Depending on where you live, you may encounter that phrase in a drive-thru from time-to-time. I most often get it at Starbucks; happened again this morning.

I ordered a sandwich and a FlatWhite (about $8) and the girl at the window told me that the car in front of me paid for my order. “That was super friendly!” I replied, and drove away.

The “death look” she shot me for not offering to pay for the car behind me to keep the ‘pay it forward’ going was almost comical.

Maybe I’m the asshole, (many might agree) but I like to pick-and-choose where my “pay-it-forward” dollars go; someone at the grocery store obviously struggling to make ends meet? Yeah, I might offer my cc to pay for her groceries. I’ve done it before and will again. Same thing at the gas pump from time-to-time.

Some random person in line at Starbucks ordering Latte’s and overpriced food (same as me), no thank you. **

But hey, if the car in front of me wants to pay for my indulgence, more power to them.


** The exception to this rule is if there is a LEO in the vehicle behind me, I always pay for it. Many are wary of accepting gift cards when approached, so this is my way to say an anonymous thank you.

I only had it happen to me once. A few months ago a lady wasn’t paying attention in the other lane of the two lane drive through many McDonald’s have now. I stopped and she realized she nearly ran into me and was VERY apologetic. I said “don’t worry about it” or something friendly like that and let her go ahead of me where the two lanes merge to one. She payed for my order which was a pretty cool surprise.

Yeah, the one time I have this occur, I'm buying a $2 snack. Of course, the fellow behind me was ordering enough food to feed an army!

Happens at our Starbucks all the time. Sometimes I just choose to do it because I’m in a good mood. Sometimes I pay for the car behind when it’s done for me, sometimes I just say something similar to the OP and drive on. I’ve never felt obligated just because it was done for me, nor have any of the gender confused purple haired weirdos given me the “death look”. I’d probably stop being nice altogether.

Had it happen to me for the first time last Friday at Starbucks.
But we did pay for the vehicle behind us.

Y'all go to Starbucks? My 16 year old daughter likes it


But yes, I agree, I will not be shamed into charity

That's a game of roulette at Starbucks. My luck there would be a van full of teenagers behind me ordering $8 mocha-latte what-evers and $7 croissants. And the drive through lines at the SB I drive by every morning are absurd. (15+
deep)

I also feel like many of the people who do this are doing it because it is the cool/woke thing to do now rather than out of charitable kindness.

I've never had someone in front of me pay for my order.

OTOH, I can't remember the last time I was in a drive through, but it had to be at least 30 years ago, maybe more.

Happens a fair bit where I live. I’ve always kept the good vibe rolling (or whatever) haha…did have one instance where the order behind me was a little steep comparatively haha…

I've never heard of this before, never had the luck.
Don't you have to be clairvoyant to know how much to pay?

Our christian radio station does challenges to "pay it forward" and then the recipient is to pay for the person behind them.

I called them and told them then it is no 'blessing' and is as bad as giving and expecting a gift in return. You have turned 'blessing someone' into a game and removed any blessing from the act.

They didnt air my comment.

quote:

Originally posted by TheFrontRange:
Happens a fair bit where I live. I’ve always kept the good vibe rolling (or whatever) haha…did have one instance where the order behind me was a little steep comparatively haha…

I agree, and I have done the same. I just dont like the expectation that we have to also pay it forward. (referencing the look he got from the employee

When that car in front of you "paid for your order," it typically doesn't mean that they actually bought you a meal. The fast food place got the order wrong, it wasn't what the others ordered, and chances are the restaurant re-did their order at no cost, and gave you what wasn't wanted.

"Paid for your order" is subjective, but if someone tells me that the car ahead elected to buy a meal for those behind them like some altruistic love fest, I say bullshit. The restaurant just fucked up. Not really the same thing.

