Hype will die, but your actions stay with you forever.
Who would have thought that a chicken sandwich could create such chaos and drama? On Nov. 3, the long-awaited Popeyes Chicken Sandwich was permanently brought back to the menu. The internet went berserk, quite literally.
While trends and hype occur on a constant basis today, there was something about this release that caused sanity to be lost in many parts of the country.
Just three days after this item was back on the menu, a fatal stabbing occurred at one of Popeyes locations in Maryland. Think about that for a moment.
A life was lost over a chicken sandwich.
The violence doesn’t stop just there. Another altercation occurred in a San Antonio Popeyes between an employee and customer, escalating to trays being thrown. In other areas, brawls have been carried out into the parking lot.
These are only a few examples out of many, as tensions are at an ultimate high surrounding the pressure to obtain this highly sought-after menu item. Viral videos surrounding such incidents even show small children around. While not all incidents escalate to this level, it is essential to always think about the human being that you are interacting with.
Whether it’s a messed up order, your favorite item being sold out or a long wait to receive your food, we all deserve to be treated equally, regardless of our title or position.
Trends often have society going to extremes to get the goods everyone is talking about. Yes, there is a risk factor with the release of high-demand “viral” items for a company. At the end of the day, you have the power to control your actions.
A Popeyes manager at the location on 14th Street in Washington, DC Wanda Lavender shared her take on the chaos with Vox.
“We are busting our butts and breaking our backs, and someone threatens to shoot us because we ran out of something,” Lavender said. “That doesn’t scare me, but imagine what that’s like for an 18-year-old kid who works here. It scares the life out of them. It’s a hard pill to swallow. And all over some sandwich.”
Why do individuals tend to lose all home training in situations as this?
It boils down to a simple factor of respect.
It should be common knowledge to treat others how you would want to be treated. That should not change in moments of resource scarcity as if we are living in the Hunger Games.
Put yourself in the shoes of those serving you. Most of the inconveniences are out of a worker’s control, such as sold-out items. While hearing the words “sold out” is inconvenient, life will go on.
With the holiday season approaching soon, along with the rush to get your hands on the hottest deals, you may be willing to wait in the longest of lines and camp out for your favorite stores; but keep in mind that there is a human being doing the best they can to assist you. Someone is doing their job, so that they can pay their bills, just like you. Your kindness and patience can go further than you think.
The hype will always come and go, but nothing is worth sacrificing your own values and respect for others.
So, the next time you feel yourself getting worked up in the fast food line. Stop and think.
