We quite regularly receive letters from consumers who don’t really want help, but just have a “beef” they want to get off their chest. John S. of Bangor, for example, writes:

“Whatever happened to ‘fast’ food? Lately it sometimes takes as much time waiting at a drive up as it would to go to a sit-down restaurant. I went to a fast-food joint across the river last week to get a cold drink for my kid and a double cheeseburger for my dog.

“Though they weren’t particularly busy, I sat behind another car for 11 minutes before I got my order. In the good old days, the window person would tell the waiting customer to pull ahead. Then the joint would bring the tardy burger out to the curb while other customers continued through. Apparently the people at this place didn’t get the memo from corporate.

“As if that were not enough, I drove back to Bangor and, while my pup wiggled, slobbered, and whined for her treat, unwrapped the cheeseburger. Now, I thought the reason they call them that is because the sickly little cereal stuffed patties were supposed to be covered with some kind of synthetic, God-only-knows-what-that-is, pasteurized ‘cheese product’ (after reading about what goes into hot dogs, I’m afraid to ask what that ‘cheese’ stuff is).

“Well anyway, there wasn’t any of that stuff on the burgers. (I checked close amongst the pickles and special sauce and there was nothing yellow). So I guess I either don’t know what a cheeseburger is, somebody changed something on me, or that’s another corporate memo these guys didn’t read.

“Well anyway, after calling the place and giving them a piece of my mind (probably thicker than the burgers), I decided to do some checking around the next day. I went to a locally owned take out place and ordered a burger, fries, and a cold drink. Not only did they have it to me in 9 minutes … the whole deal cost almost a dollar LESS than the fast-food place. So not only does that deep-six the ‘fast’ thing, it also puts to bed the notion that fast food is always ‘cheaper’. Anyway, I thought you like to hear my story.”

Yep, we liked your story, John, but with July 4th coming up, we wish you hadn’t reminded us about the hot dog thing. If you think YOU had a beef, how about this one?

You could feel the heat escape from the envelope when we opened Carrie Thompson’s letter.

“I went to a Big Box store on Mother’s Day for a last-minute card for my aunt. While I walked past the electronics department, an employee (who could only be described as a ‘pimple-faced geek’) drove a shopping cart up behind me and just about tore my heel off. I turned in pain, and he just sort of looked at me and walked off. Limping and figuring he needed a lesson in courtesy, I said, ‘The least you could do is say, ‘Excuse me.’

“Without a word and still moving, he turned back with a snotty look and flipped me the bird! I couldn’t believe it. I went right to the service desk and stood in line waiting to talk to the manager. But they were busy and I was late so I decided to write them, and you, instead. I just wanted to tell you my ‘beef.’ I know you can’t do anything.”

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.