Looks like covid lockdown time.
Because that’s when the picture was taken.
Which means OP is spreading misinformation by saying they should just park and go inside.
They literally weren’t allowed to because of covid.
Misinformation? In this community? How unexpexted.
Though it’s true that this particular picture was taken during covid time, it does not mean its any less true in conveying what North American car culture has actually done to our cities and infrastructure planning/implementation.
Here is a video of how school drop off’s work in North America for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpCMdVcqTI
Looking at this particular plot of land in the image OP has posted. Land use is very poorly utilized. You have one business surrounded by a parking lot. This same space could have easily in a European city fit 5 or more businesses with plenty of residential units above and still be left with place for green space or a park.
30 people getting coffee vs 30 people getting coffee.
And a comparable parcel of land roughly the same size. Its night and day in terms of utilization of land alone.
Was this taken during covid lockdowns when the indoor section was closed and there was no other option?
i think so. found this article
edit: and this
Drive through times are often prioritized
So many places do order ahead now, though. I don’t go to starbucks often, but when I do, I order ahead from my house, ride over on my electric board, walk in, grab my already made drink, and leave. In and out of the building in 15 seconds. Meanwhile, the drive-through extends through the entire parking lot barely moving. Absolute chumps.
Reminds me of how my (able bodied) mom would drive around looking for a closer parking spot for far longer than it would have taken to just walk from the first available one.
I purposefully park in the back. I don’t get enough walking casually throughout the day. Plus I don’t want people to ding my car.
Literally! Anytime I go to Costco i intentionally go to the furthest spots because they’re likely to be open and I’m fully capable of and enjoy walking.
You also can’t ride the cart through the parking lot if you park too close. Then you just look silly kicking it up to speed for just a short ride.
(I’m almost 40 and still do this every time I have to go shopping, like a reward for completing the draining task)
Sometimes the drive through is just as fast as going inside. I’ve been at a mcD’s where I went in cause the line looked like this but I ended up waiting 20 mins for my order inside cause they were just slammed at that moment
On top of that, they prioritize the drive-through in a lot of these places.
Only by like a minute of average time-per-order, unless things have changed drastically since I worked in that industry. And only five of those cars are “in the system” so the big line shouldn’t even be a factor. Also, depending on what you get at a Starbucks, they can prep several things in parallel. I’m hoping this is a “summer 2020 and every dining room is closed” situation but I don’t really believe it.
