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Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: Guest on 2009-08-04 3:03 PM

My wife and I sometimes have this discussion. I'm of the mind that I'll sometimes not bus my own table at fastfood restaurants. My wife finds this appalling. She will always bus the table.

My view is that the employees of said restaurant will bus the table if I don't. To me, this is part of paying for a meal at a restaurant--the not having to clean up after yourself part. Would you bus your own table at any other kind of restaurant, I ask her?

I've never worked fastfood, but dated a girl that did. She said they had no problem when customers didn't bus their own table. It gave them something to do, and it's easy. Beats scrubbing floors or washing windows, apparently.

I've also had problems with the garbage being over-full and there's no room. I'm definitely not going to press the trash down to make room for mine.

Your thoughts?

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: condorman on 2009-08-04 3:08 PM

I never thought of it in terms of "is it my job?" or should I make some burger-flipper do it.

I always clean up after myself in public because, IMO, it is just the right thing to do.

 

 

 

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: the bear on 2009-08-04 3:10 PM



Yep, it's what my mama taught me!

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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: wurkit_gurl on 2009-08-04 3:17 PM

There are a few "sort of fast food" places that bus the tables for you (like Noodles N Co...mmmm...). But unless I am at those establishments, I bus the table. It's the polite thing to do. Just because the place is staffed by people without college degrees making minimum wage doesn't mean that we should leave our messes for them to clean up - there are trash cans out in the dining areas for a reason...

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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: McFuzz on 2009-08-04 3:19 PM

Almost always, but there are one or two that come by and bus as you sit there or hide the trash cans in which case I don't.  I expect a relatively low level of service in a fast-food restaurant and want it to remain an inexpensive option for those times I'm in a hurry, don't want to spend much, or just hungry for the greaseball food.  If busing my own trash keeps the prices down, I'm fine with that.  I also try to teach my kids to pick up after themselves and this is one way of doing so. 

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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: JorgeM on 2009-08-04 3:20 PM

x3.
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: triOK on 2009-08-04 3:24 PM

Is there a reason not to? Besides total laziness.

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: KSH on 2009-08-04 3:25 PM



Uh, I worked at Taco Bell... while it wasn't the worst thing ever... it certainly wasn't great when people didn't bus their own tables.

I mean really, these people are making minimum wage... which is under $7 a hour. They have MORE to do than just bus your table... and even though I was a shift leader... I had to clean tables, floors, restrooms, windows... all of it. It wasn't like a "you get to bus tables.... OR clean the restroom."

Not to mention, if it's busy and they are under staffed (very common) they can't run the register AND bus your table.

Please don't be lazy. Bus your table.

I understand about the garbage thing though. If they don't empty the garbage can... then you can't bus your table. That I agree with. There has to be a give and take.


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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: TriRSquared on 2009-08-04 3:39 PM



That's right!  It's just simple manners.  It's not THEIR job to bus YOUR mess.
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: morey1 on 2009-08-04 3:44 PM

Yea, I go with this more than anything.  I think we all realize it's part of the unwritten code that goes with eating in an establishment of this nature.  Inexpensive food + disposable wraps/silverware + visible and neat garbages at various locations = DO IT YOURSELF! 

Honorable mention to TriOK for "why not?"  I'd love for the OP to explain exactly why they don't feel the need to do this. The rest of us somewhere in life caught the memo that it's part of the deal in an establishment of this nature.   A reason besides "I'm a customer and why should I?" since, as this thread indicates, most of us can figure out the line between the restaurants that require self-busing vs. busing provided by restaurant.

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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: zed707 on 2009-08-04 3:52 PM

Well, since you asked, it really has to do with the ex-gf who said it was no big deal and it gave them something to do during slow times. She went on the say that a table that wasn't bussed was easy to see that it needed to be cleaned--you could see that from the counter. If it's bussed, but it's dirty, that's tougher to see from the counter. I'm just taking it from someone who has actually done the job.

Edited by zed707 2009-08-04 3:54 PM

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: KSH on 2009-08-04 3:57 PM



Did it ever cross your mind that she was dating you... and she didn't want to be rude by telling you that you needed to pick up after yourself... so she said it was no big deal. ????

