Drive-Thru Customers, This Trend is Annoying and Must Stop Now

I may be a Grinch, but some annoying drive-thru customers are ruining the holidays for the rest of us.

The drive-thru is supposed to make your life easier, but it seems that some Hudson Valley customers just want everything to be annoying and difficult. Sadly, it appears that I'm in the minority here, but something must be done to stop the madness.

The Drive-Thru is Supposed to be an Escape From Drama

The whole purpose of the drive-thru is convenience and anonymity. If you're having a busy day and don't want to deal with the hassle of going into a restaurant to pick up food, the drive-thru is there to give you a few moments to relax in your car, grab your food and get back on your way without being annoyed.

During the holiday season, the drive-thru is vital for those who desperately need a mental health break from interacting with other annoying humans. After a day of battling shoppers, being bombarded with requests for charity donations, dealing with family conflicts, worrying about being able to afford all of those holiday expenses and hearing that damn Mariah Carey song over and over again some of us just need to be left alone for a minute.

Annoying Drive-Thru Trend Picking up Steam in Hudson Valley

It turns out that the privacy of the drive-thru lane is now being corrupted by people who just can't leave you alone. There have been several reports on social media about customers in the Hudson Valley being the targets of a "pay it forward" drive-thru chain.

I'm sure you've heard about this trend before. The person in front of you in line pays for your order and you, in turn, are now obligated to pay for the person behind you. It's the most horrific thing ever.

Why Drive-Thru "Do-Gooders" Need to be Stopped

While I'm sure these drive-thru vigilantes have good intentions, their little pay-it-forward campaign is not only completely useless, it's also destructive.

First of all, no one is actually getting anything out of this supposed "act of kindness". The huge corporation you're buying coffee from is still getting all of the money it's owed and none of it is going toward helping anyone at all.  While you're technically paying for someone else's order, that person is still going to have to pay for the order of the person behind them.

Instead of doing something good, you've only complicated the convenience of the drive-thru and put the person behind you in an awkward situation. Look, if I'm at the drive-thru to buy a coffee I just want to buy a coffee and be on my way.  I don't want to be put in the situation of having to decide whether I should cover breakfast for the minivan full of schoolchildren behind me or feel terrible for "breaking the chain".

Instead of Paying it Back, Just Pay It

If you want to do something that gives back to the community and makes you feel good there are dozens of incredible local charities that you can volunteer for or donate money to that will do way more good than playing some dumb drive-thru game.

Instead of annoying the person behind you in line and making their purchase of a vanilla latte way more complicated than it needs to be, consider doing something that actually has a positive impact on someone's life.

During the first three Fridays in December, The Boris and Robyn Show on 101.5 WPDH will be broadcasting live at different Dunkin' locations. Instead of paying for someone else's coffee, come to the drive-thru and donate a gift card or some cash to our Veteran's Gift Card Drive. Those donations will go directly toward our local veterans and spread some real holiday cheer this season.

It'll make you feel good, it'll benefit the community and it'll also be a huge relief to the person behind you in line.