Opinions on Mac Donalds needed for Radio 5 interview tomorrow

'...any of the others...'

Sorry, mouth full of cheeseburger.

Well, surely the reason McD's is singled out is because it's worked extremely hard to make itself ubiquitous. Think vacuum cleaner, think Hoover - think fast food, think McDonald's. It is a symbol, a global brand, and has poured millions and millions of dollars into ensuring that the Golden Arches are the first thing most people think of when they hear the word 'cheeseburger'. I agree that there are plenty of other places which have unethical business practices, but McD's pushes its greasy wares in my face more often and more loudly than any other the others, so it gets more stick when this kind of conversation comes up. It's only got itself to blame

Not a mega-fan myself actually. Go there probably 3 or 4 times a year tops with dd. Never eat in though, always go through the drive-through - doesn't look too clean inside and some dodgy looking -people too () - yes I'm a closet-snob aswell!
Just never understood the obsession with debating about it...until about 15 minutes ago!....

It is also, I might add, cheap compared to e.g. buying a banana muffin and a fruit smoothie in Fresh & Wild!

Well, it was a bloody godsend for us when DS1 was at his most awkward and fussy. He will now eat food out in lots of places, but there was a time not so long ago when we took him to McDonalds in preference to anywhere else because it was the only place we'd found where he would actually eat the food. And for some strange reason, despite the neon lighting etc he never ever had a meltdown in there.

I think McD's is one area of life where I'm entitled to be snobby. It's shite.

IMO, of course!

I probably am snobby about it, my my real objection is to how HORRIBLE McDs is compared to a real cafe. I just don't understand why parents go to places that are so grim if there is a choice. If I have to go somewhere, I like it to be somewhere we can BOTH enjoy. And nobody can say that Macdonalds is a lovely place to hang out, surely? And you have to queue and wrestle with trays and kids at the same time - much nicer to sit down and have someone bring you things IMO. And yes, I prefer my ds to drink a banana milkshake made of milk and bananas, and muffins with real cheese on in a place with real chairs and tables, nice music, free newspapers, good Fairtrade coffee and a friendly owner who knows me and ds. I don't see why that is so odd.

Its on now

MandM I have to admit that I only ever go there if I have DS1 in tow!

If disliking McDonalds makes me a snob, so be it!

Dinosaur - so you're nipping out at lunch for a Big Mac, fries and chocolate milkshake as well then, eh?

I'm invisible too Pamina and I was perched on a sofa arm taking notes for June...and eating all your lovely Sainsbos party food!

I don't understand it either. I think that there is an element of snobbery involved tbh.

Thank you Dinosaur! I was planning on posting more of an explanation but am at work and spied my boss approaching. Had to hurriedly post and then quickly open a meaningful looking spreadsheet...how is anyone meant to get any Mumsnetting done around here?!...lol!
Yes, what I was going to get to, was it just amazes me that McDonalds is singled out so much. I fully understand and take the point about the global corporations and the influence they hold and also agree that this thread was opened to ASK for opinions. It just amazes me that that one 'M' word never fails to provoke such a response, on MN, the web in general, TV debates, local radio, media...wherever you turn somebody is debating about Big macs and brainwashed children.
Didn't mean to come across as ignornant or flippant...just bemused!

I was that woman in the ballpit a couple of weeks ago . It was a real Lynette moment. We found three other socks, not the child's in question, the floor of the ballpit when finally located was damp (God knows what that was) and three clunky Year Ones descended at speed on to me from inside a vertical tube.
But, hey ho, the children all had a fabulous time and didn't mind in the slightest about the jam sandwiches!

ooh, i've never typed 'lol' before. I am a real internet person now!

Oh not so bad, surely, we had a party for DS2's third birthday at Kidzmania (local equivalent) last year and I thought it was fine really, and so much easier than doing it at home (in my defence DS3 was only 16 days old at the time, which is why we chose that option in the first place.

lol at the camp magician and Banrock Station - um, were you at the same E Dulwich birthday parties as me??
You have opened up a vision of the future...and it's HORRIBLE! Am v glum at this grim prospect. Can I just dump ds and run to the nearest cafe and drink wine, do you think?

ha ha Marina, very accurate description of that type of party!

aloha, we did go private . Most parties for this age-group will sadly force you to spend time in venues such as Tiger's Eye, Wacky Warehouse etc. They will give you migraines and hives. Your previously amenable little boy will go ape after a meal of M & Ms, cheap squash and jam sandwiches. Someone will be really sick. Someone else's socks will come off in the ball-pit, obligating any parent who was sucker enough to stay to get right down to the bottom and grope their way through it all to find the socks.
Sitting in someone's sitting room watching a camp magician with Robert Robinson hair pull silk scarves out of a little girl's ears while nursing a glass of warm Banrock Station will seem like bliss in comparison. Or you could emigrate

Dinosaur - that's so true about Primark! (Worrying that)

McDs on in next hour (next, even?)

And it's not the main reason for me, it's one of many!