I think she told you what you wanted to hear because she was dating you. Most people are way too nice to tell someone they need to pick up their trash.

I was never begging for work to do when I was at Taco Bell. Slow times? Wait- I get to stand here and do nothing- great! I mean really, who BEGS for more work to do when they work for fast food?


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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: morey1 on 2009-08-04 4:04 PM

Thanks.  I'd call that a very abnormal attitude by the Ex.  You were wise enough to marry the smart one, that realizes standing and doing nothing, or looking busy straightening napkins behind a counter is better than scooping up someone's nasty wrappers and such off a used table.

But, it is a reason.  And, I'll back off since you seem sincere vs. just selfish and lazy which is what I think of when I see someone stand up and walk out of a place like that without cleaning up. 

Now, as a guy married a long time, I'd stop horrifying your wife with this behavior anyway, and save those wife-points for something much more meaningful than picking up a couple of wrappers in a fast food joint.

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"Some day you are not going to be able to do this anymore. Today is NOT that day" Quote from Runners World in Schmize's blog.

Donkeys dream BIG
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: Aikidoman on 2009-08-04 4:04 PM

I always do...


One time in the Philipines, I did what I usually do and tossed my stuff out at a Jolly-Bee and it freaked the workers out.  In Manila, they have people hired to clean up the tables, so it was kind of funny to see them have this huge confused look on their faces as I dumped my own burger wrappers.  I could tell that they wanted to take them from me and do it, but didn't know what to do.  I guess it would be the same thing if I stared to bus my tables at Olive Garden or something here.

Plus the fact they are all under 5'6" and I'm a 'tad' taller than that.
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: mr2tony on 2009-08-04 4:08 PM

What does `bus your table' mean? Like, pick up dirty dishes? Seriously? Ew.
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: Aikidoman on 2009-08-04 4:15 PM

Unless a place has specific busers to do the work of cleaning tables, I guess I would prefer the workers stay behind the counter for the most part if they are going to be handling my food. IMO

I'm not sure how happy I would be if someone was packaging up my food right after they were cleaning up used wrappers from a table.

This is obviously not the case in the better places where they have busers to clean the tables, waiters to take the orders, and many times, people to deliver the food from the kitchen to the table.

Idealy, people cleaning up old food/dishes do not touch the fresh food/dishes.


I have been known to wipe my mouth and blow my nose in napkins at a fast food joints.  I'm wondering how the people who prefer not to bus their own tables would feel if the teenager who JUST handed them their food just handled all my snot napkins...

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- Je Ne Regrette Rien
- Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
- Challenges are what make life interesting;
overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
- Maybe strong is just what you have left when you've used up all your weak.

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: ChineseDemocracy on 2009-08-04 4:23 PM

I haven't been in a fast food joint in ages...but honestly, I could never just leave my tray on the table. Never.

Always be respectful...especially if you're a regular in the establishment. I worked at a large fast food chain while in college...the workers get revenge when folks aren't respectful.
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RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: lisac957 on 2009-08-04 4:27 PM



If by "dishes" you mean your empty burger wrapper, cardboard french fry carton, and styrofoam cup... yes.

 

RE: Do you bus your own tables at fastfood restaurants?
BY: up4challenges on 2009-08-04 4:47 PM

I worked at a fast food restaurant in college and actually preferred that the customers didn't bus their own tables. (Weird, huh?) Here's the reason why. First of all, I could easily spot a dirty table that needed to be both bussed and wiped down. When we were busy, many customer bus their own tables to make room for the next customers but they didn't have the means to wipe down the tables (obviously shouldn't have to). I can't stand sticky tables and I didn't want any of my customers sitting at sticky tables but that would happen at times.

Second of all, I liked clearing the tables and throwing the trash away because I could do so in a manner which saved garbage space and made the need to dump the trash not occur as often. Just simple efficiency.

However, having written all that, I always appreciated the considerate mindset of bussing customers and I bus my table when I visit fast food restaurants today. Just seems rude not to.... go figure.