Last night, I got pissed. For everyone out there, if you didn't think something as trivial as "drive-thru etiquette" existed, then you're wrong. Let me hit you with some knowledge, so as to prevent you from pissing off others in the future (namely, myself).

The use of a fast food drive-thru is a privilege, and it should not be abused. Last night, I went to McDonalds to get two McDoubles. That's it. Just two McDoubles. For those who don't know, these are simple Dollar Menu sandwiches. There was only one car in front of me when I drove up and got in the line. Thus, considering the speed and general awesomeness of the corporate tyrant that is McDonalds, I though to myself, "Self, the entirety of this trip should last no longer than about 10 minutes." It was currently 8:45 pm. This is when the shit hit the fan.

Here are the simple rules of Drive-Thru Etiquette that you should follow:

#1) If you intend on placing a large order, please GO INSIDE the restaurant and do it.

The drive-thru is for quick orders. I don't have the time (or the gas) to wait on you and your four friends to order enough food to feed a third-world country. If it's so late at night that the inside of the restaurant is closed and only the drive-thru is open, then go to Denny's and quit being so selfish and stupid.

#2) Try to figure out what you want ahead of time.

If you don't know exactly what you want, that's okay. But you should have a general idea, so as not to waste inordinate amounts of time babbling your order into the microphone like an incompetent dolt. Example: if you're going to the Taco Bell drive-thru, decide if you're leaning towards a burrito or a Mexican pizza. Or both. Then quickly work out the details when you see the menu. This is different from being inside the restaurant, where you can stand around, looking at the menu as long as you want before ordering.

#3) Have your money ready BEFORE you get to the pay window.

There's usually even a sign telling you to do this. Don't be a bag and mess it up. Seriously.

#4) After getting your food, absolutely do NOT sit in your car while still in front of the pick-up window and check to make sure they got your order right.

If you spend five minutes searching your bags only to find that they messed it up, then you probably ordered too much food anyway (see rule #1), and when I'm waiting in my car behind you late at night, I'm too hungry to care if you get gypped out of $2. I mean really, it's McDonalds. If it means that much to you, then go through the line again and let me get my food, you fool.

#5) If you have sat in front of the pick-up window arguing with the window guy for so long that the other cars in the line are HONKING at you, then you need to shut your piehole and MOVE.

Which brings me back to my story. The car in front of me was being driven by a lady with four kids. Which is fine; that being said, I'd even give her a little leeway. But in a staggering show of utter ineptitude, she managed to break ALL FIVE of the rules aforementioned. If she had just gone inside, it would have saved everybody, including herself, considerable time. When I finally got my food, it was 9:15 pm, and the line was wrapped around the entire restaurant. Should I ever have to wait 30 minutes in the McDonalds drive-thru when there's only one car in front of me? Of course not. Should some people get punched square in the face? Absolutely.

Why didn't you just go inside?

I was already committed to that line. It's Murphy's Law that as soon as you go park to go inside, the drive-thru line speeds up.

I just don't bother with fast food. Actually, I did get Sonic (it's amazing) last night... because there are NONE in NJ. Go Florida!! :)

I agree that people should be more thoughtful, but:

1. Order size doesn't matter.  It's incredibly annoying, sure, but the Drive-Thru isn't a express lane in a grocery store or they would actually state a limit.
2. Completely agree with this. 
3. In theory, yes, but that doesn't always work because sometimes they just don't tell you the total, mumble the total, or you just don't have the time to get the money ready.  It's simple when you're paying with a credit card but when you're paying with cash it's pretty easy not to have it ready when you get to the window.  When I pay with cash I usually pay with correct coin change or pay with some amount so I don't get pennies back which takes some time and they don't always give me that time so it takes me a second.
4. While I don't think you should inspect everything down to a minute detail, you should always check to make sure everything is there. 
5. Yeah, but never actually seen this happen.  I did have one time where the people inside were being slow and took a few minutes so the guy behind me started honking but I just ignored him.

All of the McDonald's with drive-throughs around here have screens with display what you've ordered and the total, I would have thought that that would have been fairly universal in this day and age.

They are, but they are often either burnt out or the people tell you to drive forward before they actually finish putting everything in.

Ah, poor form. I actually work at a McDonald's here, and this one has a real strict enforcement on dealing with customers and drive-throughs, etc. Meaning that customers always know exactly how much it'll cost, and they'll be pressured into spending more.

Fortunately, I don't deal with customers, I'm just sitting there taking a shit in the buns.

During slow hours they're fairly good about getting you your total before you get to the window, but if you go to any of the fast food places during lunch or dinner they can't get you through the line quick enough which means you reach the window not knowing the total until they personally tell it to you.

There are some places that use two windows or another little monitor under the window that tells you the window which helps, but forget what those places are since I don't really eat fast food but maybe once a month anymore.

Thats why places like Mcds like it when customers use Credit Cards.