Free Small Coffees = More McLitter!

Canadian Deals & Coupons

 

garbage

Until March 6th, McDonald’s is offering their free small coffee deal…again. So being a deal lover, I grabbed my resuable, ceramic coffee cup before I left to run errands.

With my ceramic cup in-hand, I kindly asked the McEmployee if she could put the free caffeine straight into my cup. (I really didn’t think it would be a problem since Starbucks does it and even offers you a $0.10 discount!) She flat-out refused and when I asked her why, she apathetically responded, “I dunno they just said to put it in these (paper) cups and you can throw it out after.”

(I did try to tell the McEmployee that I don’t think the cups are recyclable*, she never responded, and frankly didn’t seem to care.)

Umm…okay, but doesn’t that send out the wrong message that McDonald’s doesn’t give a two-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese about the environment? Due to this promotion, I’m sure that McD’s will be a bit busier giving away free coffees which in turn means there’ll be more waste, so why was my reusable cup refused? Don’t customers use the same cups when they refill their own pop??

Furthermore, it’s definitely not a matter of hygiene as the coffee is dispensed out of a carafe which does not even close to touching the cup at all, so what gives?

I’m not going to come any conclusions right away. Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard.

I will, however, attempt to bring my reusable cup to another location to see what they’ll say. And if I’m refused again, I’ll follow-up with McDonald’s themselves, come to a final conclusion at that time, and I’ll keep you posted!

Speaking of McDonald’s, for anyone who cares, their radioactive-green Shamrock Shake is BAAACK! I dunno about you, but the colour alone scares the bejesus outta me! Aside from a whole vat of food colouring, what other yummy chemicals are in it??!!

Aside from the colour, I couldn’t drink it even if I wanted to ’cause the Shamrock wouldn’t be the only thing shakin’! I’m lactose-intolerant, especially with these fakey-chemical dairy products…

* D, a ‘green’ friend who works at Starbucks, told me that the paper cups that they use aren’t recyclable because they’re waxed! So I’m guessing the recycling symbol is a sham??


123 responses to “Free Small Coffees = More McLitter!”

  1. Sally says:

    Totally off topic but my iced coffee from mcd’s said “caution cold” on it. Are we really getting that stupid, or is mc’ds mocking me.

  2. K says:

    @Sally its not to remind you… its to remind THEM ’cause they don’t think they are capable enough to understand ice is cold…

  3. Robin says:

    Never had any problems using my own travel mug at McDonalds

  4. Glen says:

    McEmployee? Doesn’t give a McMuffin…really…I don’t know what else to say.

  5. Cee says:

    The cups from Sbux are MADE from partly recycled materials…and were the first cups to be allowed to be made from post-consumer goods. But I haven’t a clue about recycling. My sister recycles hers!

  6. Mark D says:

    How sad is it that your complaining over something that is free. Get a life, if you have an issue with Mcdonalds, than don’t go there simple as that…

  7. dealsniffer says:

    ok so if you have so many problems with McDonalds WHY are you even there in the first place? also it is not nice when a restaurant is not environmentally friendly about something but a whole rant like this is a little over the top don’t you think?! Also it can be a matter of hygeine because how can they be sure of where you have placed your reusable mug?? they place your mug on the counter and other peoples mugs on the counter and if a mug has been somewhere (let’s say the bathroom ewww or placed on the ground ewww) unclean where germs are plentiful then germs are spread. yes Mcdonalds isn’t the cleanest but I am just saying that just because the carafe doesn’t touch the top of the cup that there are still germs that can spread. I know this because I have seen where people place their reusable cups because they don’t have enough brain cells to think about germs.

  8. Kait says:

    I don’t see why they wouldn’t be recyclable – we recycle waxed paper milk cartons. It could also vary greatly by municipality, as every city has different recycling capabilities.

  9. Kathleen says:

    The coffee cups you get from places like Starbucks aren’t recyclable. It’s not because they’re waxed, it’s because there is a layer of insulating material inside the cup that is not recyclable, and virtually impossible to separate from the recyclable part of the cup.

  10. Stephania says:

    Tough crowd!

    If you have a problem with my rant, don’t read it AND I’ll stop going to McDonald’s, deal?

  11. dealsniffer says:

    well let’s just say it is a bit difficult to avoid it when it is on the front page. maybe Boo should control more what gets placed on the blog because what is getting posted is going downhill. this is something you post in the forum maybe but not on the front page. c’mon.

  12. nosobbq says:

    hahahhahaha…. i liked this post!! very funny!! and so true… i think they should have used your re-usable mug….

  13. abbasgirl says:

    The only thing I can think of is that the size of your reusable cup could be different than their small coffee cups. Other than that, I think the employee was probably just trying to stay out of trouble with her manager. It really wasn’t her decision. She had to go by what she was told to do. I worked at McDonald’s when I was a teenager. I lasted a week and a half!

  14. Sally says:

    Dealsniffer, off topics have always been posted on the blog. 🙂 Stephania is one of our newest team members. I don’t think you were spose to take this post so literal she was trying to be funny. Which I got.

  15. kissjo says:

    I have to wonder why SO many companies are still dispensing SO much garbage and not having to pay a HUGE environmental tax. Seriously, how many Tim Hortons cups have you seen littered all over the place?? If more people took accountability (like our poster here) and tried to clean up our beautiful country, instead of trying to create more waste, maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to see SO much garbage from take-out places. And yes, I would bring in my own reusable cup too, and continue to question them why or why they are so insistent on not using an environmentally friendly option.

