Episode 24

Wed, 3/9 12:06PM • 49:13

 

Michael Moran  00:25

Episode 24 Julian, and welcome to an American Journey, the podcast about all things America. And what's on our agenda today, Julia,

 

Julian Bishop  00:34

We are going to discuss the city of Denver, and we're going to discuss drive thrus. Okay.

 

Michael Moran  00:41

Now I immediately say, Julian, we're going to speak wider than the city of Denver, because when I go to Colorado, I don't just go to Denver. So I'm going to widen it slightly. But I'm unlikely thinking it sometimes if you've been there,

 

Julian Bishop  00:55

I've been there a few times, but I haven't been there for 25 years. The information I have, .yours may well be a lot more current than mine.

 

Michael Moran  01:04

I think Denver is a city in America other than New York, I've been the most. So he's one of my first overseas trips with the beloved. We went to Denver. She said, I'm going to widen it, because she loves the mountains, and in particular, going to Breckenridge. And you know what, Julian, I think it's more to do with the shops in the mountains if I was brutally honest.

 

Julian Bishop  01:29

Okay, it wasn't our first trip to America, but it was one of our early trips to America, we swapped to home with a couple in western Colorado. So they had our apartment in London, and we had their nice ranch in western Colorado. So I'm definitely more familiar with that side of Colorado and the Denver side. But wherever you are in Colorado, there's always mountains nearby.

 

Michael Moran  01:56

Yeah. So this was the head of b&b. That was Airbnb, you, you were doing how swaps back 25 years ago? Did you say,

 

Julian Bishop  02:04

Yeah, this was years ago, there was a book you got, you had to complete a paper form and tell them all about your house. And I think maybe there might have been even one or two pictures who were allowed. And then you sent that off. And then this company compiled a book. And then everyone received the book at the same time. And people would then write to each other. You know, this is pre email. And then you would get all these letters from around the world saying, Hey, I live in Ghana, and I would really like to swap with your home in London. And anyway, we did a deal with a couple in western Colorado in the in the town of Grand Junction, Colorado, and we spent a month there very good.

 

Michael Moran  02:49

And I have been through Grand Junction. So where do you want to start on Denver? The Mile High City, Julian.

 

Julian Bishop  02:56

Do you know why it is called the mile-high city?

 

Michael Moran  02:59

Good. Presumably it's very high in the mountains, a mile maybe Julian?

 

Julian Bishop  03:06

It's exactly a mile on the 13th step of the Capitol Building and

 

Michael Moran  03:10

down which I have been to and is a place to visit. Excellent dome. Is it? Yes.

 

Julian Bishop  03:15

So what do you like about Denver?

 

Michael Moran  03:17

Oh, the history. First of all, Julian, you know you normally share some fact with me, do you notice it was named after James Dover, who at the time, it goes back to General William Larimer for Pilates right. Because, obviously, is known in this in this square as the oldest part in Denver, which I will come back to, but he was currying favor with the then Senator, therefore, he said he was going to call it Denver after James Denver.

 

Julian Bishop  03:46

I understand that that the senator had already died. Is that right?

 

Michael Moran  03:50

I don't think he died, but he certainly wasn't in both. Was he so?

 

Julian Bishop  03:55

So he didn't carry much favor? Yeah. Originally, I think the city was called was named after a place in Georgia. Because originally, I think it was set up as a gold mining town. So I think it was originally called something like Auroria or something like that.

 

Michael Moran  04:09

Don't have much gold, did it? That was the problem with it. That is a problem for a goal town. You do realize, of course, it was all about the railways now. The Union Pacific Union Pacific, decided not to visit Denver. Big mistake. They went via Cheyenne apparently, but the Devonians or what do they call people in Denver, Denvonians.

 

Julian Bishop  04:32

Not Devonian. This is where I come from. Devonerians

 

Michael Moran  04:40

I like to put you on the spot. But the good news is they build their own Denver Pacific Railway. And that was a turning point because its position, obviously in the middle of the Rockies, linking both the West knees as as built out because it also is quite unique in that most cities. If you go back pretty well always Have a bit of glow flew the note if you think about it, London, New York, etc. No, Denver,

 

Julian Bishop  05:06

it's kind of in a valley isn't at Denver, you know, with all the, you know, mountains to the west of them. So I guess it always had a place as a you know, stopping off point before you hit the mountains. Yeah. Before we hit the Rockies. Have you ever had altitude sickness in Denver?

