A bit of light relief !! All credits to the rather funny people at in the US.ERIE, PA--Eleventh-hour lunch-rush negotiations came to a successful conclusion Monday when, following a 30-second period of deliberation, area resident Simon Palbera opted to accept the McDonald's corporation's suggestion that he have fries with that.
Though the fries were not part of Palbera's initial purchase proposal to the fast-food giant, the addition of the processed, potato-based food item to his mid-day meal was a concession he felt would best serve his short-term side-order selection needs.
"I wasn't gonna get fries at first," Palbera said. "But then I wound up getting them."
After carefully reviewing his food-choice options based on such factors as cost, availability and deliciousness, Palbera arrived at the decision that a meal of Chicken McNuggets, an apple-pie wedge and a chocolate shake would best fulfil his mealtime requirements. "At that point, fries were not part of the agenda, ôsaid Irwin Horne, Palbera's lawyer. "However, the counterperson/cashierÆs friendly smile, courteous demeanor and low-pressure 'soft sell' technique of politely asking if Mr. Palbera would like fries with that made the fry purchase seem like a viable compromise to my client."
Public-relations professionals employed by the McDonald's corporation agreed. "To us, this represents a real 'win-winÆ situation," McDonald's vice-president of media relations Nathan Kravitz said. "By actively suggesting that Palbera have fries with that, the McDonald's corporation was able to successfully maximize its profit potential on the deal. In turn, Mr. Palbera reaped the undeniable benefits of the hot, salty fries in question, enabling him to better enjoy his meal."
Reports indicate that while consuming the fries Palbera also enjoyed the color-coordinated, muted-pastel interior design of the Erie-area McDonald's restaurant, as well as an informative pamphlet detailing the company's socially responsible rainforest policy.
Palbera's decision to opt for the fries is seen by experts as evidence that the economy is strong enough to support future Palbera-backed fry purchases.
"I believe within the next few months we will see a strong upsurge in fry purchases by Palbera," Harvard University professor of economics H. Franklin Reuthven said. "After nearly a full year of downsizing his meals, cutting back on items such as fries and onion rings, and opting for smalls instead of mediums, Palbera finally appears ready to increase side-order consumption and may possibly even Super-Size."
McDonald's employee Brian Krinsky, the counterperson who negotiated the Palbera food order, downplayed his role in the successful consumer transaction.
"After he was done ordering, I was like, 'Any fries with that?'" the 14-year-old Erie native told reporters. "We have to ask everybody that. They make us do it. My friend Brad says it's orders from the regional manager. Same reason I gotta wear this name tag."
As a reward for his faithful adherence to corporate policy, Krinsky will receive greater mopping and stocking responsibilities in the future. In addition, according to sources close to the assistant weekend manager, a five-cent raise "maybe on the way."
Palbera is expected to continue to patronize the popular fast-food chain. When asked about the likelihood of his choosing to have fries with that in the future, Palbera said, "I could go either way on the fries. But I guess I'll probably get them."
