Last train to the end

[austin_dern]

One of the side benefits of spaceroo's visit several months back was actually finding a Subway sandwich shop. I'd seen signs for them all over the place, but somehow never found an actual shop. And, alas, while I'm a sucker for nearly any membership club/discount scheme, I found them too late for the Sub Club; they've put up signs announcing the discontinuing of the scheme because of alleged forged stamps. Because, you know, the Frank Abagnales of today are all about scamming their way to a free six-inch meatball hoagie. Would it have hurt them to say ``we just don't feel like running it anymore''?

I noticed also a fast food place being constructed within the Suntec City mall; they're hiring, for those interested in service positions in another country. The rather enthusiastic hiring poster reads: We are one of Singapore's premium QSR chain operator [ sic ], seeking bubbly, dynamic, and highly motivated individuals with positive attitude to join our team.

We believe that satisfying all our guests' [ sic ] means giving them a total experience on each of their visits. If you have what it takes, come and be part of our team today!

Putting aside that I have no idea what a QSR chain operator would be, my nitpick-oriented mind can't help noticing that a ``total experience'' is not synonymous with ``good experience'', which is what I believe they want. Plus, you know, it's a fast food place. When I go to one I don't want a total experience; I want a hamburger cooked just about right. I suppose it's good to seek bubbly people, but there's only so much bubbly-ness I can take in mundane chores like ordering a hamburger, and I hope they don't go far above my threshold of bubbly.

Trivia: By 1875 London's Central Telegraph Office had 450 telegraph instruments and 68 internal pneumatic tubes for quick messaging. Source: The Victorian Internet, Tom Standage.

Currently Reading: Squaring the Circle and other Monographs, EW Hobson, HP Hudson, AN Singh, AB Kempe.

Comments

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Ah, so it's one of those terms invented so that they can sound more elite and fancy and high-tech. I guess they feel more confident trying to arrange an instrument of debenture if the other people in the room aren't thinking too often about Willard Scott in plastic orange pants.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Like the phrase 'fast-casual', which I generally take to mean "We still don't have waiters but our food is better than the QSR". Or, "You're going to pay $8 for that Panera Bread sandwich."

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen a name for that sort of restaurant, but I know the kind. That's more or less where I tend to end up eating on the weekends, typically a place where I turn in my order on a notepad and get it later on.