 

Michael Moran  05:23

I have because obviously being an asthmatic, and in our very first trip, we stayed in Denver, and then drove up to Becker Ridge, which obviously is much closer to the Intercontinental divide. And being athletic. Yep. As the air is pretty thin up there. Yeah, it makes you when you start walking up steps or whatever, it's a bit challenging.

 

Julian Bishop  05:44

Yeah, they have 58 peaks in Colorado with over 14,000 feet. A friend of mine, and he's not the only one who does this, but a number of people try and climb all of those 58 peaks.

 

Michael Moran  05:57

We're going to attend to peak because it's one of the things that I missed. There are two things in Denver, which I'm told you should do. I missed out on Julian. The first one is, is the Red Rock amphitheater famous for the YouTube concept, which I've not seen. And the other one was Beatles played that did they didn't know that. And the other one is Pikes Peak. And I only found out about it through Michael Portillo. For the American audience, a UK politician or failed UK politician who's now had a second career and surprise, surprise, what is he doing? He travels on trains, and takes us around the country, or indeed, on his great continental journeys showed us Pikes Peak Now have you built Pikes Peak Julian? I have not. Now, I've only seen on TV. It's got a fantastic journey of it on a train and literally, the train goes right to the peak with phenomenal views across the Rockies.

 

Julian Bishop  07:00

When you say a train, does it have tracks beneath it?

 

Michael Moran  07:04

Yes, it's a cog railway of course is going it's going some height there. Yeah. So I'm not doing that.

 

Julian Bishop  07:11

Have you talked enough about railways now?

 

Michael Moran  07:14

Nice railway station in Denver.

 

Julian Bishop  07:17

Okay. I just let me know when you have, because I can wake up those listeners who temporarily fallen asleep from your railway journeys.

 

Michael Moran  07:28

I was just checking if I can find my notes. I'll was it low boat Julian. We were the railway station if you know, Lobo. Lower downtown apparently, which has been rented, renovated or rejuvenating or whatever. Very nice. That's

 

Julian Bishop  07:43

what I mean. It was quite it was rejuvenated when I went there full of these sort of micro breweries and a gastropubs. I mean we had a good time.

 

Michael Moran  07:52

I didn't, Julian. I saw England go out against Portugal in the Euros. Very disappointing. Yeah, I was there. Yeah. So other things we should go and see. Well, of course, the art museum. Have you been to the art museum in Denver?

 

Julian Bishop  08:05

I went to one of them. I think there are two.

 

Michael Moran  08:08

Okay. Should I tell you my story about going around the art museum? Julian? Yes, please do. One of the only occasions I felt,

 

Julian Bishop  08:16

are you sure it was in Denver? You're not going to tell your story again? Don't know, do cover some other city

 

Michael Moran  08:23

like Atlanta? No, no, this was in Denver. And it's one of my few occasions where I've ever thought like a celebrity. Joanie and I, we were walking around the museum. And we were approached by a very nice American couple asked us, oh, are you from? I suspect they said Britain, but you know, are you from England? And then they asked us what is going on? Because when we were there, Julian, we'd gotten out of Brexit. That's it. How can you possibly have done this? Okay. And then we got a very detailed political,

 

Julian Bishop  08:57

you're a big Brexit supporter, so no doubt that you were able to tell them in great detail

 

Michael Moran  09:04

when I was really able to say as well, you know, sometimes you can't control things. And obviously not everybody supports this. But I fear that you may be having a similar situation coming in the not too distant future and what might not be I said, the election of Donald Trump and he will never get in. They reassured me. There is no chance of Donald Trump being president. Just how wrong they were Julian. Just how wrong they were

 