  16. Amie says:

    Hahaha I literally giggles like a kid while reading the initial post..I think it was well written, had relevant points and was overall totally entertaining read!
    Be it on the front page or not, you have the choice to read it.. if there is something posted you don’t care about..simply scroll down to the next topic, there really is no need to put up such a fuss! Chill out- smile more and realize there is no need to be so serious all the time! =)

  17. tattoodprincess says:

    This was quite funny..but I think abbasgirl is probably right on the money. Unless your reusable mug is the same size as your small coffee, they couldn’t fill it. It’s not like it’s dispensed by size like the soda, it’s poured by hand. It’s purely a way to make it equal and fair, especially since they are essentially losing money on the coffee, I’m guessing only a small portion getting the free coffee is spending money on food, so it’s a loss. Yes McDonald’s is a large company but as we’ve seen with other freebies, if they feel people are abusing their generosity it’ll get stopped. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do 🙁

  18. KhKhKh says:

    sometimes they count cups and that is how they know how well the promotion went. you can’t get mad at the employee when they are just doing as they are told. if you really have an issue with it you should write mcdonalds higher-ups a letter or post something on their facebook page?

  19. moochi says:

    i love how people complain about the type of posts that are created on smartcanucks. if dealsniffer has a problem about this rant, then dealsniffer can stop coming to this blog. seriously, there is no obligation for smartcanucks to fulfill every reader’s preference/needs. chill out.

    i think that particular employee was not well trained LOL. but we also might look at it as an employee who does not want to do something different and get in trouble. i’d probably say that talking to the manager is the better way to find out how mc d’s is dealing with this paper cup vs traveling mug issue.

    interesting post though.

  20. TP says:

    “Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard.”

    It’s great that you’re trying to be environmentally-friendly, but you did not have to look down on an employee who was just doing her job. Extremely rude and uncalled for. I make coffee at home in my re-usable cups, but I would never use them in stores. I agree with McDonald’s for not allowing re-usable mugs. Some people do not conduct proper hygiene and I wouldn’t want their germs in my next cup of coffee.

  21. Sally says:

    Mc Riot on the Mc post.

    Tim Hortons will take your reasuble mugs. Everywhere else will. Mcdonalds will reuse your drinking cup, so whats the difference between that and a ceramic mug, not only that but they could have a cup they could mcmeasure with then mcwash it and keep mcresuing it if it were that big of an issue.

    I was a Mcemployee when I was 17, and during my entire time working there my life did Mcsuck.

  22. You're rude says:

    I think what you said about the “mcemployee” was extremely rude and uncalled for. what makes you think you are better than her? she was obviously just following rules, so there’s no need for you to rip her a new one on this forum. If you don’t like the way it is, then don’t go there. You’re obviously there just because it was free. While I agree with being environmentally friendly, I would never say such rude things about an employee who was just doing her job.

  23. You're rude says:

    “Totally off topic but my iced coffee from mcd’s said “caution cold” on it. Are we really getting that stupid, or is mc’ds mocking me.

    It’s to protect them from the idiots that would sue them because they didn’t realize it was cold. Same reason why them and others like Starbucks have to put “caution HOT” on coffee, because idiots spill it on themselves (probably on purpose) and expect to hit the jackpot.

  24. Tara says:

    I did a project in high school about Mickey dees and their flat out recycling lies. The site claims that they recycle which anyone with half a brain should realize is BS since they have no recycling bins. I had the worked there for all of one week and not once was there any mention of recycling ( though I did have the pleasure of visiting the garbage room.yuck!)

  25. C says:

    Lay off the OP, whether you were entertained by her post or not, it’s obvious that she’s not trying to offend anyone.

    Calling the employee a “McEmployee” wasn’t a superiority jab, it was simply to tie it in with every other “Mc-something” she could throw in there, which I found funny.

    I understand that there may have been reasons behind the employee denying her using the reusable cup (such as the cup-counting), it’s still a thought-provoking article regardless.

  26. TP says:

    @C It wasn’t the term “McEmployee” that I found offensive. It was her awful comment about the employee working there.

    If the OP posted on a public blog, she should have expected some negative comments in which people do not agree with her. Not everyone is going to post “OMG SO FUNNY LOL”. What’s the point of a blog when other people are basically told to shutup if they don’t agree with the OP’s opinion?

  27. BMyltoft says:

    Enjoyed your post !
    Dont see what others problems are.

  28. Janice says:

    I liked it! LOL

    …..and think all of you posting your comments are hilarious! I’ve never commented before, but just had to for this! LOL

  29. Lilyana's Mommy says:

    Wow I never thought a post about McD’s coffee would turn into a McFight, lol….we all have our opinion on the article and of course we all think we are right but IMO I don’t see Stephania’s blog as being rude if anything I find it to be interesting and funny. I didn’t know that McD’s wouldn’t use your travel cup and I don’t understand why they wouldn’t. It could be due to “cup counting” for the promo or for health reasons. But Tims have no problem using our cups so I’m thinking it may be the “cup counting” reason and if that’s the case then maybe they should look into another way of tracking so the company can be more environmentally friendly.

    Good blog Stephania 🙂

    P.S – I think we all need to remember that if you start reading something and don’t like it then don’t read anymore of the blog. No I don’t think all comments have to agree with the blogger but I don’t agree with being rude to her.

