The benefits of obtaining a degree can turn out spectacularly, but while in the process of earning a degree, many students must struggle financially for the sake of future opportunities. Some college students stay afloat in the vast sea of academic poverty by seeking employment at minimum wage jobs, such as restaurants in the fast food industry.
I was one of those students, working part time at a local McDonald’s restaurant in order to cover what fees my scholarships did not. There can be many indignities to endure in a fast food setting, but the most intolerable aspect of my job was the degrading remarks from customers.
I found that many people saw my red shirt and McDonald’s logo cap and automatically assumed that I was intellectually inferior. It became a part of my job description to greet insulting customers with a smile, an emotional labor that became more and more difficult to handle as I continued to work.
I’m not the only fast food employee who feels this way. Jalina Fourcade, a Southeastern student who worked at the local McDonald’s in Hammond, had similar experiences with customers.
“One night when working front counter, I had a young girl about seven or eight inform me ‘Do they make you dress like that so people know you’re dumb?’ Honestly, the uniform alone demeans the employee by making them feel like a circus freak, but it really got to me how it became a symbol of low intelligence and low income.”
My faith in humanity was sometimes diminished after dealing with a demeaning customer. However, the experience was not without its benefits. After being belittled on a daily basis because of my method of income, I began to evaluate my own behavior towards others.
Every time I enter a fast food restaurant or any service-oriented agency, I do my best to be polite and kind to those providing services. From this experience, I realized that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
In short, be nice to the burger lady. It is difficult enough to work at a fast-paced job for a very small income. An employee that sells burgers should not also have to forfeit her dignity.