Use a Soda Fountain
A soda fountain can be found in almost every fast food establishment, or in most fast food type eatery. Before using it however, make sure you pay for your glass of pop. Even if it stands out in area where there are no employees, remember, it is not free!
Contents
Steps
- Pay for a soda at the counter. Take the glass or paper cup that they give you, or use one that stands next to the soda fountain. In buffets, there is usually a box or stack of glass cups near the soda fountain.
- Place the empty cup, hole side up, under the ice dispenser and use the cup to apply gentle pressure to the activating lever. Remove the cup when the ice has reached your desired level. Remember to put in the ice first before you put the drink in, or else it might splash.
- Decide which drink you want, then use your cup to push the activating lever directly below your drink of choice. Note that some fountains employ a push-button style switch which will need to be activated by pressing with your finger. Usually, you get water by pushing a button that is on the sign of another drink.
- Hold the glass (with the ice in it) under one dispenser at a time if you are going to mix sodas, or under just the one of your choice if you are only going to get one. Soda fizzes, so be sure you watch and stop before it overfills.
- Select the size cover or lid meant the size drink you paid for and place it on the cup securely. Push a straw into the opening on top of the lid.
Tips
- To reduce fizz "head," hold cup at angle while filling so that the soda hits the side of the cup. This way, you don't need to wait for fizz to die down, ensuring you get all the soda you paid for.
- If you can not decide on the particular soda you want you can create a mixed drink commonly known as a "suicide." This drink fills the cup with a small sample of every soda available.
- Use caution while activating the ice/soda machine. Too little pressure will not correctly activate the machine, while too much pressure will crush your cup, rendering it unusable. Varied pressure will usually cause spilling.
- Don't drink soda directly from the fountain.
- The water lever is normally a little button located in the same place as one of the choices, usually underneath a non-carbonated beverage such as lemonade, iced tea, or fruit punch. Of course, if you're just getting water, most places will give you a small water cup for free.
- If you don't like ice in your soda, skip it, since normally the soda is stored right underneath the ice dispenser.
- Put the ice in the glass first to prevent splashing.
Warnings
- In many restaurants, there are clear plastic cups located next to the fountain for customers to drink water from. These cups are solely for water, and if you are caught with soda in them you will have to purchase a soda and/or leave the premises.
- Make sure the lid is on tightly, otherwise it might tip over and spill from the added weight and leverage of the straw.
- Hold the cup at the middle. If you hold the bottom, it can slip out of your hands. If you hold it at the top, your hand may accidentally crush the lid and cause the cup to fall to the ground, spilling everywhere.
- Usually there are free refills, but ask before going back for seconds. Fast food restaurants are almost invariably free refill restaurants.