  30. MissTeacher says:

    “I’m not going to come any conclusions right away. Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard.”

    I agree that this was the paragraph that turned the blog entry into something that could have be worthwhile to something that was beyond rude. Overt racism. And I’m actually pretty concerned that the moderators didn’t choose to edit that part out. Or that more people aren’t focusing on it in their comments.

    No, I don’t have to read each post, but I do come to this blog every day to check out shopping tips and hints. I have been reading the off-topics entries for interest but didn’t expect to come across such discrimination this morning.

    This was not a review of an employee doing their job, it was an intolerant view of our Canadian community.

  31. Amie says:

    woah….now isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black…you can’t accuse someone of being rude-and in the same breath throw out a rude comment of your own. MAYBE the lady was doing what she was told..maybe there is a ‘policy’ BUT-they owe a customer more of a explanation than “No..or I don’t know..” It is THEIR job to know the answers to those questions-if they were not told -they should ASK-so an explanation can be given to the customer- its kind of like when moms say, “Because I said so”…we all know the old saying, they customer is always right…sure does not seem like that was the case in this situation–again be it policy or whatever-its their job to make sure the customer leaves happy!

  32. hogama says:

    I thought this was a brilliant blog!!! Hilarious and very well written… and it definitely gives you something to think about! Well done, Stephania!

  33. Amie says:

    …if you comment on a persons attitude and service, based on how you were treated…I don’t see that as being racist?

  34. Shayne says:

    I think its completely for advertising purposes. Not now, and not ever has McDonalds cared about the environment.

    The reason they are doing free coffee this week is because Roll up the Rim is happening at Tim Hortons and they want to sabotage Tim Horton’s sales, and if you are using a ceramic mug, no one will know what coffee you got, if you have a McDonalds Cup, they’ll see it and remember that this week is free coffee so instead of grabbing a Tim’s they’ll get a free coffee from McDonalds. Simple. 🙂

    Do I agree? Not at all, but I do enjoy my free coffee.

  35. jeep says:

    the bottom line: it’s a free promotion therefore mcdonalds wants everyone to be seen drinking from THEIR cups. they gain nothing from you using your own, because then their name isn’t plastered on it. lets be honest, makes perfect business sense, doesn’t it?

  36. Marie says:

    What about the idea that it’s just for advertising…if someone see’s someone else walking around with a McDonalds coffee cup in their hand then that person has a reminder…’oh ya, McD’s has free coffee…I should go and get one…and hey,..while I’m there, I’m kind of hungry…maybe I’ll just get a snack’….and there …it is accomplished…just what McDonald’s was trying to do…get more people in their stores…if your coffee is in a recyclable cup, then anybody looking at it has absolutely no idea if the coffee came from Tims, Starbucks or your very own coffee pot….just a thot….so that defeats McDonald’s purpose purpose. They certainly don’t give out free coffee out of the goodness and generosity of their heart…yes, the other places will use your recyclable cup but you’ve also paid for that drink…so they’ve got what they wanted…your money.

  37. Veggout says:

    I GUESS NO ONE WANTS TO SAVE THE EARTH! anyhoo great post. From my experience I have noticed many workers at McDonalds who have been there awhile are so RUDE! plain and simple OP is right.

  38. Lori says:

    I found the blog entertaining. I wish negative people would just find another website to complain on. It’s getting tiring reading their posts all the time. On another note, our McDonalds lets you have ANY size of coffee on this promotion, up to 4 per vehicle in drive thru.

  39. amy says:

    You’re over-reacting. I’m pretty sure your coffee drinking habit itself is way worse than one paper cup. All the deforestation, the milk production and long distance transportation…

  40. Cary Molyneux says:

    I think that this rant does NOT belong on the front page. Go from one rant to another, two rants in one. If you don’t like the product stay out of the shop. It could have all been said in a more positive way. The last couple of weeks have had a lot of “negative Nancy” type posts. It seemed to be a not more positive, maybe it”s just me.

  41. Sally says:

    Where are all the negative nancy posts?

  42. Karrie says:

    I enjoyed your post as well. Contrary to what the typical North American ‘everything is disposable’ consumer thinks, the little things do matter and a large corporation such as McDonalds should be held accountable.

  43. Lady P says:

    In response to your rant, I fully support the Mcpolyee in refusing to refill your personal ceramic mug, I would be mortified if I saw such a thing take place at Mcdonalds, just because you say your cup is clean the employee couldn’t possibly know that your cup was clean. Putting a cup in the dish washer does not completely rid it of communicable disease, such as hep B hep c, herpes etc… every restuarnt has to follow the ministry standards to protect the consumer and if every and everyboby was bringing their personal mugs into resturants to be filled we would probably all be sick, in the future I suggest that you make your coffee at home and this way you’ll have no problems

  44. tlvincen says:

    Loved this post!

    I in no way found this to be offensive but hilarious! Great work! Not really sure why others are complaining…. it seems to be as they don’t have much of a sense of humour…

  45. Kellyg says:

    Someone hit the magic word on the head ealier… “sue”! Unfortunately probably somewhere down the line a McDonalds somewhere filled someones reusable cup and there inevitably was a case of food poisoning that could may have been possibly blamed on the fact that an employee touched a reusable cup. Just saying! How many times have you seen someone use a reusable cup that is unwashed? My point is by refusing to fill a “personal” cup McD’s remains in control of the cup. Silly sure, but just as silly as someone suing McDonalds because the coffee was too hot! Again, just saying. Relax, enjoy it’s free. Personally I think the cups should all be made edible, coffee and a snack 🙂

  46. Theresa says:

    What, you didn’t demand to see one of their 16 year old managers?????!!!!!!! LOL! I have a hard time taking a company too serious who let kids that are still in highschool be managers.

