A McDonald’s employee said a routine after-school rush turned into a moment that left him questioning how young people are being prepared for everyday life.
The worker, whose video was posted on TikTok by @krazeyjakey, said the restaurant sits right next to a school.
Students stream in daily and most days the orders go by without a second thought. One Monday, though, a customer’s behavior stuck with him.
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Per the employee, a student placed an order for roughly $7 or $8. He rang it up and told the customer the total, expecting a quick payment. Instead, the student handed over $35 and asked whether it was enough.
“I told him, ‘Yeah, it’s only seven or eight dollars,’ They looked at me confused, like, ‘Well, is that enough?’” he said.
The exchange made him stop and think. The question wasn’t whether the student could afford the meal. It was about whether the student understood how much money was needed.
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The employee said the moment reflected something bigger than one confused teenager. He pointed to what he sees as a gap between what he learned growing up and what students are taught today.
“I don’t know what they’re teaching them in school now, but they ain’t teaching them the same stuff I grew up on,” he said. “Where’s the fundamentals? Basic math,” he further added.
The Employee Worried About the Generation
The worker said his worries go beyond arithmetic. He added that he cannot repeat certain words on the platform without risking a ban, but he said, “It’s not all of them, but some of the ways that the kids act are very disturbing.”
He stressed that he was not painting every student with the same brush. Still, he said, the pattern is hard to ignore when he sees it day after day from behind the counter.
Despite his frustration, the employee said he does not believe he can do much beyond setting a good example.
“All I can do is be an example. I can’t do any more than that. I just gotta pray for them. There really ain’t nothing else we can do,” he concluded.
