 Taco Bell #2382
I would consider myself a bit of a Taco Bell connessiuer, and while I haven't been (yet) driven by some personal demon to visit Bells in all 50 states, let's just say that my malnourished body and I have "been there" and then some. With this in mind, I do have a principle rule for judging individual dineries: that I must have visited the place three times before giving it a definitive yea or nay. Even a near-fatal case of botulism would cause me to say 'Eh, it was a one-time fluke' (pun intended?) … I'm meek & wishy-washy like that.
I've been to store #2382 more than three times, though I've yet to comprehend why. There are closer Taco Bells to my office than this one … often, if I stay late after work and need food before a spurious Vintage Vinyl run, I'll hit this particular Bell. The best that I can figure is that the longer distance keeps me out of the office for a longer period of time. It was lunchtime … actually about 12:45, so past typical peak lunch hours, but I still waited about 10-15 minutesfor my food (the standard #10 – 3 soft tacos with no lettuce, large Dr Pepper – plus an order of nachos. Unfreakinexcusable. I did bring along my standard reading material: this time the latest issue of WIRED, which only served to gradually piss me off … notably another go-nowhere interview with someone involved with the 'virtual reality' community. Whatf'never, man. I should add that the Dr Pepper that I sipped on while waiting was actually quite good, as the normal odds of getting any hint of carbonation from a Taco Bell soda are about the same as not reading a overexaggerated reading of "the future" in WIRED.
Actually, before I go on about the meal, I should add the dining area was a f'n mess. My guess is "understaffing," as when I was leaving someone came out to clean tables and sweep. The meal itself was typical Bell … the soft tacos had more meat and cheese in 'em than usual, which seems like a bonus, though this isn't technically a good thing. There is a nice balance to be struck with ingredients for certain Bell items, these particular tacos probably made by either a neophyte or apologetic staffer. I had about decided that this was really no better or worse than any other Taco Bell, when near the end of my meal, a female employee from the back began screaming vulgarities at the other employees about them giving her non-stop shit, one of the hot-button shit-giving issues apparently being "day care." Amazingly, none of the fellow employees really tried to stop her … perhaps it was a manager at the end of her rope. But if I want to eat amid frightening screams and unmitigated rage, I'll go have dinner at home. Lindsey Buckingham said it best … "never goin' back again."
Review by Bradley A. Milton, September 1998 |