I Was in Love with the Clown

[dotinthesky]

I'm sitting in Bethnal Green's McDonald's. £3.59 for a Quarter Pounder with cheese, fries and medium Coke. For someone with only £9 in his bank account, that's a deal. I've got a table for myself, in the corner, by the windows. Market stalls are set up on the sidewalk, up and down Bethnal Green Road. One dress costs £8; two go for £15. The seller puts his cigarette on the ledge of McDonald's window when a customer shows interest, then picks the cigarette again when they are gone. Not even radiation can kill him.

My table is circular, faux black marble. The chairs are covered with pumpkin-coloured leather. R&B is the radio's choice. Generic, godawful paintings cover the walls. Two elderly women sit to my left; they drink coffee and share a portion of fries. I can see them using this McDonald's as a meeting point, once a week. The guy to my right sits alone, plugged into his iPod. Could be on his lunch break.

I'd been craving grease and cheap food, so I broke my McDonald's ban. I hadn't been inside one for years. I used to eat every weekend in McDonald's when I lived in Hong Kong. Whenever you placed an order, the person behind the till would say "and then?" They would keep asking you "and then?" until you had ordered all their burgers, fries, cokes, milk shakes and sundaes. I loved smoking a Marlboro Lights after my meal.

Cross-posted to mcdonalds_talk

Comments

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've been away for years now, so I'm unaware of their new marketing schemes. But I wouldn't be surprised if they had some stuff for £1.

Go treat yourself to a Big Mac! :-P