To clear or not to clear

emul8ter25 · 10-10-2012 2:01pm #1

I've noticed that the Irish tend not to clear their rubbish after having a meal at McDonald's or the like. In the USA and other countries nearly everyone does it. What's the deal? Are Irish just lazier or dirtier?

im invisible · 10-10-2012 2:02pm

We're creating employment

Sykk · 10-10-2012 2:02pm

I like turtles

10-10-2012 2:03pm

I always clear mine, and notice that most people do too.

*Checks passport*

Yup, I'm definitely Irish.

RoyalMarine · 10-10-2012 2:03pm

I always do it in any fast food place I eat. Also at work. I see a lot of people just walking away in the canteen at work. Do they really think the staff are paid to clean up their mess? There are signs around the place asking people to take their food and trays etc to a certain area, put their food/left overs in the bin and place cutlery plates on a rotating thingy.

Lazy fckers.

Shivers26 · 10-10-2012 2:04pm

I always clear up after myself and have taught my kids to do likewise

ElleEm · 10-10-2012 2:05pm

whoopsadaisydoodles wrote: »

I always clear mine, and notice that most people do too.

*Checks passport*

Yup, I'm definitely Irish.

Yeah, everyone I know clears their McD mess too!

Hardonraging · 10-10-2012 2:05pm

emul8ter25 wrote: »

I've noticed that the Irish tend not to clear their rubbish after having a meal at McDonald's or the like. In the USA and other countries nearly everyone does it. What's the deal? Are Irish just lazier or dirtier?

Are you sure you're not in supermac's ?

HeyThereDeliah · 10-10-2012 2:06pm

I See more people clearing their tables than not, I always do it, yes I'm irish.
When I was in France last year I seen several people walking Way not clearing their tables.

emul8ter25 · 10-10-2012 2:06pm

Shivers26 wrote: »

I always clear up after myself and have taught my kids to do likewise

Glad to hear there are still good parents out there

Birneybau · 10-10-2012 2:06pm

Having worked in a cafe yonks ago, I clear.

*Checks passport*

I'm Irish...and have always celebrated my birthday on the wrong date!!!:eek:

SunnyDub1 · 10-10-2012 2:08pm

Have noticed this too!

Clean!!! it takes a whole of 2 mins max to empty a try into the bin :rolleyes:
Don't understand why people don't do it .. Pure laziness !

Immaculate Pasta · 10-10-2012 2:15pm

I think the OP is just boasting that he can afford to go to McDonalds to be honest...

fishy fishy · 10-10-2012 2:15pm

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Have noticed this too!

Clean!!! it takes a whole of 2 mins max to empty a try into the bin :rolleyes:
Don't understand why people don't do it .. Pure laziness !

2 MINUTES TO EMPTY YOUR TRAY - are you super sizing the dozen meals you are eating, it takes you that long to empty.

:o

cloptrop · 10-10-2012 2:16pm

I think the op is stereotyping Irish people while letting us know he/ she has been out of the country before .
I always clean so would anyone I know . To stereotype your own people is bad form.

JohnMarston · 10-10-2012 2:19pm

I clear my tray on the occasional mcdonalds visit. The whole process is made easy by tilting the tray so the contents fall into the bin.

There is no question, clear your tray.

SunnyDub1 · 10-10-2012 2:20pm

fishy fishy wrote: »

2 MINUTES TO EMPTY YOUR TRAY - are you super sizing the dozen meals you are eating, it takes you that long to empty. :o

2 mins MAX I said :rolleyes: usually only takes a min :P

The_B_Man · 10-10-2012 2:21pm

I purposely never clean up afterwards. Though I rarely eat in fast food places, and never in McDonalds.

This is mainly because I used to work in McDonalds and when I was out on the floor working as the "table cleaner", I used to be bored shitless when people cleaned their tables, so I'd have nothing to do and just end up hanging around and twiddling me thumbs. It was a pain in the hole! So I dont tidy up, just to give the staff something to do.

I think people are too worried about being seen as having good manners, and being nice. Just let the staff do their job!

JohnMarston · 10-10-2012 2:26pm

The_B_Man wrote: »

I purposely never clean up afterwards. Though I rarely eat in fast food places, and never in McDonalds.

This is mainly because I used to work in McDonalds and when I was out on the floor working as the "table cleaner", I used to be bored shitless when people cleaned their tables, so I'd have nothing to do and just end up hanging around and twiddling me thumbs. It was a pain in the hole! So I dont tidy up, just to give the staff something to do.

I think people are too worried about being seen as having good manners, and being nice. Just let the staff do their job!

You just clear up without thinking , especially if you've been doing it every day at home, work, etc.
We have street sweepers, but im not about to toss my rubbish on the ground just to give them something to do.

emul8ter25 · 10-10-2012 2:30pm

cloptrop wrote: »

I think the op is stereotyping Irish people while letting us know he/ she has been out of the country before .
I always clean so would anyone I know . To stereotype your own people is bad form.

not a stereotype, just an observation.

and tbh, who hasnt been out of the country?

maxfresh · 10-10-2012 2:32pm

I always put my stuff in the bin when i go to one those fast food places but in a way part of the price of the meal is paying for the staff to clean up

HeyThereDeliah · 10-10-2012 2:33pm

JohnMarston wrote: »

You just clear up without thinking , especially if you've been doing it every day at home, work, etc.
We have street sweepers, but im not about to toss my rubbish on the ground just to give them something to do.

