I know this is off-topic, skip if you aren't interested.

I don't think McDonald's has a very good environmental record, and we all
know their food isn't very healthy for people in the US who have plenty of
protein and fat in our diets already.  And of course the student at the
assembly should have been able to stand up and complain about McDonald's
without reprisal and the assembly should not have been mandatory.  That said
. . .

>Now, the obvious point is that no one needs to try very hard to get a >job
>at McDonald's

This could not be further from the truth.  In order to get a job at
McDonald's you must be able to look people in the eye, answer questions
clearly, dress appropriately for an interview, have your personal grooming
(hair, nails, etc.) in order, and many other skills.  For many teenagers who
have never had a job before, they do not know these interview skills.  Lots
of people get turned down for jobs at McDonald's.

>and it is doubtful that this company is the best representative for
> >teaching such skills.

On the contrary, McDonald's is considered one of the best, most efficient,
and cheapest job training programs in the world.  A job at McDonald's
teaches people to be responsible -- being reliable, getting to work on time,
doing your job in an efficient manner in a fast-paced context, working on a
team, being polite to the public, using computer equipment, learning about
public health, and on and on and on.  It also teaches people about the
satisfaction of getting a paycheck, how to budget their time and money, what
it means to have to pay taxes, and the rewards of a job well-done.
McDonald's also has a big program to provide tuition help and book money to
college students who maintain a high-enough grade point average, and
accommodates the schedule needs of its high school and college-age
employees.

McDonald's also hires elderly/retired people who need a little money and
often can't get work anywhere else.

McDonald's also hires a *LOT* of mentally handicapped people to work doing
the simpler chores, such as food prep, wiping off the tables, and emptying
the trash.  (Chick-Fil-A and Olive Garden also employee a lot of mentally
handicapped people.)

>(And I wonder how many parents are hoping their kids aspire to a career >in
>fast food?)

Most parents are not hoping their kids aspire to a career in fast food.  But
it's a great place to start.  I don't know the exact figures, but I'd guess
that a huge percentage of Americans started their employment careers working
in fast food.  I did, though not at McDonald's.   McDonald's is by far the
largest first-time employer of young Americans, teaching them responsibility
and team-work and a lot else, and then sending them off to other careers
that always require these skills.

Not to mention that I would be *thrilled* if my son Peter had a career at
McDonalds.

Kathy Dettwyler

P.S.  I have no financial stake in McDonalds.


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