This last year, I was in the take-out area of a Chilli's waiting for the order I'd placed online. I waited nearly an hour. I was the only pasty white irish guy in the place, and every non-white guy that came in after I did, got served and left. As my order finally came, a young lady stepped forward and gave her credit card. It was charged before I saw it happen, and when I realized she'd just bought my meal, I tried to give her cash. She refused. She said she knew I'd waited a long time, and I should offer to someone else. I appreciated her effort, but it felt very awkward to me, and I felt uncomfortable as the recipient of her charity.

I do tip the van driver, give hitch hikers rides, give to the salvation army at each door (without apology), stop to help motorists, and when someone asks, I do what I can to help. I don't see that as paying anything forward or back. It's not paying anything. I'd hope that if my wife or kids are in need, someone would help, and I'd not be comfortable bypassing someone when I could help. Perhaps helping is my own assuaging of my potential guilt, had I refused, or buying peace of mind that my own needs are met while others are not. It's not about karma or blessings or anything other than doing as one's conscience dictates.

"Paying it forward" in a fast food line, for the car behind, is a bit like the stupidity of chain letters. Wanna pay it forward? Go get the guy on the street who's hungry, a meal, who doesn't have a car to play the bullshit pay-for-the-car-behind-you game. And don't think of it as paying anything. Just doing the right thing. Or not. Just don't count on it being paid back, forward, or sideways. It's just a meal, and there's always someone who can use it more than you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sns3guppy,

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
I've never had someone in front of me pay for my order.

OTOH, I can't remember the last time I was in a drive through, but it had to be at least 30 years ago, maybe more.

Same here but it hasn't been 30 years. I'd say going on 2 years.

The only thing even close to this I've done is in grocery stores. A couple of times- a long time ago when it was far more common for people to pay cash- I've contributed a dollar or two when the person in front of me was just short of having enough to pay for their purchases. That was more for me, and not them, so I wouldn't get hung up in line.

There was one time, though, I'll never forget. It was in North Carolina in the 1990s. There was an elderly woman and a younger woman ahead of me in a grocery store. The younger woman appeared to be a caregiver and not related. The woman's purchases, totaling about 60 dollars, exceeded the amount of cash she had, so the caregiver was helping her determine what she would leave in the store. This was hard to watch, but when she put back a bottle of aspirin, that tore it for me. I didn't make up the difference for her. I paid for her entire purchase. You've never seen someone so surprised and grateful. She thanked me profusely and the cute cashier beamed at me. When I left the store, the woman and her caregiver were waiting in the parking lot, and this woman did everything but kiss my hand. She asked my name and told me she would include me in her prayers every night. It made me feel very good, but this was tempered with the knowledge that she was going to be back in the same boat the next time.

Topical joke....
An old friend emailed me this morning. He said he was in the
drive through lane at McDonald's.

The lady behind him thought he was taking too much time to
order, so she honked, and when he looked in rear view, she
flipped him off.

He thought, wow I better take the high road.

When he got to the cashier he paid for his and the ladies order
that was behind him tool

When she moved up and leaned out her window he told her
he had paid for her order too. She looked embarassed as
she should have.

When he got to the 2nd window, he had both receipts, so he
took both orders.

Now, she has to go through the drive through again and wait
even longer.

She learned you don't mess with an old guy.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
I've never had someone in front of me pay for my order.

OTOH, I can't remember the last time I was in a drive through, but it had to be at least 30 years ago, maybe more.

Same here on both.

I agree with the OP. I won't be shamed into this.

And if the whole line does it, it isn't really a gift anyway - you are just paying for someone else's order instead of yours. It is just a shifting scheme.

Like the OP, I would prefer to choose who I help, and I prefer to help someone who needs it and not someone ordering overpriced fast food. If they are well-to-do, they don't need my help. If they are not well-to-do, they shouldn't be buying a $6 coffee.

I don't play the lottery because it doesn't pay.

Similarly, if someone buys my $8 combo meal at Jack in the Box, I don't want to be shamed into buying the $33 order for the large family behind me. I'm not out $25.

No gracias.

Y’all do realize you can *ask* what the car behind you ordered?

If it’s similar to what you ordered, pay it and go along with your day.