Not that this will do an ounce of good, but I finally wrote a letter to McDonalds voicing my, to put it mildly, dismay about the fact that it is nearly impossible to walk into a McDonalds and place an order then actually receive what I order. I know this might come across like I'm some redneck bigot who wants an Aryan nation or something, and I don't mean it that way. But at what point is there a limit to how far cultural diversity goes when it comes to language? Is it really appropriate that I should have to learn how to say "I only want chicken, lettuce and cheese" in Spanish to get a chicken snack wrap with no sauce? (and yes, this is true...I did learn this because I was unwilling to give up my beloved snack wrap)?

Yes, I could give up fast food to try to get around the problem but that wouldn't really solve the larger issue. Why is it that our standards are apparently so low that someone who doesn't speak a word of English can be employed and making, in theory at least, a living wage? How many non-fast food workers would be allowed to show up to work and not be able to do their jobs at all because of the language barrier, yet still keep the job? Or, for that matter, could I move to Paris and get a job in a boulangerie while operating at about a 7th grade level as far as speaking/understanding French? Could I then get food stamps and free medical care to supplement the income I make standing around not being able to fulfill my job responsibilities because I don't know enough French to take an order and accurately fill it?

The fact is that I know I'm part of the problem--I keep going to McDonalds even though I have to practically use hand signs to order my meal, and 9 times out of 10 walk away with a large fries instead of the large drink I ordered because it would take too long to get them to correct the mistake. Maybe I and everyone just like me--short on time and patience and needing the occasional fast food fix--am the reason that the problem keeps getting worse and worse; if McDonalds and other restaurants continue to turn a profit whether people get good service or not, what's their incentive to try to attract English-speaking employees?

Anyway, here is my letter to McDonalds--what do you think the chances are that it will actually get read?

This complaint applies not only to this visit but many visits at local McDonald's restaurants. This particular visit was representative of almost every visit to a McDonalds in the Olney/Rockville/Gaithersburg MD area.

The order taker could not speak English--none of the employees could. I ordered a grilled chicken wrap with no sauce, just like I always do. And just as is always the case these days, he couldn't understand me. I had to say it several times, then of course they put sauce on it. Then I returned it and they gave it to me with no sauce--but gave me fried chicken instead of grilled chicken.

This same thing happens literally 9 out of 10 times I go to McDonalds. Also, 9 out of 10 times they get my order wrong, whether they speak English or not: I order a drink, they don't enter it right so they don't give me a drink and I have to do a whole new transaction. Or I order 2 of something and they give me only 1.

Is it that McDonalds doesn't pay enough to attract English-speakers? It drives me crazy that I, the customer, a US citizen residing in America, have to learn Spanish just to order a grilled chicken wrap with no sauce!! Americans are the people who made McDonalds the wildly-successful institution it in this country; as such I think it is your responsibility to keep it so AMERICANS can order food in your restaurants in ENGLISH, which is still, to the best of my knowledge, this country’s native language.