Fish and Chips

Back in my early days of teaching, lunch in the school cafeteria cost 50 cents. It's hard to believe now, I know, but that was a little pricey for me, so I brown-bagged it on most days.

But not usually on Fridays because that was fish&chip day. At 60 cents, it was an even costlier meal, but it was often my weekly treat.

I would take my place in line and order fish and chips, whereupon Gladys, a sweet lady, would ask if I wanted fries/chips with that. 

Are you getting this? I would order fish and chips but would then be required to specify that I wanted chip with fish and chips. The fries were what drove up the cost to an astronomical 60 cents, so, apparently, they felt that they had to make sure.

I was invariably bemused by this.

Fifty years later and just this past weekend, I had a craving and ordered fish and chips online to be delivered to the door. It was many fold more than 50 cents, let me tell you, but that is not the point of the post.

You already have an inkling where this is going don't you?

When Sue opened her container, she was shocked to see a beautiful piece of fish but nary a chip in sight.

Please bear in mind that, aside from a couple of pizzas, this was our first and only order since the pandemic swept over us. Also, we only went out to a restaurant twice in the whole time since March, and on both occasions just for breakfast. You may recall that both breakfasts were consumed safely outdoors on a patio by the river. This was during the fair weather of late summer and early autumn when there was a bit of a lull at the end of the first wave.

So this was to be a rare treat.

Here's what happened. It was my fault. My daughter says that I overthink things.

When I was placing the order via a phone app, I was given a choice about a side dish. I could choose fries or a salad -- and other things too, but I forget what they were.

Now, I am not totally stupid, so it did cross my mind, but I reasoned that fish and chips must surely to freaking goodness sake come with chips. So they must be asking if I wanted extra fries or a salad. I didn't want extra fries, so I ordered salad.

Of course, I was wrong.

I should have known from my experience at the school cafeteria those almost 50 years past, and I repeat that it did cross my mind, but, good grief, surely when you order fish and chips, you shouldn't have to specify chips.

But you do.

Also, if I hadn't been greedy and ordered the salad, I think I would have uncovered their thinking. I am pretty darn sure that if I had tried to not order a side dish at all that the app would have stopped me in my tracks. Or maybe not. Maybe they would have just sent us two pieces of fish. Who is to know?

By the way, the fish was very good. The salad too.

But.