Thank you, McDonalds

I give thanks to the clean bathrooms at the McDonalds at the Cottage Grove exit on Interstate 5.

The large coffee was only $1.60. And a clean bathroom. What a deal.

The car trip from Medford to Portland, Oregon, is a straight shot up I-5, about 275 miles and four and a half hours. Cottage Grove is the midpoint.

I appreciate McDonalds and their clean bathroom policy, so I stopped there.  First things first. I entered the restaurant and went to the men's room. It was well-lit, clean, and shiny, just as I had hoped and expected.

It smelled fresh. The floors were clean. The men's room door pushed out. To enter, one had the choice of using the handle or the forearm pull. Nice.

People criticize McDonalds' food and pricing. It's too expensive and the food has much fat and sugar. I don't join in the criticism.. You can buy a nice salad there. I have done so. My guess is they don't serve a lot of salad bowls but they are available to eat in or take out. They aren't just for show. They are priced consistently with other items. It is pretty simple: McDonalds sells what people choose to buy. McDonalds puts the calories right there next to the item and its price. If people started asking for steamed brussels sprouts and a kale salad alternative to lettuce and stopped buying french fries, McDonalds would adjust. 

The coffee is inexpensive compared to fancy coffee places where a drip coffee might be four dollars. Their "large coffee" is in fact large, about 16 ounces. It is hot-enough, but not quite as hot as I like. McDonalds got sued for serving it too hot and McDonalds adjusted. Pretty-hot coffee makes sense, since it served in a paper cup to people who usually drink it in their cars. Spills into one's lap is a predictable issue.

There were nine cars in the drive-up window line, moving about one every 45 seconds, but inside the restaurant was nearly empty at 10 a.m. McDonalds appears to be primarily a take-out place, except for people like me who want to use the restrooms.

I had a good experience at the front counter, which moved quickly. This man, Owen, smiled and asked for my order. I requested a large black coffee. He said it was $1.60. He asked if I wanted to round up to give the change to the Ronald McDonald House. I said yes, and he said thanks. He stepped behind him, poured coffee into the large cup you see in the photo. Then he poured the contents into the coffee container I had brought in, a solid insulated container with a firm lid that would keep coffee hotter. It filled my cup. 

I asked him if I could take his photo.

Owen: "Sure go ahead."

Me: "How long have you worked here?"

Owen: "Well I’m retired. But I’ve been here three years. I got bored. So I came here. I like it. They treat me pretty good."

I said I was glad to hear it and that this was a nice place with clean restrooms.

I won't complicate this note of gratitude with a report on the rest areas along I-5. I stopped and took some photos there, too. They are an alternative in a desperate pinch. I much prefer a clean, well-run McDonalds like this one. A clean restroom is part of the McDonalds value proposition, and I want to acknowledge it.

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