Drive-Thru Lady Retires Friday

Somebody you probably know is retiring this week and soon you’ll probably be wondering where she went.  She’ll be my guest on 95.3 WBCK on Tuesday morning after the 8 O’clock news.

There are people we run into in everyday life that we barely know, but somehow look up to as somebody we’d like to be more like.  For me, it’s usually a positive, low-key person who doesn’t even try to be anything special, but they just are.   Maybe it’s a waitress, or barber, or police officer, or if you’re lucky, a co-worker.   They just have a knack for practicing something that’s getting increasingly rare: civility.

One of those people in many of our lives here in Battle Creek, is retiring on Friday.   She doesn’t have a household name, but you probably know her.  She’s Mary the drive-thru lady at McDonald’s….on Capital Southwest.

Mary Lewis has calmly taken orders and money and exchanged a smile and maybe a few words for 21 years at that McDonald’s.   Others have taken note.  It comes up in conversation. One colleague of mine remarked, “Oh, how about the lady at the Capital SW McDonalds!  I love her.”  Maybe it seems like a little thing to get fast, accurate and friendly service in the drive-thru.   But it’s a rare and important little thing to me.  Especially after the recent story about the fast food worker who fired a shotgun at the car of a driver who was impatient.

Mary talks about how and why she has the work ethic she has and about her 21 years in the drive-thru.  She says she’ll take it easy for a little while, and then probably volunteer helping animals in Calhoun County.

Bye Mary, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing you around.

Hear the interview:

• Tuesday, June 26
• The 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins
• 8:08am