind you!

This is my public service annoucement... have a good day!

BTW I had to wait 16 minutes for my food because it took that long to complete the stupid womens' order. With the 10 minutes before I was late back to work. Not cool!

You don't want to wait in the drive through line.......

GO INSIDE

I admit; I do the drive thru line thing at lunch alot. I have only about 20 minutes to get out and get food and get back.

Del Taco is a fast food mexican place like Taco Bell only much better. The best thing its cheap. I can get a taco, a small burrito and a medium ice tea for $2.30.

So I drive through. There is one car ahead of me. Its one of those newer VW bugs (which I think are ugly) I see two women in it. There is an DT employee outside taking orders. They chat back and forth for at least 10 minutes. The line behind me is now backing up and a mess. I finally get my turn and say "good grief what were they doing - refinancing a house???" She replies "No but close. They ordered $38 worth of food - enjoy your wait!!!" Obviously she was as ticked as I!

OK People - Drive thru etiquette:

1) Before you get in line have some idea what you want. Don't spend time asking "so...what's in that?" or "How big are the portions?" If you have questions, GO INSIDE!

2) 2 order per car maximum - period. Only exception is a mom with some kids. Otherwise GO INSIDE!

3) Don't change your order at the pick up window. Get it right the first time. If you have a grievance, GO INSIDE!

4) If you are lonely, go to park and annoy people there. Telling the employee your life story is not OK especially when there are people behind you!

This is my public service annoucement... have a good day!

BTW I had to wait 16 minutes for my food because it took that long to complete the stupid womens' order. With the 10 minutes before I was late back to work. Not cool!

Sorry, but I fail to see why you think you have priority over the people in line ahead of you, regardless of how big their order is.

I eat a cliff bar at my desk. I'd sooner starve than eat fast food from a chain.

But if you get people to cooperate with those suggestions, next you can take on the people who decide to address and stamp their envelopes while sitting in front of the drive up mailboxes at the post office, oblivious to the line of people behind them who just want to throw their mail in the box and be on their way.

Del Taco? Chili Fries!

The outrage! They shoulda helped cook it too.

Bring a sandwich, no lines, no wait, no nasties.

I can see how you may have driven up and then found yourself trapped behind some people who were making a big order and they should have considered going in and waiting but that might be expecting too much.

But this is really a first world problem.

I don't use the drive through unless I am on my bike... :)

If you had the option to back out, you should have taken that.

I eat a cliff bar at my desk. I'd sooner starve than eat fast food from a chain.

Me too. Every once in a while the wife wants to go through the drive-through at McD's. I would rather open up and eat a can of cat food myself. On crackers it probably wouldn't be that bad - sort of like pate, except I call it cate. :lol:

No option to back out - by the time i realized what had happened 6 cars were behind me.

Lesson learned, I usually bring my lunch but just sometimes I need to grocery shop so I go out and get something. DT is usually my first choice as it is fast and convenient. But I am one of those people who think there should be posted rules... Drive thru are for people in a hurry... but that's just me! It's not a matter of who has priority - its a matter of common courtesy. But sadly people don't know what that is anymore.

BTW in the state of CA you cannot drive thru on a bike - you are considered ot be a pedestrian. Trust me I have tried this before!

Drive thru are for people in a hurry... but that's just my assumption!
FIFY. Drive thru is only a convenience for people who don't want to get out of their cars.

BTW in the state of CA you cannot drive thru on a bike - you are considered ot be a pedestrian.

For those who can remember the days before ATM machines, that used to be a real problem trying to get money out of a bank on a Saturday when only the drive through lines were open.

Sometimes I'd have to park my bike and prevail on an auto driver to let me sit in their car and do my transaction when they were doing theirs. But that was hard to do because after all, who's going to trust a man who doesn't own a car.

I tried to walk through a drive through in AZ once. I was on a walk from my hotel, it was 10pm, I needed some food. I was the only person in line. This was a few years ago before all of the fast food places were open all the time, so the dining room was closed. They must not have had a camera, because they didn't notice I was on foot until I was at the pickup window and then they refused to give me my verrry late dinner to me. So I said fine, and walked away.

FIFY. Drive thru is only a convenience for people who don't want to get out of their cars.

IMO, drive thru is for those people too lazy to get out of their cars and walk their arses to the counter.:D

Drive thru is for to go orders, so are walk in to go orders. Who knows and who cares who else is in a bigger hurry?

