Citizens of a Berlin are protesting the construction of a new McDonalds in their community. In addition to their fear that it will take away from the unique fare their neighborhood offers, I’ll give you 3 guesses as to what another primary motive is. Any takers? From the local parliment representative:
“I fear McDonald’s, with all its media power, will tempt the students not to eat their sandwich and apple for lunch.”
Yes, you heard correctly. They are afraid that people <gasp> will actually eat at the McDonalds. For some reason this reminds me of the movie “Field of Dreams”, and I hear that whispery and kinda creepy voice saying “If you build it, they will come.” Of course people will eat at the McDonalds if it is built – I’m sure the franchise did plenty of research to make sure there was indeed a demand in the area. But why does a legislator or group of locals have the right to restrict the entry of such a restaurant into that market if there is clearly a demand – why do they get to decide what their fellow citizens can and cannot eat? Crazy I say!
You may be thinking that local restaurant owners are also opposed to the new McDonalds. Not necessarily:
Gritje Lomer, who runs the nearby Baretto coffee bar with her husband, also found no reason to get worked up; her baguettes with organic pecorino and provolone appeal to different tastes.
“I don’t have a lot of worries that it’s competition for us,” she said.
If there is clearly a demand, and local restaurant owners are not necessarily opposed, it seems silly not to allow the McDonalds to be built. Methinks the uptight citizens doth protest too much.
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