For the past several months, a number of elderly Korean patrons and this McDonaldâs they frequent have been battling over the benches inside. The restaurant says the people who colonize the seats on a daily basis are quashing business, taking up tables for hours while splitting a small packet of French fries ($1.39); the group say they are customers and entitled to take their time. A lot of time. (via Fighting a McDonaldâs in Queens for the Right to Sit. And Sit. And Sit. - NYTimes.com)
This reminds me of the former McDonald's at Coolidge Corner in Brookline. I heard about it several times from interviews I did for the master's thesis. Many seniors used to gather there, enjoying cheap coffee and socializing with friends. They were largely ignored since they came in during the day and avoided peak times. Ultimately the McDonald's left the space, much to their dismay.
The Korea Times has a follow-up post to the NYTimes story here, which adds some more nuance to the tale. Is a McDonald's dining area public, or private? Legally it's clear, but our norms dictate otherwise, and the fact that it's an ethnic, immigrant, elderly group against a huge corporation (backed by police) makes it easy to sympathize from afar. But there are countless small conflicts like this, between local businesses and blocks of customers, over access to hybrid spaces, and it takes similarly localized efforts to understand the roots of conflict and design win-win solutions.
In this case, the restaurant and seniors seem to have reached a deal.
What's interesting to me is why they insisted on using the McDonald's, even looping around to re-enter the restaurant after being asked to leave, despite no lack of public senior centers in the area. The Brookline senior center was a really nice facility within walking distance of the Coolidge Corner McDonald's, but some seniors still preferred the latter. Some thoughts:
Not everyone knows or thinks about the senior centers. It still takes a lot of outreach to remind seniors of these resources, of where they are and how to get transportation. Social networks are less fluid and technology use is less uniform; information doesn't travel as freely. The Brookline senior center dealt with this a lot.
Dynamism isn't always a virtue for senior centers. It's not just a matter of crankiness. When locations, opening hours, and transport options change frequently or suddenly, seniors may avoid such places altogether. As your memory and physical mobility start to falter, you become less risk-taking, and something like a McDonald's is consistent, familiar, and transparent. I find grabbing a quick meal at a McDonald's is a psychological comfort after the overload of experiences when travelling abroad.
Not all senior centers are created equal. My maternal grandparents live in downtown Los Angeles, and used to take a shuttle bus to their preferred senior center in the Valley. When that bus funding was cut during the financial crisis, they simply stopped going out, despite several closer options nearby. I'm not sure why the strong preference, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for choosing to play at one park over another.
Don't underestimate the psychological barrier of distance. Even a few blocks can be a serious challenge, both perceived and real. Add in the cold weather (an issue in both Queens and Brookline) and snow/ice/water on the ground, and the range of a senior can be severely limited compared with someone middle-aged.
Not all seniors are the same. Everyone has different preferences and faculties, degrees of independence, etc. If people are meeting in groups, you have to take into account the most accessible options.
Maybe people just don't want to be surrounded by old people all the time. If you were a senior, wouldn't you like to not only meet friends, but also see people of all ages, even if you're not directly interacting? It's funny that we encourage seniors to get outside their homes and stay active and stimulated, but then try to funnel them towards their own age and ethnic group.
Culture can be a factor, but it's hard to measure. The seniors interviewed seemed to be aware of the burden they placed on the store, so the truth wasn't "lost in translation". I think the issues here are more universal. It's true that in Korea coffee shops tend to allow longer sitting and socializing, but it's mostly younger people in these (pricier) Starbucks and similar chains. Seoul has dozens of really nice senior centers, but many seniors congregate at crowded subway stations like Jongno 3-ga, just sitting on the floor, shooting the breeze. (I used to volunteer with a group that handed out free coffee and snacks to these guys once a week.) It seems like the only real reason for continuing to hang out in these not-very-comfortable places is because that's what they've always done.
I think it's a really interesting and important question to research as the US population ages.
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