I feel as though I know a lot about McDonald's, but I have never sat down in the restaurant and attentively observed the site as a cultural eating environment. I consume McDonald's and other fast-food products about four times a week, but I always use the "drive-thru" because of its convenience. On a typical Saturday afternoon I entered the McDonald's restaurant located on Main Street in Binghamton. Immediately after I walked through the glass doors my stomach was rumbling and my taste buds were stimulated. The smell of the restaurant instantly activated my appetite to such proportions that I felt as though I had not eaten in days. I entered the line and I was impressed at the speed and efficiency which with the employees handled the customers" orders at the register. The line was moving so fast that I did not have enough time to think about what I wanted to eat. When it was my turn to order, the cashier had an expression on her face that said, "What is taking him so long to decide what to order?" I felt very rushed and hastily ordered the "Big-Mac Meal." She then politely asked me if I would like to "super-size" my meal for a quarter more, and I did so because I would have felt guilty for being cheap or just plain rude to the cashier if I said no. My individually wrapped and packaged meal arrived within thirty seconds on a tray. I chose to sit at a table that gave me a wide view of the customers and of the employees working behind the counter. The cashiers were all females in their teenage years, mechanically receiving orders and serving food to keep the line moving at a consistent pace. When the lines became long, the assistant manager, a white male in his mid-20's, was seen helping out the cashiers. "How may I help you?" and "Would you like to super-size your meal?" were questions I repeatedly heard with the same monotonous tone of voice. I watched little children pulling at their mothers" shirts to get them a happy meal with a toy.
