Riyadh is a huge city, where everything is already big, or supposed to be big soon. No objection, of course. But what I don’t like is how some people assume that I want to make my stuff big, in the time that I really don’t.
Last night, I went to Hardee’s (yes, I do consume junk food from these big monopolies, symbols of globalism, and the total evil of our time) with a friend of mine to have suhoor (is there a translation for this word?). After we finished ordering, the cashier told us to pay SR 38. This was more than we were supposed to pay, so, guessing there was some sort of mistake, I asked him to review our order.
“Can you tell me what we have ordered, exactly, please?” He looked at the screen, and read the order. After our meals, he read, “Supersize, two. Extra cheese, two.” We did not ask for supersizing, we did not ask for extra cheese, I said, telling him to cancel that, and asked how he assumed what we have not ordered.
He was embarrassed, but I think that was mainly because his manager was watching him, and not because of the mistake he made. He did not even say he was sorry.
This was not the first time. The same thing has happened to me so many times at different restaurants here, much more than I can remember. I think that these workers, mostly south and eastern Asians, think Saudis would always go for the biggest size, and even if they did not want it, they won’t mind paying the four or five extra riayls.
For people like me, these few extra riyals are no big deal. What I hate about this is how those people judge me. Not just because I’m wearing some decent clothes and speaking less-than-fluent English with a fake accent mean I’m a spoiled kid who doesn’t give three shits about anything. I want that attitude to be changed, and I want all people to be treated fairly and equally.
* Part of the Things That Bug Me series.
Saudi Jeans 
I can totally relate to the restaurant incident… It’s not so much the money as it is the feeling of being taken for some kind of fool.. I hate being hustled, and I WILL look at my reciept!
Ideally, they should have asked you “Do you want supersize?” And then you are supposed to say yes or no. Seems like this cashier, in the interest of making more money, automatically made your meals into supersize. He should not do that and he should have apologized.
I sometimes get the same thing at McDonalds, when I say I want a burger sandwich, and at times they end up getting me the meal, and I am like “I said SANDWICH, not MEAL!!”
Mansur
Starbucks does the same thing, they automatically say “Venti” their largest on. It is one big scam. Restaurants do it here to with water, they casually mention it and bring you their most expensive one.
Though stereotyping and perceptions is a huge issue in Saudi, however this incident has little to do with streotyping and more to do with a sales techniques referred to as “up-sale” but perhaps a bit mutated in this case since the cashier punched the unsolicited request of upsize and extra cheese, before actually offering it upfront!
With regard to stereotyping! I think all parties in Saudi is at fault, locals alike.
The solution is a personal conscious decision to be made not to be lured into the stereotyping business whatever the clamity may be!
So “assuming” that the cashier did this because “he is a south east asian who thinks I am yet another obesity-stricken spoiled kid who would be embarrassed if I was to cancel the two riyals upsize” as a fallasy in itself.
In a recent incident, a Saudi driver who was at fault in a near-car-accident incident landed from his -will it was a upsized American- car and marched towards me and chanted “You are a foreigner and you wants to teach me how to drive in my country, this is outrageous!” I was agitated to the point of forgiveness –I don’t know how- and just drove off silently…
On a different front It is always amusing -in the good sense- to see how the brave Saudi youth who take front-end jobs react when a -stereotype-driven Saudi national start speaking to him in broken Arabic when he orders “Ya Mhammad, 3atni 1 cheese-borgar la7am”, assuming he was Pakistani…
If only Moslems in Saudi –Saudis and non- live up to how a Moslem should be, no less than half of the Pilipino community would have embraced Islam on the fly!
Not too long ago I had to argue wiht the guy working at McDonalds about how my $.99 menue burger could not possible cost 10 dollars. He had hte nerve to tell me that I can afford it anyway…never mind that I can’t ;)
And I’m kinda surprised that they have Hardees in Saudi Arabia…I just went to one for the first time here (in America.) They have excellent milkshakes.
Salaam Mr. Jeans
I have the utmost respect for all people, regardless of NATIONALITY!! That being said, I have a few comments about this post of yours. First off Hardees is NOT a monopoly! Mc D’s is its competition. Secondly, what is your point to mention that the ppl behind the burger counter are “asian”??? How racist is that? So F*****G what???????????? I was (and will be again inshallah soon) married to a Pakistani who was harassed on the streets of Bahrain by Bahrainis because of his Pakistani heritage. At least Pakistanis are SMART!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRR!!
I am not a racist, and I have respect for all people. I’m sorry if you got the impresstion that I’m racist, but I’m really not.