As I pulled into the McDonald's parking lot and prepared myself for the exact opposite of a home-cooked meal, I noticed that my wallet felt a little light. Only two dollars, not even enough for two items off the Extra Value Menu!
I took this as fate telling me, "Greg, go home, stop being lazy and cook a meal. It's been two weeks." But my stomach said, "Just go in there and get some orange juice. That's healthy, right?" Yeah, that's healthy!
I walked up to the counter, started to order my juice, looked down and saw the end of modern civilization attached to the young cashier's register: a credit card machine. Suddenly, everything on the menu not only looked appetizing, but it was also completely available. All I would have to do is swipe my Visa and sign.
McDonald's is one of the many fast-food restaurants in recent days that are giving in to the pressures of an economic uprising and are plugging in units that accept most major credit and debit cards.
Jason Beams, general manager of Arby's on Madison Street, said in a phone interview Tuesday that his location has been accepting cards for almost two years, and that the experience has been positive.
"It has helped business just enough," he said.
More recently, the Wendy's locations of Muncie started accepting cards last November, and though it is too soon to measure success, operator Scott Gasser is optimistic, as it has increased Wendy's business on a national level.
"The industry is going that way," he said. "In a year, all fast-food restaurants will probably have them."
The frightening thing may not be that fast-food joints might become even busier than before with the new card units, but that a lot of the people in line will be you and I, the students, who certainly require no assistance in collecting credit card debt.
According to a 2001 Nellie Mae Corp. report, "students double their credit card debt and triple the number of cards in their wallets between the time they arrive on campus and graduation," and by the time we leave, our average credit card debt is $3,262, which will undoubtedly cost quite a bit more to pay off.
The good thing about the past was that when we wanted to charge stuff, many locations only accepted cash, so we had no choice. Now not only are stores grabbing for whatever forms of payment they can unearth, but they are accepting them 24 hours a day with no minimum purchase amount.
We students are fully aware of what we are doing. When I charged the Crispy Chicken Combo that day, I knew that I would be responsible for those six dollars later. And to the business' credit, it is not like they are forcing their food down our throats. We can also use our debit cards; there are no APR consequences there, though if you are anything like me, the use of debit now only ensures that my checks will bounce later. Business owners and students need to find a compromise.
So, Muncie businesses: We are very happy that you are accepting our cards, but please understand that we are trying to take our credit more seriously. We are going to take responsibility one of these days, and we need you to support us. With discounts, of course.
Write to Gregory at gttwiford@bsu.edu
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