Fraters Libertas

Giant Size Quandary

2 bucks for a Giant Size Beef. Not a bad coupon, I thought to myself. I shall head to Arby's and I shall enjoy a bargain Giant Size Beef. 2:15, good time to go since I'll miss the lunch rush. Hop in car and cheerfully head down Snelling. I get there and notice no line in the drive-thru (btw, when did it become a "thru" versus a "through"? if there is anyone who knows such arcania please let me know. I'll bet that grade school english teachers rue the day "thru" became the norm).

I get to the speaker "Yeah, I got a coupon for a Giant Size Beef for 1.99" I dopely say, suddenly realizing how stupid it sounds. "Okay, that'll be $2.45" says the voice. Hmm...$2.45, that doesn't sound right. Is there some special Giant Size Beef Tax that the city of St. Paul has enacted without a vote of the people? I mean, it's really not fair that one sandwich is a Giant Size Beef and the other is merely a Regular. Surely something could be done to even this out a little.

I get to the window. "$2.45" says the young man. "I don't think so" says the hungry Doubtless. He looks at me, only a little perplexed and then says "$1.06". "I don't think that's right either" I retort. He then explains "Oh it's not. I just don't want to get the manager's key to do a void, so it's easier this way. Just feelin' lazy today I guess." I smile foolishly as if to say "I hear ya brother, some days it just don't matter".

So I hand over the $1.06 and he smiles widely as the transaction concludes. He has the look of satisfaction on his face that two dudes who are On The Take often get, even though he UNDER charged me, I don't know him and I had no idea what the hell he was doing.

I guess I should have given him $2.06 and let him handle the moral quandary, but the thought of only spending $1.06 for an entire Giant Size Beef was just too much.

When I go to confession this week, I'll discuss this with my priest, but I'm pretty sure I sinned today.

But damn was that a good sandwich and knowing how much it cost made it taste just a little better.