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This story is from CNET circa 2011 about McDonald’s in Europe. But it is pertinent to the minimum wage debate in the USA now.

I understand why people want $15/hour for fast food work. Life is hard. Fast food work is hard. (Anyone who thinks it’s easy should try working at a Burger King for an afternoon, or better the lunch rush.) It stinks to struggle every day in a hard job and then barely make (modest) ends meet. Trust me I understand.

But the reality of the market says that fast food work (in most places) is worth less that $15/hour. It sucks, but that is reality. And just to be clear, I say this as someone who has hustled in life. (Most of us have at some point.)

The whole $15/ hour thing is just encouraging the robotization of the workforce.

(From CNET)

The touch screens will only accept debit or credit cards, adding to the slow death knell of cash and coins. This all goes along with an overall revamp of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide aimed at projecting a modern image as opposed to the old-fashioned golden arches with a slightly creepy (to my taste anyway) clown guy hanging around the french fries.

This puts McDonald’s one step closer to opening up its first Alphaville location. At least our new computer overlords will be nice enough to serve us a Filet-o-Fish. Maybe they’ll even throw in an iPad with the Happy Meal one of these days.

Click here for the article.