I've stepped up to a counter before to order and just as I begin, "DING". Hold on please I have a car. I've expressed my opinion many times to counter waiters. So if I'm too lazy to get out of my car to order, I have to wait for someone who arrived after me? Sorry sir, may I take your order? ;)

Same with phone orders. Can't count the times I've been interrupted by phone orders while I am ordering. I have a **** fit when they put me on hold for a phone order. No, you are taking my order cause I was next and not too friggin' lazy to walk my ass into your joint.:mad:

We're not all lazy. Some of us have small kids and would rather eat it at home than make a spectacle of ourselves in a restaurant. :)

One of the few fast food places I actually choose for the food is In-And-Out.

There just what the Drive Through line means can depend on the location.

For the 2 close to home it has a huge element of "There is no where to Park". It sure is NOT for I'm in a hurry. When there was only one near me I woudl sometimes park half a block away and walk because it was still much faster. For the one far away from home (but near where I went to College so a stop when I'm back there and need food) the drive through is clearly for those to lazy to leave their cars. At least for any time of the day I have been there. I always walk in to save time.

In a hurry is always walk in time for me, except for places where I can see the line, the whole line, before comitting to the drive through. And if in a real hurry not even then if ther is still anyone still in line to order.

At least for any time of the day I have been there. I always walk in to save time.

In a hurry is always walk in time for me, except for places where I can see the line, the whole line, before comitting to the drive through. And if in a real hurry not even then if ther is still anyone still in line to order.

There are many many times I see 1 customer inside and a line full of cars. I get served before most even order. Common sense says you are going to be waiting much longer in the drive. ;)

As far as the samll child thing, I can say we had a 1 year old, a 3, a 4 and a 6 and never had problmes making spectacles of ourselves in a restaurant. Not to mention Del Taco isn't like a quiet fine dining joint. But even in a nice quiet place, we never had problems. If anything, we got lots of compliments on how well behaved our children were. :D

One more reason to support your LTT (local taco truck).

All the taco stands in OC and you go to Del Taco?

Fish burrito.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8031/8047357629_980c6380d5.jpg

Chile relleno burrito.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/8055628704_20b4e4f7b7.jpg

Most of them have drive throughs.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6145/6010195091_be85717638.jpg

All the taco stands in OC and you go to Del Taco?

Last time I hit up a taco truck, I got chased by a SoCal forum member (works for La Migra) cause he didn't recognize me without a helmet.:roflmao:

Ohhh now I want a burrito.

Pro tip: Look for a place that has soccer trophies and an icon of La Virgen. If it offers chivo, lengua, sesos, and weenies, that's your place.

As far as the samll child thing, I can say we had a 1 year old, a 3, a 4 and a 6 and never had problmes making spectacles of ourselves in a restaurant. Not to mention Del Taco isn't like a quiet fine dining joint. But even in a nice quiet place, we never had problems. If anything, we got lots of compliments on how well behaved our children were. :D

Our oldest (2.5) is pretty easily distracted. I guess most toddlers are. But he's okay if the food comes up pretty quick. Maybe we don't carry enough toys for him or something. And our youngest (7mo) is just getting to the point where she's experimenting with food. They're plenty well-behaved, but somewhat messy. I guess it's more of a mess thing than a behavior thing. He's getting better about it, though... but she's just starting. :)

Anyways, we're NEVER EVER EVER in a fast-food chain place because of my wife's diet (SCD, no sugars, no sweeteners, no starches), so it's all hole-in-the-wall taquerias and sometimes middle eastern or greek places (cuisines that don't use sugar) and such for us.

Having never eaten at Del Taco, but married to someone who was stationed near San Diego for a time while in the Navy- and won't shut up about the chili fries- I'm fairly sure my family could drop $38 on the first visit. We will have the decency to order inside at the counter (you don't get free drink refills out the drive thru window).

Now that I think about it, the Wonder Twins' first sit-down restaurant experience was at a local Mexican place. Nothing better for a little kid than refried beans.

It's always the rice for the boy... it just ends up all over town.

... but I guess we went out three times in a row last weekend and they all went just fine, so I can't say anything anymore. :)

All the taco stands in OC and you go to Del Taco?

This is the truth. There's much better places on probably just about every corner.

And Del Taco is no better than Taco Bell ;)

But he's okay if the food comes up pretty quick.

SO am I :roflmao:

SO am I :roflmao:

Aren't we all?

Pro tip: Look for a place that has soccer trophies and an icon of La Virgen. If it offers chivo, lengua, sesos, and weenies, that's your place.

I haven't seen sesos in a while. Even the taco trucks stopped offering it around here a few years ago - delayed reaction to mad cow.

pics or didn't happened

I had a homemade fish burrito for dinner. Delish.

They were probably ingesting large amounts of cannabis... or getting lunch for the office, but I would think that's a 1 person job.

I don't recall ever going to DelTaco but I used to go to TacoBell occasionally. TacoBell is very inexpensive for what you get. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to actually CARRY what you can buy for $38 at TacoBell.