  47. anisa says:

    you seem a little juvenile with your blog entry.

    “I’m not going to come any conclusions right away. Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard.”

    maybe she’s someone who needs a job and is just doing her job. and her “Canadian experience” was that a jab at her possibly being an immigrant. you are prejudiced on quite a few levels. you prejudged her, and felt self righteous enough to show all of Canada just how narrow minded you are.

    and yes, please stay away from the shamrock shakes if you’re lactose intolerant and they make your tum-tum all cranky-wanky.

  48. Theresa says:

    Sally…LOL!! My husband worked at a McD’s for 2 weeks when he was 17. That was back in the days before combo’s and you had to ask if people wanted fries with their orders. My husband(being the oh so cool guy he was) refused to ask people and was promptly let go!!! Too funny!

  49. Meg says:

    I found the blog childish and I didnt even read the whole thing.
    I think the employee was right now to fill your cup.
    For sanitary reason I can see why the refused.

    Radio-active green milk shake? Grow up.

  50. Meg says:

    correction(typo)-
    employee was right not to fill your cup

  51. shmegz says:

    we each individually should do what we can to recycle etc… but there’s no need to worry too much about a using a cup here or there. FREE COFFEE is always cool.

  52. Meg says:

    Well said shmegz

  53. Natalka says:

    Gonna take me a Lactaid and get me some Shamrock shake… to heck with the free coffee!

  54. MissTeacher says:

    Again, I am going to stress how sad I am that no one is focusing on the discriminatory comment referring to the employee being unhappy or unappreciative of her “Canadian experience” simply because Stephania received poor service.

    This is not an issue of not having a sense of humour. The rest of the blog was half-decent, albeit something that I would recognise from my high school classroom. And the original issue of reusable cups for all this free coffee is something that I understand and agree with. Even the comment reminding readers that this green shake is back in stores is relavant.

    Discrimination is not. And it should never be overlooked (whether overt or discreet), otherwise we are allowing it to be accepted. I am not trying to be negative or angry. I simply believe that that ONE paragraph could be removed and the tone of the blog would be drastically changed.

  55. Siobhan says:

    While I may not agree with the way everything was said in this post, I have to applaud the message.

    Do you have any idea what kind of impact even “a cup here or there” has on our environment? There’s nothing gross about using a clean travel mug, and I wish more consumers and businesses would get on board.

    Know what’s even cooler than free coffee? Having a beautiful healthy planet for us and generations to come. I’ll drink my coffee at home or support a business that’s doing it’s part for our planet.

  56. jo says:

    if you don’t like the fact that they don’t use recyclable cups, it’s simple…just don’t go there. McDonalds provides p/t jobs for teens and jobs for older folks who need extra coin or just want to get out of the house and do something. Nothing to disrespect in that.

  57. Sammy says:

    I think marketing purpose…if they fill in ur own cup… how can other people know u r drinking McDonald Coffee??

  58. anisa says:

    there are many messages in the post, not one is applaud-worthy.

    making a greener-than-thou speech (ramble) is silly unless one is living a truly eco-conscious lifestyle. 99’9% of us are not.

    we drive cars, we shop carelessly in most cases (number of trips to the store, packaging alternatives etc) we over heat and over cool our homes, we mow the lawn with powered mowers, we use garbage bags that are not biodegradable, we upgrade our cell phones on whim, we buy throw-away clothes every season from low end stores to keep on-trend, and so on…

    nobody made her pay for the coffee, it was being offered at no charge. if she didn’t like the experience that is fine. most ppl are well aware that they use paper cups. to rant about it using in a rude and judgemental manner is just silly.

  59. Ex-McManager says:

    Firstly, I would like to point out that this rant, although infuriates people, is typically of ignorant (uneducated) individuals when it comes to the fast food industry. They tend to believe whatever they hear, from other, media etc, instead of researching the information for themselves. That being said I would like to clear some things up.
    I was a McDonald’s Manager for eleven years, and the experience you had, unfortunately, is a common one. The bottom line is this, you can use your own mug when you are a dine in customer. No issues. However, if you mug is not a 10 oz mug, please do not complain that it is not “full”. However, in the drive thru, although they will still put the coffee in your reusable mug, it has already been made in the disposable cup. If your intentions are to save the cup, it’s already too late. Your cup doesn’t go into the kitchen, and those same cashiers are touching money, so it really isn’t’ a hygiene issue, you are right.
    Secondly, I wanted to point out that the McDonald’s hot cups are a double walled paper cup and are completely reusable. It is hard however, to recycle food containers because people leave food in them, and as we all know, food isn’t part of the recycling process. Plus, customer DO NOT read, and put their garbage wherever they please, whether it be in a recycling container, or the washroom sink for that matter. So, McDonald’s does what they can, but they need to be met in the middle.
    Finally, free coffee, UGH! Generated so much unnecessary complaining from people for something that is FREE. Really? What is this world coming to?

  60. Anne says:

    Is it not completely obvious that the reason they wouldn’t fill your cup is that for the duration of the PROMOTION they want everyone walking around with their coffee in a McDonald’s cup…hence PROMOTING McDonald’s coffee?