You don't clean up in a Restaurant do you ?

Shryke · 10-10-2012 2:34pm

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

I think the OP is just boasting that he can afford to go to McDonalds to be honest...

It's where homeless people eat.

xzanti · 10-10-2012 2:34pm

I always throw away my McD's waste.. and in any other restaurants I'll always stack the plates and tidy the table as much as I can.

Just good manners really.

JohnMarston · 10-10-2012 2:42pm

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

You don't clean up in a Restaurant do you ?

No, but i dont empty the rubbish bag in mcdonalds either. I clear my tray which is about all i can do.
In restaurants i'll neatly pile what i used so they can take it all in one go

Cee-Jay-Cee · 10-10-2012 2:44pm

I always clear mine.

Oh yeah I'm Eeerish too.

krudler · 10-10-2012 2:56pm

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

You don't clean up in a Restaurant do you ?

I'd put the plates on top of each other so its easier for the waiter/waitress to collect them.

akura · 10-10-2012 3:01pm

I alway's clear mine, it only take's a second

Flynn · 10-10-2012 3:01pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I always clear mine, and notice that most people do too.

*Checks passport*

Yup, I'm definitely Irish.

ditto

Sorcha16 · 10-10-2012 3:19pm

xzanti wrote: »

in any other restaurants I'll always stack the plates and tidy the table as much as I can. Just good manners really.

I think that's being extra helpful as opposed to good manners. It's not rude of someone to not clean the table and stack plates at a restaurant, you're entitled to not want to do that if you're out to dinner and it wouldn't mean you had bad manners

mauzo · 10-10-2012 3:19pm

I see it being done less in America.

Even the food court in the mall and airport were full of trays of rubbish. I can't recall seeing one person clearing their tray.

I'd always clear my stuff, why should anyone else clean up after me.

My son threw an empty box of raisins on the ground the other day, just finished eating them, put his hand out of the buggy and let it go. Couldn't believe it. Made him get out of the buggy and pick it up and carry it home.

Then last night in tesco, a man pushing a trolley with a little boy in it...little boy was eating crisps and dropped his packet on the floor. Man looks at it, kicks it to the side of the aisle and walked on. My son said it himself, bold boy dropping rubbish.

Jesus how can parents teach their kids these things?! That someone else will pick up your crap.

3ndahalfof6 · 10-10-2012 3:38pm

It depends, if it is muck it stays on the table, if the service is bad it stays on the table,

for those of you who think it is muck no matter what, (fast food) you guys can call it the food of the ghouls.

Misty Chaos · 10-10-2012 3:41pm

I usually clean up after me as well in McDs / Burger King / etc. Bins aren't usually too far away and it takes no time to do it, for gods sake! Also nice when I do in a smaller cafe establishment that I get a thank you from the people at the till when I bring up my plates after I finish.

It's more of a habit and good manners on my part.

GastroBoy · 10-10-2012 3:48pm

I dont see why people should clean the table.
You wouldn't take your plates to the kitchen and wash up in a cafe or restaurant, so why should any fast food place be the same.

People are paid to do that so let them do their damn job.

FanadMan · 10-10-2012 5:04pm

Unless it's a proper restaurant, I'll always clear my table. The workers in places like McDs aren't paid enough to clear up after me.

ejmaztec · 10-10-2012 5:09pm

Some people wouldn't have a very happy meal of they had to clean up afterwards.

My family, not being Neanderthal pigs, always clean up afterwards.:P

UCDVet · 10-10-2012 5:10pm

im invisible wrote: »

We're creating employment

From what I've seen - the position remains open. The local McDonald's even says to clean it up yourself, but it seems most don't.

UCDVet · 10-10-2012 5:14pm

GastroBoy wrote: »

I dont see why people should clean the table.
You wouldn't take your plates to the kitchen and wash up in a cafe or restaurant, so why should any fast food place be the same.

People are paid to do that so let them do their damn job.

You get what you pay for.

At a restaurant where you place your order at the table and leave; you are paying more for the food because someone seats you, takes your order, and cleans up after you.

A place like McDonalds, you pay less and you wait in the queue to order. Then you take the food and find a seat yourself. Then, you are supposed to take your trash with you and stack the trays with the other trays - which is why they have the trash/tray areas out in the dinning area.

DyldeBrill · 10-10-2012 5:14pm

I always clear up my rubbish out of habbit, but aren't the workers of McDonalds paid to work? a barman must collect glasses and food...

Abi · 10-10-2012 5:17pm

emul8ter25 wrote: »

I've noticed that the Irish tend not to clear their rubbish after having a meal at McDonald's or the like. In the USA and other countries nearly everyone does it. What's the deal? Are Irish just lazier or dirtier?

Careful now, that brush of yours is dripping tar all over the place. Make sure you clean up after yourself now won't you?

the groutch · 10-10-2012 5:58pm

for those saying it creates a job, that's not true.
if they didnt have to clean up after lazy people they'd be behind the counter serving customers.

and you can be guaranteed that it's the same people who don't clean up after themselves are the same ones whinging about the length of the queues.

To clear or not to clear

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