Julian Bishop  09:28

I was in LA, and this was before Trump had announced his candidacy, and I was in Hollywood, and this madman approached me. I thought, Oh, he's mentally ill, I'll sort of be kind and then I'll move on. He was haranguing me and telling me Mark my words. He said, Trump is going to be president and I obviously put it down to the ramblings of a madman, but he was very prescient, this man in Hollywood, or you can't name him so You and that man in Hollywood they were both prescient. Okay, so

 

Michael Moran  10:03

back to Denver. So let's stay within Denver confines for a second because the thing is, with my very first visit my very first visit, as I do I get a guide book and I'm looking around and he talks about the the old town. You must go and see the old town. And I think I'm going back to Lima square again is the old town. Yeah, we walked all over this town. Look, look, I looked low, eventually got to the place. And you know what? It was a few very small number, maybe five buildings built in 1900. I had to point out to Julian, that's not the old town. I was there me thinking to do you know, medieval Old Town knocking over them? Oh, very nice in terms of people watching and restaurants, but not distinctly old.

 

Julian Bishop  10:56

I remember in New England, somewhere going a...it wasn't a stately home, but it was a historic home. The person giving the tour was telling me how wonderful it was. And this home was built in 1935 and telling us how old it was. And I was thinking to myself, I've never owned a home, which was younger than that. So for me, it wasn't a big deal. In that parts of New England, that was clearly a big deal.

 

Michael Moran  11:24

Other things to visit in Denver, if you're going and you know how we like baseball, cause field right good place to go to in the center of town. Very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. I've not seen the Broncos. So this stadium, though again, it's very nearby, isn't it? So you can see it?

 

Julian Bishop  11:43

all of them are fairly close to downtown or if not in downtown. So you've got the Broncos, the Rockies, the rapids, which is the soccer team, avalanche wishes the hockey team and the nuggets as well. Have you ever played golf in Colorado? Mike?

 

Michael Moran  11:59

No, I don't play golf. Julian. Hmm.

 

Julian Bishop  12:01

it because it's so high up, your ball will travel 10% further than normal. And of course, that's the issue within baseball. Why the Rockies can never get good pictures, because the pictures are very reluctant to go and ruin their era by pitching somewhere where very frequently their balls fly out of the stadium.

 

Michael Moran  12:22

Well, I didn't know that. Yes, obviously, that will be a bit of a bummer for signing up and coming pictures. They will play their

 

Julian Bishop  12:30

first right well, they can sign the sort of the young ones who don't get much choice. But the older ones, they're reluctant to go there. Now the other thing about great place to watch baseball because you get lots of lots of runs. Yeah,

 

Michael Moran  12:42

yeah. And it's my pleasure that you can see me. Now a couple of things for visitors to Denver, you've obviously flown into Denver airport, haven't you? Yes, no way near Denver. It's a long way out. It's a very long way. I know. They've now built a railroad into town. Given all the space out there, where are they? So far? I don't know. It's a long way out.

 

Julian Bishop  13:05

When I went there about 30 years ago was new. So maybe there was one which was closer, a long time ago. And it's a fairly big metro, isn't it? I think it's something like 3 million people in the metro area. So maybe they're anticipating it getting bigger and just putting it further out of town. So is it like Heathrow to London is it just yet so

 

Michael Moran  13:27

what's really interesting because you travel in for a long time, you don't see anything, you know, I mean, you can see in the mountains in the distance, it's more quickly planes, but it's a long way to long way. So if you're going to you know, hire a car, it's a good 3540 minute drive back into town. And believe me I second story. Julian is my chance to sit with life in on British Airways. Okay, you ready?

 

Julian Bishop  13:54

Alright, are we going for the British Airways sponsorship?

 

Michael Moran  13:57

Last time I went - big birthday - Special flight

 

Julian Bishop  14:01

was it your 80th birthday, Michael?