  61. Ally says:

    I agree that it was probably for advertising purposes that they’re not filling your travel mugs while the promo is going on. I haven’t tried myself, because I’ve been busy with Timmy’s.

    Any other time, I’ve never had any trouble using my own mug at McD’s.

  62. TOdealseeker says:

    I wholeheartedly agree with Miss Teacher. I find the comment about the employee’s “Canadian experience” completely unnecessary and definitely offensive. What does the employee’s background have to do with how she treats the OP? Why was it necessary to allude to her background in the first place? I don’t see the relevance.

    The rest of the post was fine, albeit a few paragraphs too long. Maybe you can show the first 2-3 paragraphs and then add a link for people to click if they want to read more.

  63. Offended says:

    “Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard”

    I find this paragraph extremely offensive and discriminatory. Well said MissTeacher. Stephania is obviously refering to the employee being an immigrant and by trying to be funny, she has crossed the line. This paragraph should NOT be on the front page and belongs in the forum. By allowing this statement on the front page SmartCanucks is condoning this insulting discrimination.

    As Stephania said, don’t read but we have no choice/warning when it is on the front page. Please somebody remove this paragraph to retain the integrity of this website.

  64. Goldie says:

    I admire the poster to bring this issue to light. As a conscious environmentalist, I think it was a valid post. Negative comments about the relavancy of the post should be keep out of the discussion as this issue is indeed relavant to many people. People are free to give their differing opinions if kept to the subject and not critical of the poster’s character, etc. I love coming to this site and value ppl’s diverse views, and it sucks the life of the topic when people start being critical of the individual who posted a comment rather than offering any counter view points related to the issue at hand. Koodus to the poster and let’s now move on please.

  65. starrynight8765 says:

    Stephania, I really liked this post. You made some great points and it was entertaining to boot!

  66. Goldie says:

    “Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard”

    Wow, I’m shocked. I totally looked over this statement by the poster. This is unnecessary and plain disrespectful. Who are we to judge? I’m not in support of this type of commentary and see this as a risk if still kept on the front page.

  67. coffee says:

    the environmental message aside… the blog is racist.

  68. Anne says:

    I don’t think it’s racist at all…juvenile is the word I would use.

  69. Natty says:

    I don’t think anyone is calling the OP an outright racist, just that her words reflect a negative racist tone.

    There’s no reason at all to link what Stephania says was poor service to the fact that the employee was an immigrant. Those are two totally different things and by saying they were related is most definitely, a racist statement.

  70. mulveyteach says:

    “Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a McMuffin about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard”

    Yes I too, found that this crossed the line. Extremely poor taste in the hopes of being funny?

    Let me share something “funny”…

    Do you know how many “middle aged workers” are professionals in their homeland only to find that they don’t have the same practicing rights or Canadian equivalency and in order to practice their profession must upgrade and are forced to take McDonald’s or the like type jobs? After all it pays and most have families to support. And the money leftover, if any, goes towards the dream of going back to school to upgrade, but usually that dream goes unfufilled because kids grow up and have their own career aspirations and the dutiful parents put their own desires aside, just so their kids could have a better start.

    So yes I wholeheartedly agree, the “Canadian experience for them sucks soo hard…” but I have yet to hear one complain… the sole reason for them working so hard, is so their kids can have the advantage of “a better life” most say. I meet these people’s stories everyday… a newly arrived doctor who moonlights as a “Mcjanitor,” a UN security personnel in Kenya who works as a respite worker gaining 50 cents more than our minimum wage, a teacher turned garment worker in a sewing factory… all in the name of the Canadian dream. You think these people are resentful about their situations? Their hard work means it’s easier on their kids future. So perhaps, other then being resentful over a cup of coffee and judging someone, we ought to keep an open mind because EVERYONE has a story.

    I was born in Canada and couldn’t even imagine the hardships that some immigrants have survived only to be faced with a whole new set of challenges here. Being the subject of a blog where they are misrepresented and misunderstood certainly doesn’t have to be one of them.

  71. Funkycrew says:

    woah!
    I just scrolled down and LO AND BEHOND we have all the damn whiners and complainers back on board
    Can I use the f word already? cos I really want them to F OFF!

  72. MissTeacher says:

    I’m sure that none of this was Stephania intended, but it should be remembered that it is impact, not intent that really matters.

    Your readers have made reasonable suggestions like editing the paragraph out or linking to the entry to a different page. This isn’t an issue of disagreeing with the author it is about being offended by the author’s words (whether intentional or not). Shouldn’t that matter?

  73. elaela says:

    Those of you calling Stephania racist, ignorant, immature… who do you think YOU are to STATE this “fact”?

    Sure.. it was probably not the most “politically correct” way to say what she said. Some of you may have overlooked the fact that she did not outright state it as a fact.

    Stephania… I enjoyed your post. You said nothing wrong. It was witty and quite possibly implied the truth about the worker’s situation. Hope the negative comments posted don’t get to you.

    Perhaps all blog posts will need to have a disclaimer…… like how the iced coffee cups warn of the low temperature.

  74. Funkycrew says:

    @ Offended – obviously you have no clue what you’re talking about

    @Miss Teacher – why on Earth do we need to stress over anything? Just because you feel like making much ado about non-existant and over-exaggerated sentiments, doesn’t mean others should do!

    For God’s sakes! peeps! chill already!
    I cannot express how annoying it is to read all these ridiculous comments when all we should be discussing is the cups
    when things go out of control like that, posts need to be moved to the forum and off the 1st page

  75. Funkycrew says:

    @ elaela – agreed on every count!

