McNickle & McDime

I was just charged 33 cents for an extra sauce at McDonald's. It's not the fault of the 17 year old kid behind the counter; he's just doing what he's told. It's a flaw in management, and I do mean flaw. 

This particular McD's is a hot spot for teens who love to load up on the (probably) MSG / high fructose corn syrup filled sauces at McDonald's. I'm sure they ask for enough extra condiments to run the business into the ground. As any business owner knows, the little things add up quickly. 

Does that mean that I should get 2 sauces for a total order of 16 nuggets and two orders of fries? That seems a little stingy. I waited until we had depleted our meager rations of sauce before asking for more, when I discovered that I was being charged extra for the third. 

Perhaps it would have made a difference if I had ordered a menu item that doesn't traditionally come with sauce? I doubt it. As a paying customer, I felt very unappreciated when I was charged for my extra sauce. And as any business owner will tell you, unappreciated customers add up quickly. 

I am sure that the pocketbook of McD's falls victim to diners who use their food only as a vessel for getting sauce into their face, but my family are moderate dunkers. Should we be punished because there are little BBQ sauce gluttons out there? How do you find a balance that allows you to treat everyone the same when everyone is not the same, yet has the same level of importance?

To add insult to injury, my son didn't even finish the sauce for which I paid. Evidence that he's not a sauce-hog.