In-N-Out Burger

Registered trademark of the In-N-Out Burger corporation.



This is an aspect of human behavior that mystifies me. Why do we clamor after things that are trendy? What is it that makes us say, "that is the latest thing and I must have it"? And why will we wait in line to get it?

Our fair city has been graced by an In-N-Out Burger store. Perhaps you have heard of In-N-Out Burger, or maybe you haven't. In-N-Out Burgers is a company with locations primarily in California, but also a few in Arizona and Nevada. Founded in 1948 as a mom and pop operation, In-N-Out Burgers has built its reputation on freshness and cleanliness. They raise their own beef and deliver it fresh, never frozen, to the stores daily. They sell hamburgers, with or without cheese, fries and real ice cream milk shakes. No cookies, pies or onion rings. Just serious burgers. They also do not franchise their stores, because they want to maintain their high standards. As fast food goes, this is a superior operation.

I am not the best guy to pass judgment or question the sanity of those who would chase after a hamburger as though it was treasure. When it comes to burgers, I ate my last more than thirty-five years ago and never intend to eat another. The appeal of dead cow is lost on me. But that doesn't stop me from having an opinion on the matter.

For many, many months we have been routinely updated by the news outlets as to the progress of construction of the new In-N-Out Burger. Anticipation built to a frenzy within the beef-eating community. Finally a week ago, the store opened to a mob scene. The California transplants among us and other self-proclaimed In-N-Out Burger experts assured anyone who would listen, that an In-N-Out Burger was what you wanted, if you wanted a real hamburger. All other burgers pale in comparison it seems.

As a result of the media hype and the word-of-mouth, the store opened to a crowd of thousands. Hundreds of people waited in hundreds of cars in the drive-through. Hundreds more waited in a five hour line, just to order. Five hours to get a dead cow sandwich, no thanks. The crowd became so overwhelming that the In-N-Out Burger people brought in a mobile kitchen the second day to try and move things along a bit more quickly.

Tonight, on my way home, I had occasion to drive by the new In-N-Out Burger location. There were more than fifty cars in the drive through, snaking across the mall parking lot. The line of burger-crazy fans who actually got out of the car, was out the door and into the parking lot. I have just one word for my fellow citizens of our fair city. Hicks.

We had a similar reaction to the opening of the Krispy Kreme stores here. Folks lined up like they were handing out C-notes instead of doughnuts. Our Krispy Kreme stores closed because the franchisee made his product available to every grocery store, convenience store and gas station in town, saturating the market. In-N-Out Burgers doesn't make that mistake. Their expansion plans are well-thought out.

I will just go on record and say that short of obtaining some life-saving apparatus for a family member, there is nothing that I would wait five hours in line to get. Nothing.

In other news, Younger Son Sneed was released from the hospital today and seems much improved. He was anxious to get to his Anatomy class tonight because, and I am not making this up, they were working on cadavers. Again, one word. YIKES!

Mrs. Sneed, a license medical professional, will be assuming the chore of doling out his medicines from now on, which should improve their overall effectiveness. Son Sneed told the doctors that he isn't always sure about what he took and in what quantity. Here's hoping for improvement.






Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky


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