  76. Peppermint Patty says:

    To coin a phrase “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. This blog post is generating exactly what SC wants.

  77. Mike says:

    What about Tim’s and their Roll up the Rim? Isn’t that creating garbage because people want the rims to roll up?

  78. icy says:

    RE: mulveyteach
    I totally agree with you.

  79. icy says:

    RE: Mike
    The whole issue was, she couldn’t get her cup filled at McDonald’s. It is not really a “creating more garbage” issue.

  80. Jess says:

    I agree that this sentence: “cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard” had no place being in this blog. I think that took it a bit far, the blogger could have found another way to say what she was saying. Other than that the rest of the blog was fine in my eyes.

  81. tattoodprincess says:

    I agree with Kellyg!! EDIBLE CUPS!!!!!!! lol seriously..like a wafer cup with chocolate or something on the inside like an ice cream cone bowl..marketing genius! Oh and fyi people..the Shamrock shakes are effing delicious! 🙂 Minty,green, creamy, thick goodness…I saw the sign on my way home from work the other day and actually slightly squealed with glee lol bought a large…sooooooooo gooooooood….now I want another one…mmmmmmm shamrock shake…*drool*….

  82. Danielle says:

    As a manager at a McDonald’s location I was pretty offended at this post. There are 2 reasons why your mug was likely not filled, because it was bigger than a 10 oz small coffee (which most travel mugs are), and also because we are instructed to never take an item over the counter for sanitary reasons. This includes taking people’s garbage through the drive through window. Obviously you meant no harm but liability wise if someone received our coffee in their mug and somehow got sick from it, McDonald’s would be liable even if there was bacteria in the cup. The worker should have been more courteous when explaining this to you, but free coffee is extremely busy and stressful on employees. However I want you to know that just because someone works at McDonald’s doesn’t mean their life “sucks soo hard” – I’ve been able to put myself through university debt free due to my “McJob”. The free coffee promotion is a courtesy promotion that McDonald’s loses money on (the coffee doesn’t cost much but cream/milk and sugar do) so you might do well to feel some compassion to these workers who are overall very disrespected in society. Also, as for the comment “If you don’t like it, don’t read it”, if no one was reading this blog you wouldn’t have a job. The point is that we DO read it, and luckily for you put stock in what you have to say. I understand you’re new but please keep these ideas in mind before writing another post that alienates and insults many people’s profession.

  83. Boo Radley says:

    This is the most enjoyable post I’ve read on SmartCanucks in a long time. Very funny and interesting read! Thanks for the laugh Stephania 😀

  84. Skippy says:

    My enjoyment of this deal has been nullified by reading this thread. Alas
    I will not be able to return to McD’s with a good conscience.

  85. Villa says:

    I am pretty sure that all those who find this blog post offensive are white Canadians who never faced discrimination in their life. However, they are so sensitive to any comment that include the words “race” or “immigrant”, and cry RACISM even when there is none. Maybe it is their own guilt for what their ancestors done.

    AS an immigrant I can say that mentioning that “Canadian experience” can be difficult for an immigrant and make them feel frustrated and unhappy is not racist, but for many immigrants it can be the reality. Therefore, I don’t find this post racist or discriminatory.

  86. MoTaffy says:

    I’m with Miss Teacher – the overt racism in the original post was offensive. I first read it this morning and really thought it would have been edited or removed by now.

    Stephania – MY “Canadian experience” is that people who use that term in the way you did are racist biggots. Hope to (not) hear from you soon. 🙁

  87. Stephania says:

    Just because I never mentioned Tim Horton’s, doesn’t mean that they’re completely innocent! ROLL UP THE RIM definitely contributes to the landfill and parking lots. I know the promotion is going on, not because of the ads, but because the cups are all over the parking lots and streets!

    Keep the love (& hate) coming! I get off on both…

  88. Theresa says:

    Thank you Villa, you are so right. I wonder if people would throw the word racist around if they found out that the OP was an immigrant, new to Canada. Somehow, I really doubt it.

  89. Funkycrew says:

    Villa and Theresa – that would be really funny if it was true 🙂 for the record I’m an immigrant too and I didn’t find any parts of the post offensive!

  90. Sally says:

    I got a few of my immigrant friends to read it and they found the post funny, and not offending at all. I think Villa hit the nail on the head imo.

  91. c says:

    Those of you calling Stephania racist, ignorant, immature… who do you think YOU are to STATE this “fact”?

    A canadian citizen who is offended by that disgusting comment. and the fact that she doesnt even give a crap about what she says is worse. she gets off on it. being a racist ignorant person.

    I am not white, but am born and raised in canada.

    do you think these people who come into canada whine and complain when they probably came from somewhere else that is FAR worse, suffering from war and crimes???!??! when you sit here complaining about ur stupid cup. sure its a good post about being environmental, but why dont you try correcting your disgusting behaviour towards your fellow human beings before you care about a free cup of coffee.

    keep getting off on your bigot racist views. you make canada look like a disgusting unwelcoming country which it is not.

  92. Litesandsirens911 says:

    I personally read Stephania’s blog entry as well as the SC blog post…and yes , she is racist, because otherwise she would have removed the “Indian” part in which she describes in her own blog…of which SC either didn’t allow her to post, or she chose not to….