 

Michael Moran  14:03

you are too kind,  and the beloved had tried to log me on before and hadn't been able to and obviously questioned them and they said don't know it be okay on the day. I won't be paid. Or we've been I've been bumped. She hasn't been I had into economy Julian Michael being Michael said no. Well, I'm not leaving here to like a satisfactory answer. Get me the most senior person from British Airways could talk to me. By this time I was accused behind me that drift and tried to move me off. But no, I'm sitting there. And actually say in 30 years ago was absolutely straight down line. He said Mr. Moran first we need to appreciate all airlines do this. We've been doing this for 25 years and wait for it is the way we maximize profits. You know, we always sell more tickets than we have seats for and sometimes everybody turns up. I was like, Excuse me. You tell me you're selling too. You haven't got and you think this is an acceptable business practice. But no, that's not the end of the story, Julian because we get on the plane. Oh, by the way, sat next to a very nice Frenchman who told me never fares fly to France because he gets bumped all the time. And it was the first time in by British Airways. So we get to Denver. And if you're traveling from London what it's a battle anyhow, flight. So long time, isn't it? Oh, I

 

Julian Bishop  15:24

probably longer I think

 

Michael Moran  15:26

you've left in St. Louis left midday. It's a midnight out there. And we get to the baggage Hall. And I wait. And I wait. And I do see in the corner my eye. British Airways representative. And luggage comes off Julian and not mine in journals. We sit there and eventually, we nobody else in the hall and no luggage. There's a sign Well, Mr. Moran, please go to the British Airways rep. Who's been cowering in the corner, who then tells me with something like Well, I'm sorry, Miss Burrell. We didn't put your luggage on the plane. Because we didn't think you were going to get off the plane apparently. So, so I have had one really good thing which is so

 

Julian Bishop  16:11

this is your attempt to get British Airways sponsorship, is it?

 

Michael Moran  16:14

absolutely

 

Julian Bishop  16:14

You tell this story, where they screw up twice.

 

Michael Moran  16:18

They didn't send me a check.

 

Julian Bishop  16:19

I think I'm going to take sponsorship away from you, Michael,

 

Michael Moran  16:22

I did you sent me a check. But I told him, but no, there was a serious point around the British visitors. Because he has one good thing. Of course, when you get into Devon, we were so tired. We go straight to bed are the four seasons really good hotel. And what happens is you wake up early next morning, very early. And of course, yeah, other than the toothbrush that the four seasons of providers. We have no clothes, no nothing, no toiletries. So we go walking around Denver. And I do like an American city, seeing open up. So it was a Sunday morning. And actually, I shouldn't have named the Street View but a very nice sort of walkway to the Center of Denver with trams. And actually, it was a pleasure to see the city come into light. So it wasn't all bad news.

 

Julian Bishop  17:07

Okay, well, that's good. Anything else that you would like to say about Denver,

 

Michael Moran  17:13

outside of Denver. So you should absolutely take a car and drive into the mountains because Denver although it's not in the mountains, I said before, refuge is very pretty, very much. I want to call a Christmas Eve type place. Lots of quaint shops. Now, obviously, on the toes. I've always been I've been in the summer, so I've not seen them out in the winter, but a very big ski resort. Ditto Aspen, obviously very famous for wealthy Canadian Californians. And Vail Valley is one of these very model creations of a ski village. But very pleasant. So definitely wouldn't recommend doing that.

 

Julian Bishop  17:54

And let's give the listeners an idea of, of altitude here. So Denver, or at least the 13th step of the Capitol in Denver is 5280 feet above sea level. There are 58 peaks in Colorado, which are over 14,000 square feet. So you are when you rent a car, and you go into the mountains, you are climbing a long way.

 

Michael Moran  18:17

What's the height of the continental divide?

 

Julian Bishop  18:21

I don't know. But do you want to explain to listeners what the Continental Divide? Absolutely

 

Michael Moran  18:25

well, and geographically, it's interesting, because obviously, at the highest peak, the water runs both ways. Water was both west and east. So you're actually the highest point but of course, it runs all the way down to the rock is there on the I gotta say, the left hand side of America. Correct?

 

Julian Bishop  18:42

That's right, there's a ridge of mountains, which goes across water from north to south, essentially down America. And on the left hand side of this ridge, all the water will eventually end up in the Pacific. And on the right hand side, all the water will eventually end up in the Atlantic. And that's called the continental divide. And actually, there is a walking trail, which approximately follows the Continental Divide that you can do, it's a bit like the Appalachian Trail,

 

Michael Moran  19:11

the challenge of the early pioneers who were trying to go from east to west, because this is a very formidable obstacle, isn't it?