I refuse to go through drivethru lines unless someone forces me to (like my wife). I always end up in line behind someone that wants to take 10 minutes to place their order. I much prefer to park and go inside.

Pro tip: Look for a place that has soccer trophies and an icon of La Virgen. If it offers chivo, lengua, sesos, and weenies, that's your place.

I agree, if it doesn't serve tacos of sesos, trompas or lengua, it's not worth my time!

My guess is none of the other places have a drive through window?

My favorite is the taco stand ran by the Mexican on the street corner outside my work.

You don't want to wait in the drive through line.......

GO INSIDE

This.

And $38 of Del Taco food will save you $500 in professionally administered enemas. Good trade off.

Sorry, but I fail to see why you think you have priority over the people in line ahead of you, regardless of how big their order is.

That is not Pam's point. Her point is that people think nothing about anyone but themselves. An order of this size should have probably been called in.

First, you are right Pam. Del Taco is better. Second, what did the guy in the passenger seat order??

That is not Pam's point. Her point is that people think nothing about anyone but themselves. An order of this size should have probably been called in.

Welllllll... isn't that what Pam is doing in her OP, thinking only of herself by having to wait while someone else does their business?

Welllllll... isn't that what Pam is doing in her OP, thinking only of herself by having to wait while someone else does their business?

No. There were a lot of other people in the line too that were inconvenienced.

I like Maryland where you can drive up to the liquor store to get alcohol and cigarettes

While true.....if you have to wait 15 minutes in a drive-thru....isn't a big deal, go annoy somebody at the park with your story. :p

No but srsly i've never been to Del Taco and i wanted to go with these coupons we got in the mail.

I'm gonna try the bike through a drive-thru thing and complain when they don't let me. They don't have bike parking and a bike rides on the street like a car so what's the freakin problem!? I hope TC isn't behind me cause i'll make him late.......

Pro tip: Look for a place that has soccer trophies and an icon of La Virgen. If it offers chivo, lengua, sesos, and weenies, that's your place.
Or FMF soccer team logos.

That is not Pam's point. Her point is that people think nothing about anyone but themselves. An order of this size should have probably been called in.

If she was in such a hurry, what would have happened if she had phoned in her order, then walked inside to pick it up?

Lots of people where I work do it with local fast food places. Works great! ;)

The McDonalds and Quick (a McD's lookalike) in Europe now have in-store terminals where a person can get priority service by doing their order on screen. The screen is adjacent to the line-up for other customers, so you can measure how much faster it can be.

I used it once, and it meant I had almost no wait time because no-one else was in the electronic line, and there was a full-time operator servicing the orders from the terminals.

It's a bit like the self-serve cashier terminals popping up in stores everywhere, but you don't pay until you get to the counter.

I like it because I don't have to repeat every aspect of my order like I do when dealing with a person at the counter... in Australia, Canada, the US or the UK.

No. There were a lot of other people in the line too that were inconvenienced.

For all you know, just about everyone else back in the line was chilling and enjoying the opportunity to do so.

Pam, has this ever happened to you?

You get your stuff in the drive through and unwrap your lunch at work only to find out they totally screwed up your order? Or what you picked up for fellow co-workers?

It happens often and that's why I always walk in and order and then check the order before leaving.

If you try to do that while at the drive thru, you're inconveniencing the people behind you.

Most people don't even know what they are doing themselves, let alone caring about the other people in the line. A supermarket cashier told me one time that about a third of the people she serves act like it's a surprise that they have to pay for the groceries.

Then they start looking for their money or their card, or their check book.

If she was in such a hurry, what would have happened if she had phoned in her order, then walked inside to pick it up?

We used to go to the same fast food restaurant near my office once a week. The employees got to know us and what we ordered. When we would drive up the girl at the back drive through window would yell at the girls in the kitchen and when we got to the counter our food was there waiting for us.

There was turnover in their staff and those girls were eventually gone but one of the ladies at the counter still remembered me. I could go in, pay her, and my food would appear without me saying a word. One time they had a manager trainee there, watching the girl at the counter work. I was in line and just as I reached the counter my tray with food arrived. The manager looked down at it, looked at the kitchen worker and asked "what is this?". I said "that's my food". She was clearly baffled since I had just arrived and had not said a word prior to this, but she decided to just go on and not ask any more questions.

yup, they didn't do anything wrong. They ordered a lot of food and they were in front of you, BFD. Even if they went inside to order, others still have to wait for their big order to be prepared.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9FRSghXhDM&feature=plcp

Welllllll... isn't that what Pam is doing in her OP, thinking only of herself by having to wait while someone else does their business?