    Whether the post was in jest or not, apparently there are underlying issues here…which she clearly makes her opinion known by picking on one ethnicity over another in her own blog…reminds me of the time the blacks were segregated from the whites…pity in the year 2011…

  93. Funkycrew says:

    here we go again
    perhaps it’s time to lock down this post?

  94. Litesandsirens911 says:

    from Stephania’s own post :

    “I’m not gonna draw any conclusions right away. Maybe that McEmployee, a middle-aged INDIAN lady, just hates her job + life + doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Mother Earth ’cause her “Canadian experience” sucks soo hard.”

    Sorry but that IS rude…

  95. Sally says:

    Her blog has 0 to do with Sc. So how exactly can you draw comments from other sites and correlate it to this? Are you going to go on my facebook and judge something I’ve said on my facebook to a blog? No. Thats ridiculous.

    Thats like news reporters not being able to describe someones descent when their wanted by police, and thats just what the world has come to. I think we’ve gone overboard.

    So, you can say “blacks” and “whites” but Steph can’t say Indian?

  96. Funkycrew says:

    and I’m loving all the McD’s “managers'” posts in this thread as well
    blah blah blaaaaah

  97. Skippy says:

    Just think “What would Ronald Do?”

  98. Litesandsirens911 says:

    ^ Sally I was pointing out a comparison…I don’t judge people by race , color, ethnicity..that was my point…and if you don’t want a correlation between SC and her own blog posts, then perhaps you should remove the automatic link to her blog post then when one clicks on her blue colored “Stephania” by her comments…

    Maybe it’s time I left Smartcanucks…because things sure have changed when mods defend posters with less than ethical values…

  99. Sally says:

    I’ve had just about enough.

    Just FYI I grew up being teased the shit out of because of my Native Indian heritage, my dark hair. My mothers dark skin etc. All throughout my school experience people played race on me.

    So… I think I can quite clearly judge is something was meant racist or not. You people think you can just throw your comments out when you have no idea whom your speaking to. I approved the post, it wasn’t mean to be racist. Apparently you can’t describe a physical appearance anymore.

  100. FallenPixels says:

    The police use it to help find a person, it had no bearing on a person pouring coffee, and anyone who has experienced and prejudice in life I would hope would think that.

    yes she didnt say Indian on here, but the Canadian Experience certainly leads towards prejudice, you wouldnt say it about a white Canadian born person – but she did link her blog when replying so people are going to comment.

    The blog would have been just fine without it, it doesn’t add anything but prejudice to the original blog post, it could have just said someone unhappy with their job

    But then I actually think posts like this have no reason to be on the blog and the fact there are so many non deals posted is why I removed it from my RSS feeds

  101. Boo Radley says:

    We did NOT mean to be racist in any way. A lot of the things Stephania mentioned in her post apply to me including the “Canadian Experience” comment! And I was not hurt in any way because I KNOW she did not mean to be racist or rude. We are NOT judging people by race or colour… if I was then I would be judging myself, my Mom and family.

  102. e says:

    I just wanna say, I’m NOT Caucasian, although I was born in Canada, and I did NOT see anything racist in this post what-so-ever, until I read the comments. You people are over-analyzing WAYYY too much! It was just a post, don’t let it stress you out! Obviously she was making a joke, but all of you-grumpy people clearly cannot see that! But then again I’m not the type to get offended easily or LET other people bring me down! *hint hint* For those of you say “Don’t go there.. ” Well don’t come on this post if it bothers you THAT much. I KNOW I wouldn’t let this post stop me from this site, getting RADDD deals! =p

  103. Sally says:

    I’m sorry you don’t like the off topic posts Fallen but Im surprised you ever had the RSS feed since off topics have been a large part of the blog since it’s inception in 2006.

    🙂 I think everyone needs to chill out, Stephania didn’t mean it racist, she is not racist, I’m not racist, Boos not racist. Everyone went to far and feelings end up getting hurt.

  104. Martin says:

    It is important to be aware of our impact on our environment but come on have you seen how much chemicals this lady buys.

  105. anisa says:

    i think racist is a big word to hurl around. that’s why i said prejudiced. she prejudged. she assumed so many things and stated them in such a flippantly rude way.

    i don’t care if she’s a self absorbed twit.

    what i cared about was that the blog entry was really below standard in so many ways, even as a non-deal blog post.

  106. Bytown says:

    Here’s an idea for OP,
    Go stand in front of a Ronald McDonald house and trash them about how irresponsible they are.
    Just don’t be surprised when those kids’ parents tell you what to do with your ceramic cup and your endangered squirrels.

  107. KJ says:

    OMG I find this really funny as I got refused to give my reusable mug at timmes…SO there…All those haters of this topic should just get a MCLIFE…lmao

  108. Kiri says:

    If you come to our mcdonalds, we’ll gladly fill your reuseable cup. but we can only fill it up to the portion of a small size coffee cup, cause that’s free. 😛

    And if you asked a manager, they would have most definitely filled up your cup. even to the brim (if it was bigger than a small size cup) for the trouble the McEmployee gave you earlier. 🙂

  109. Kiri says:

    oh and I think the shamrock shakes are delicious! and I hate mcdonalds milkshakes

  110. Laura says:

    At each coffee place I’ve worked at, in terms of the reusable mug, every place would make you make it in a paper cup then pour it into the reusable one for “health code” reasons. Probably because they can have all the tools touching something that we couldn’t guarantee was washed according to policy.

