I was at the Wendy's drive thru today, and when I got to the window, she read the total while holding my drink. I reached for the drink as I got my card out, but she pulled it away until I gave her my card.

And I was thinking, Pretty stupid for management lose their shit over the possibility of me driving off with the soda that costs the store a whole dime to make. But... I guess people do, and it costs them nothing to just wait for me to give them my card first, making it impossible for me to do that.

But then it dawned on me: it's the same way inside there or any counter service place: you have to pay before you even receive a drink. Which again, makes sense: no skin off their nose.

But I could go into Red Lobster or even a super fancy place and order $100 worth of food and not be asked to pay a single dime until I finished all of it.

I was thinking maybe with the drive thru, I could more easily just drive off, but let's be real: if I were to eat $100 worth of steak and lobster at Red Lobster then walk out and drive away, by the time they noticed I'd run off, I'd be long gone. I guess they could see if they got my license plate on camera, but so could the fast food place.

So I'm wondering: is it just a tradition thing? It seems to make more logical sense for Red Lobster, or really any sit-down place to charge up-front than a fast food place where I'd be stealing something that costed them far less.

But it goes the opposite way: Wendy's makes me pay before I so much as receive a drink, while the place that grates 14 karat gold onto my steak wouldn't dare charge me until I was done, giving me ample opportunity to dash. Why?

ETA: I'm talking about America.