Britain needs Drive Through Reform!!!

I don't really miss drive-thrus, there aren't any around here at all, but then again, I don't drive, and our life is extremely low-key, so I don't have a reason to miss them. Back in the states, though, you bet your bottom dollar I did - it was exceptionally hot, so who wants to turn off the air conditioner, let your car heat up again and get all sweaty getting back to the car and waiting for the AC to kick in again? (I had a black car, so even worse.) And also, I had a much busier lifestyle with school, work, friends, family, errands and shopping and so forth, and since I spent loads of time in the car, it was just easier.

We do drive to work even though it's only a 10 minute walk to work, but we only get a half hour for lunch and need to walk the dog during the day, so we wouldn't have time to go home to eat or walk the dog if we walked there. I do feel guilty about driving somewhere that is so close by, though. I wouldn't have felt guilty about that in Texas, though, with the heat and the crime in the city.

There are a few places that are within walking distance (15 to 20 minute walk) of my house. But in the Houston summer when there's a heat index of 110 degrees and humidity is 99% it's not a matter of laziness as much as avoiding heatstroke that makes driving the preferred option. Drive thru pharmacies and banks and pay at the pump gas stations have been helpful when I've had a sick or sleeping child in the car or when I myself haven't been feeling 100%. I don't use drive-thrus a hell of a lot but it is nice to have the option.

I don't really miss drive-thrus, there aren't any around here at all, but then again, I don't drive, and our life is extremely low-key, so I don't have a reason to miss them. Back in the states, though, you bet your bottom dollar I did - it was exceptionally hot, so who wants to turn off the air conditioner, let your car heat up again and get all sweaty getting back to the car and waiting for the AC to kick in again? (I had a black car, so even worse.) And also, I had a much busier lifestyle with school, work, friends, family, errands and shopping and so forth, and since I spent loads of time in the car, it was just easier.

We do drive to work even though it's only a 10 minute walk to work, but we only get a half hour for lunch and need to walk the dog during the day, so we wouldn't have time to go home to eat or walk the dog if we walked there. I do feel guilty about driving somewhere that is so close by, though. I wouldn't have felt guilty about that in Texas, though, with the heat and the crime in the city.

Having lived in central Texas for twenty sweltering years, I'm with this camp -- there are certain climates that make it not just a spoiled or lazy indulgence but a physical necessity to have to become a car-bot, doing everything on four wheels, using drive thrus, and making a two minute drive around the corner to the store that, in a cooler climate or even on a cooler day, you would walk in fifteen.

Here in the UK you walk these errands. There in central Texas, if you try to live the same way, you're looking at easy access to heatstroke, severe sunburn, fatigue, dehydration, and also melted frozen goods, sour milk -- not to mention there may not even be a pavement/sidewalk to use. My supermarket, and my bank right next to it, with drive thru ATMs, were less than half a mile as the crow flies.....yet situated on a 60 mile per hour freeway offramp and no sidewalk.  No way did I ever walk there. The larger part of the city I lived in just wasn't even built for or planned with walking anywhere in mind, conveniently or safely....and neither was the weather. It was almost written into law -- for the good or the bad of it - that if you didn't have a car in which to accomplish all the things of your day, you were royally in trouble in a number of ways.

I assume the original post was mostly in jest (though I envy the ability to grab that fast food breakfast without first putting on a bra under my nightgown. ) but I can totally see how drivethroughs collapse a day-full of chores into an hour leaving you more time to..you know...play with your kid or run in the park, or getting that 30 continuous minutes of excersise recommended to keep back the Obesity Epidemic!!!

And does the "Obesity Epidemic" bogeyman have to make an appearance in every discussion related to conviniences? Having to park ten times, walk a few feet ten times, and walk a few feet back ten times contributes way more to crappification of the day than it does to heart health or waistline.

...in central Texas, if you try to live the same way, you're looking at easy access to heatstroke, severe sunburn, fatigue, dehydration...

My sister lives in Austin, and was telling my girlfriend about the recent heat wave (105F/40C for weeks in a row).  Girlfriend said, "How do you cope with that?" and my sister replied, "Move quickly from one air-conditioned environment to another." 

My sister lives in Austin, and was telling my girlfriend about the recent heat wave (105F/40C for weeks in a row).  Girlfriend said, "How do you cope with that?" and my sister replied, "Move quickly from one air-conditioned environment to another." 

Ha ha, that is exactly what I always said/policy I lived by! 

Yeah, I completely see where the OP's coming from. It's nice to be able to over-indulge, especially after being in the land of no drive-thrus!

That said, I hope Britain preserves its walking culture as long as it can. In the US, we may have drive-thrus, but how many little "tinker" shops do we have just down the street? This morning I was able to pop down the street for a whisk, a cake pan, coffee and sponges (and then down to the dry cleaners later in the day). Three different shops, but it took me less time than it took at home to get loaded up in the car, drive, park, unload, reload, etc.

It's lovely, not just being able to walk everywhere, but what that translates to - all of these tiny, adorable shops that have gone by the wayside in the US. Driving to the local mega-super-center just isn't as appealing as popping over to the corner shop.

I think it is all about the concentration of people. 

The only place I lived in the US where I couldn't walk to a shop was rural New Hampshire and rural PA, but then being able to walk to shops was something that was important to me. 

I can walk to Tesco from my house, but my in-laws in rural Suffolk have nothing close by and neither do my friends in a fairly well populated part of Glasgow. 

I miss the local corner shop! If I had one (and it wasn't 90+ degrees here, too) I would totally walk there. As it is, I cross 5 lanes to get to the supermarket on a cross light that only lasts long enough to get half way across. Coming back with bags of stuff, it isn't really possible to run across like I do in the morning when I've gone running!

I generally hate drive throughs but I do think the drive through banks/ATMs in America are a great idea.

Drive-throughs give me performance anxiety. I actually rehearse my order while I'm waiting my turn, and even then I usually screw it up somehow.

Yeah. I know.

And rightly so.  As a former drive-thru worker, I can attest to the fact that people who have weird voices, talk too loud, studder or call something by the wrong name in the drive-thru get LAUGHED AT MERCILESSLY from people on the other side of the wall.  It's just one way to cope with having a boring job.  Perhaps this is why I'm self-employed now. 

And rightly so.  As a former drive-thru worker, I can attest to the fact that people who have weird voices, talk too loud, studder or call something by the wrong name in the drive-thru get LAUGHED AT MERCILESSLY from people on the other side of the wall.  It's just one way to cope with having a boring job.  Perhaps this is why I'm self-employed now. 

Ohhhh, thanks. That cranks my stage fright up to eleven 

I drove up to a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through one morning -- having rehearsed my own order carefully but silently while we waited in line -- and my friend leaned across and said into the speaker, "do you have more than one kind of donut? Really? What kinds of donuts do you have?"

"Horrified" doesn't approach it.

My friend was entirely stoned and requested a 'punka muffa with sour cream' (pumpkin muffin with cream cheese) at a the drive thru at a indie coffee shop in Cincy.   I continue to torment her with it to this day. 

I try to walk into the store, but do appreciate the convenience of drive through places! When I was on crutches, they were lifesavers!

Rachel, are Dairy Barns exclusive to LI? There are two within 5 min from my parents house, and we used to use them all the time. Love them!!! 

The only other drive-thru I've really used was when I lived in MA and my friend and I would get coffee. They knew us well there

The drive-thru beer places in Texas were kind of fun sometimes.  Though, since everywhere here sells beer and wine, and even in my small village there are stores within walking distance, it isn't necessary here. DH thought it was quite funny to see in the states, though.