    So even if you didn’t personally throw away a cup, one was thrown out. This was at indie coffee shops, Tim’s McD. probably about five in total both in the Atlantic region and Ontario.

  111. serenebean says:

    I know there are already over 100 comment but I just had to jump in with my opinion too!

    I didn’t find the “Canadian experience” comment offensive and took it as both a joke and a comment that shed some light on the realities that a lot of immigrants face when they come to Canada. Most Canadians will tell you that immigration and acceptance are a big part of our culture but in actuality a lot of immigrants are not treated well.

    Just a thought..

    PS Congrats on a post that’s gotten this many members involved! LOL

  112. Amie says:

    OH MY GOD PEOPLE! SERIOUSLY!?
    I can not believe how insane this got since I read it
    this morning.
    I can not get over how low some people will go- in hopes
    of proving a point…its quite pathetic really, GET OVER IT!
    She wrote a great post, based on HER EXPERIENCE- which is
    exactly what a post it- a persons opinion, thoughts–WHATEVER!
    Take it or leave it…don’t like it…one simple click of
    your mouse will make all the bad people go away..problem
    solved.
    I do find it funny though..we have a few McDonalds managers
    who are giving conflicting info–one says NO PERSONAL CUPS,
    one says ONLY WHEN DINING IN, one says SURE IF ITS THE
    PROPER liquid measure….seems maybe McDonalds does not
    have a clear cut rule on that subject…..if they did, all
    restaurants would be on the same page….no?

  113. tudorchick says:

    jeep said it right..maybe they want people to see the cup as it is a mcdonalds promotion..and personally i wouldnt want to put anything in a ceramic coffee mug from someones’ house…i feel the employee doesn’t need to be belittled here.i did catch the humor,but it was in poor taste..funny,but poor taste…the poor lady was just doing her job..but i am not hating on you for your post..i don’t like ricky gervais’ humor but i won’t hate on him for it.i just found the OP in poor taste.we all are entitled to opinion and that was mine… =)

  114. orchidgirl says:

    I couldn’t get my reusable cup filled at Timmy’s the other day…And it was annoying. I never had a problem before…I had to pour the coffee in my mug and throw the cup away, just seemed to be a waste. So i totally under stand Stephania’s frustration.

  115. Louise says:

    Welcome to blogging. You’re just not a blogger if your post doesn’t:

    a. Cause an argument
    b. cause people to say any of the following “I don’t come here to read this” “Smartcanucks is not what it used to be/is not about this” “Don’t read it if you don’t like it” and/or ” I won’t be reading again”
    c. Have every sentence uttered completely picked apart until words become meaningless.

    Peace McOut 🙂

  116. Brenda Tang says:

    I’ve also never had a problem using my reusable mug at McDonald’s in Canada. There was one in the United States that wouldn’t do it though.

  117. DCH says:

    This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Free coffee or not people are still going to litter and not recycle.

    Maybe you would benefit from the Free silk coupon? LOL

  118. Jo Draven says:

    I don’t think Stephania’s posts are very funny. I read a few of them before this one and thought, “This person is trying to be funny and usually SALLY is pretty funny. Hmmm. Maybe it’s Sally and she’s having an “off” day?” But no. It was just Stephania being not funny.

    I get that humour is subjective. Even Sally said she liked Stephania’s humour. But I sure don’t. I didn’t think it was appropriate to say “Canadian experience” but I think we should allow people to speak as they wish. To be honest, the thing was a bit of a rant and it’s hard to respect and give much thought to someone’s who’s ranting.

    I’m using this comment to beg Sally to write more. You’re so clever! I loved reading your posts but there are hardly any on anymore. To be honest, I would read your posts for deals I didn’t even want because they were so entertaining. Please, Sally, write more!

  119. iloveluca says:

    Holy backlash! This whole thing makes me giggle!

    Oh – I don’t give a &$%# what colour it is – I LOVE the Shamrock Shake! I have been waiting for that sucker to make its comeback since 2003. So, thanks for mentioning that because I would not set foot in a McDonald’s for any other reason 😉

  120. Skippy says:

    Quote Sally:

    I’m sorry you don’t like the off topic posts Fallen but Im surprised you ever had the RSS feed since off topics have been a large part of the blog since it’s inception in 2006.

    I think everyone needs to chill out, Stephania didn’t mean it racist, she is not racist, I’m not racist, Boos not racist. Everyone went to far and feelings end up getting hurt.

    Given Sally’s last paragraph, I would humbly suggest deleting this specific blog.

  121. Who cares says:

    Who cares if mcds doesnt recycle that shouldnt be posted as a coupon and frankly I dont care

  122. BigJay says:

    As a McEmployee I will answer some of this. We do refill cups you bring in that Employee must not have known that, as well our cups are recyclable. McDonald’s does care about the environment, more then some of the other fast food stores do. As for the cold on the ice coffee cup, that is so people can’t sue the corporation again. Like they did for putting a hot cup of coffee between their legs and sueing because they burnt themselves for not knowing coffee was hot.

  123. Des says:

    i completely agree, it would be better to use a cup of your own to save on garbage but the likely reason they won’t allow it is that most refillable cups are a LOT larger than a small coffee from McDonalds. Since the coffee isn’t auto dispensed like their carbonated beverages are, there’s no way to ensure you’d get a coffee amount equivalent to their small. then suddenly everyone that brings in a refillable cup will be getting more for free than someone who doesn’t bring a cup. Sounds silly, but you just know someone would complain that they aren’t getting as much as the next guy.


















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