Why Do Michigan Drive-Thrus Make You Pull Forward?

Let's talk about one of Michigan's most baffling modern mysteries: the drive-thru "pull-ahead" request. You're sitting there, order paid for, window open, the smell of fries within reach — when the employee says, "Can you please pull forward for us?"

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You've Been Asked to Pull Ahead

Sure. Fine. You pull ahead like a team player. But as the minutes drag on and every car that was behind you collects their food and speeds off into the Michigan sunset, you can't help but wonder: What gives?

How Your Order Gets Lost

That exact thing happened to me last week in Lansing. When I ordered, there were several cars behind me — so I understood the request at first. "Keep the line moving," I thought. I'm not heartless. But as the minutes ticked by, every single car that came after me got their food and left. By the time I finally went inside to check on the status, I was the last car standing in an empty lot that had once been buzzing with hungry Michigan drivers.

And here's the kicker: my receipt said I ordered at 3:13 p.m. and "received" my food at 3:14 p.m. Reality check? I didn't actually get my order until 3:25 p.m. So apparently, time moves differently in the land of "please pull forward."

Corporate Clock Checks: 'Pull Ahead' Beats the Check and Balance System

Searching for answers, I turned to Mashed, who reports that it's all about the clock. Drive-thrus use systems like ZOOM Nitro to track how long cars wait at the window. The longer you sit there, the worse it looks on the corporate report card. So, to stop the timer, employees ask you to move up. It looks faster on paper — even if your fries are still in the fryer.

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Former fast food workers on Reddit even admit it's sometimes a trick to "game the system." Once your car moves past that final sensor, the clock stops ticking. I get that employees are under pressure, but when I'm still parked like a tour bus driver in the McDonald's parking lot, it's hard not to feel like I'm being held hostage by a broken stopwatch.