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I went to Burger King this morning to grab a biscuit and a water, a cheap way to eat breakfast on the go, for about 2 dollars. However, it seems that Burger King is about to go bankrupt because the wonderfully cheerful voice informed me, “Are you aware that water is no longer free? It’s 18 cents plus tax.”
You should scroll up and read that again.
Burger King cannot give me a free water. So, I politely told the woman that I couldn’t afford the water, so I might as well not buy the biscuit either. And I drove off.
Why does this infuriate me so much? The pure principal behind the matter is maddening. I’m a starving college student. When I do eat “out”, I have to do so cheaply. Hence the trips to Taco Bell (where you can eat for like 3 dollars) and other fast food places. I get water because it is free, and over the last couple years, I’ve taken a liking to it again. But no, Burger King won’t give me a water for free. Evidently I, and others, have been eating into their profit margins (oh, a pun) and we have to go.
So, if you’re debating going to Burger King or somewhere else, I urge you to leave Burger King behind. Unless you’re just fine with paying 18 cents plus tax for a water.
July 21st, 2007 at 4:35 am
You are right to say that it’s a scandal for a restaurant to charge customers for tap water. However, within a few decades, due to world environmental issues, restaurants may charge for that precious water.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Only 18 cents? A glass of water in our country costs already $0,30. I wonder what prices will we have in the nearest future.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
You have to realize that they are charging for the cup, not the water. Those cups/straws/caps cost them more than the soda and water that goes in them. While it may seem like a trivial thing to you, Burger King buys millions of these cups every day, and as the old cliche goes, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Even if every cup only costed them 5 cents (in reality, each cup costs around 7-10 cents plus the cost of the straw and cap) and they sold a million beverages in one day, that’s 5 million cents or $50,000 that they are spending on cups.
Another example of how this can be applied is in movie theaters. Popcorn costs virtually nothing. When you buy a $5 overpriced popcorn at the movie theater, they are only paying $0.20 or so for the popcorn that’s you get. They may be paying as much as $1.50, however, for the fancy bucket that they put it in.
Basically what I’m trying to say is that while, yes, the water is virtually free, the cups, lids, and straws are not.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Why don’t you go to a grocery store and buy some real food? It will be cheaper and more nutritious than Taco Bell.
Learn to cook, make some simple, nutritious meals and stop whining.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
@Brenden - I understand that the restaurant doesn’t get the cup at no cost. And I do expect the establishment to cover base charges when calculating the price for a soft drink. I’d just rather have a free water, with the cost being covered elsewhere in the menu and distributed. I’m almost ok with this argument for disposable cups, but I hope I never see the day that I can’t get a free water somewhere that just washes their own dishes.
@Bud - I’m actually a great cook, and do cook often. If you read the post closer, I said
That being said, I actually don’t eat out that often, but when I do I simply want to eat somewhere cheap. Eating a healthier meal when dining out would be lovely, but I could eat for days at home for the same price. Therefore, I see no harm in having Taco Bell once a week if I so desire.
I’ll try to stop whining. Also note this post was from July of 2007.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
You do realize that at McDonald’s there might be cow poo in the patties? When workers remove the intestines, sometimes it spills, and they are told not to clean it up because it would waste valuable time and therefore cost the company money. Read the book Fast Food Nation. It’ll be the most disgusting one you ever do.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:58 am
In Australia it’s illegal for restaurants and the like to charge money for water. Isn’t that the same in the US?
July 8th, 2008 at 4:48 am
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