In which I reveal my horrible classism.

Whenever my craving for ground cartilage and grease gets the better of me and I go to Taco Bell, I have a special order: I ask them to put the cheese on the bottom of the taco, so it melts more. You'd think this was an easy request, but since fast-food restaurants went to "idiot proof" registers, counter-jockeys in general have gotten worse about any special order that doesn't have a key associated with it, and this order of mine doesn't. WHY it doesn't is a mystery, it's such an obvious variation I'm surprised more people don't ask for it.

But anyway, the only Taco Bells around which consistently get my order right, are the ones nearest to campus. Those ones, the workers are mostly college students, so I, in my arrogance, concluded that in this matter at least, college students really were slightly smarter than the general populace. But then I realized there was another factor: These students almost all appear to be native English speakers. The workers at the other franchises appear to mostly not be. Intelligence per se probably has nothing to do with the order screwing-upping, it's most likely an issue of listening comprehension. Another beautiful theory ruined by inconsiderate reality. :-P