[Linganth] Substitute x for y

[GABRIELLA MODAN]

"There's no way to ask for that". That's excellent. My students are reading Deborah Cameron's article "Styling the Worker" next week, and I will definitely use that example.

Galey

----- Original Message -----
From: thporcello at vassar.edu
Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2005 11:44 am
Subject: Re: [Linganth] Substitute x for y

>
> Don't forget, though, that much of this inflexibility is
> technologized;orders are linked to programmed buttons on cash
> register keypads, which in
> turn are linked to computers that display orders on screens for
> food preps
> and window staff.  The buttons are NOT infinitely flexible; the most
> common orders/substitutions/omissions get programmed in (and
> learned via
> repetition; and note how with rapid employess turnover, knowing
> how to
> handle "exceptions" will be continually problematic).  So in
> addition to
> any linguistic interference that may exist, there is the
> difficulty of
> knowing (or rather, NOT knowing) how to handle an order for which
> there is
> no pre-assigned button.
>
> (This observation from repeated encounters in drive-throughs where
> a wheat
> allergy necessitated the order, "Cheeseburger, no bun."  One could
> almosthear the sound of brains overheating as eyes and fingers
> searched, with
> inevitable fultility, for the "No Bun" button.  Seriously, though,
> almostnever could this order be processed without calling over a
> manager to
> figure out how to enter the order into the register system, and
> severaltimes I received the comment, "There's no way to ask for
> that.")
> Tom
>
> > Lack of flexibility seems to be central to how fastfood workers are
> > trained.  I think in 'Fast Food Nation' Schlosser goes into the
> robotic> nature of working at fastfood establishments, among other
> adverse working
> > conditions (such as those reported by a member of a workers movement
> > related to another famous fastfood chain on this site:
> > http://www.mwr.org.uk/mcjobs.htm)
> >
> > I have had many a frustrating experience with special orders at
> various> fastfood places.  Now I'm starting to wonder if this is
> could be related
> > to an emphasis by management on the routine of the service
> encounter in
> > these places.
> >
> > Francis
> >
>
> --
> T.G. Porcello
> Assistant Professor, Anthropology
> Vassar College
>
>