For the second time in as many weeks a students has set me right about corporations. A male student at McDonald’s and then another male student at the Atlantic Superstore have mansplained why we should be grateful to business. 

The other day I was in McDonald’s in New Glasgow, NS.

I could not find any outlets to charge my cell phone, so I asked the server at the counter.

Him: This is an old building.

Me: But there must be an outlet somewhere.

Him: No just this one on the counter– right here (he points to an outlet 1 inch from his cash register)

Me: OK I’ll use it. But why do you think they didn’t put plugs in the restaurant?

Him: It’s a concrete building, it wasn’t part of the design back then. Concrete walls- impossible. And this place was built in the ‘80s, when no one had cells. They’d have to rip up the whole building to put in outlets. I’m an engineering tech student and I know.

Me: There must have been renovations done since the 80s!  More outlets in the kitchen for instance (I point).

Him: (nods).

Me: Do you think McDonald’s doesn’t want customers to stay here too long, and so doesn’t want them to use their laptops or phones.

Him: No way!  McDonald’s doesn’t think like that. 

Why did he defend McDonald’s – no questions asked.

Today at the Superstore (Loblaws) in south end Halifax: 

Female Cashier (rings in my groceries):  Do you want to donate $2 to charity?

   Me:  No!

Cashier: OK.

Me: What’s it for?

Cashier: It’s for the President’s Choice charity. For kids, I think.

Me:  I’d give if it were the women’s shelter here, but not for  Galen Weston’s personal/corporate charity.  That’s disgusting.  This rich guy has his own charity and expects all the customers to donate to it. 

Cashier:  I had one other woman who said that yesterday.

Male student clerk, packing the groceries:  Well most charities in Canada are run by rich people.  That’s what they like to do with their money.

Me:  Most charities are not run by rich people.  In this case at the Superstore, it’s a tax write-off, that’s all.  

Him:  No, rich people like to give to good causes and they can afford to set up their own charities. 

(from Philanthropies.org:  By 2015 Galen Weston and family’s net worth was estimated at $9.6 billion by Forbes Magazine. It made them the second richest family in Canada and the 131st richest in the world.)