 

Julian Bishop  19:20

It is yeah, it's pretty, I mean, really beautiful. These mountains, whether in the winter or the summer,

 

Michael Moran  19:25

yep. And the other thing of course, you've got because it's obviously famous for minerals is all mining towns. And when you've got all mining towns like Leadville and Georgetown, Juliet, what do you get? train journeys? train journeys, so, and the good news is because they're all mining railways, you go into the mountains and get some fantastic scenic views. That's the only reason I'm pushing engaging Georgetown and Leadville really good scenic views on the railways.

 

Julian Bishop  19:59

Okay, Did you do any drinking in Colorado, Michael? Well,

 

Michael Moran  20:03

obviously, we drowned our solos at the in the microbrewery downtown after the defeat by the Portuguese,

 

Julian Bishop  20:12

because some people claim that altitude you get drunk quicker.

 

Michael Moran  20:16

I'm sure that's the case. I'm sure that's the case. Well, it's not true. Why not? Julian,

 

Julian Bishop  20:20

I'm sorry to tell you it's not true people believe it is. What actually happens is that the effects of the alcohol are more pronounced at altitude. So you feel as if you're drunk, or even if you're actually not drunk, and the effect of the hangover, the next day is a lot worse.

 

Michael Moran  20:37

Condition by me again, as easy, it's not true, then you say, it feels worse and you get drunk quicker,

 

Julian Bishop  20:43

people perceive that they are drunker, because the effects of altitude which are having any way because they've just gone from a sea level to, you know, however many 1000 feet that the effects of the altitude sickness are more pronounced because you're drinking alcohol.

 

Michael Moran  21:01

But it would be fair to say that Julian said if you're going to Denver, I didn't find Denver that difficult in terms of altitude. It's more when you go into the mountains and the veils and the Breckenridge, which are that extra two or 3000 feet, or I think

 

Julian Bishop  21:14

there are some people in Denver who find it difficult. But I think the reality is that most people don't, it doesn't hit them to about 8000 feet. Now, did you partake of the wacky baccy, Michael?

 

Michael Moran  21:26

Absolutely not. Although I do know now, because actually, when was it legalized in Denver? I was.

 

Julian Bishop  21:34

I don't know. I mean, it's been I haven't gone there since they legalized not out of principle, but just because

 

Michael Moran  21:41

certainly recently isn't it's not in the last five years. A

 

Julian Bishop  21:45

friend of mine set up a company providing a software services to marijuana companies. And he did that about four or five years ago. So I think it probably about four or five years.

 

Michael Moran  21:56

I mean, the other thing about Dell that because it is IO, the weather is fairly unpredictable as well, isn't it? You know, it's not uncommon to get very severe if you start the day with a beautiful, clear blue sky. And in the end of the day with very heavy rain. Well, they

 

Julian Bishop  22:11

do have more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Yeah. Which is more than San Diego. So they have a lot of very good weather and in the summer, not at all unusual to get into the 90s occasional get into the hundreds. But obviously, they have the snowstorms as well.

 

Michael Moran  22:29

Well. It's changeable having driven from down through in clear blue skies. Get them out is how many so I went on the Continental Divide on the Fourth of July, and it snowed. Wow. Yeah. Unpredictable. I would say the climate.

 

Julian Bishop  22:43

Take us sweaters. What your advice? Absolutely. Absolutely. Good. So anything else you want to say about Denver

 

Michael Moran  22:49

is a nice place. I've always found the people. They're very, very hospitable. Lots of universities and colleges. My perception issue is you walk around that.

 

Julian Bishop  22:59

Yeah, there are, I think a three in downtown Yellowknife. Yeah. And then they've got the University of Colorado, which is in the city of Boulder, which is a, you know, fairly short distance away. I haven't actually been to Boulder. But I understand it's, you know, it's a really beautiful town. Yeah. Me, Colorado, I think is full of beautiful places. Yeah. I certainly would recommend it to anyone who wants to travel in the summer. It's a great place to go.

 

Michael Moran  23:26

We know having not been in the winter because obviously it's famous for its skiing really isn't it? So right. So I'm imagine you don't do skiing. So I imagine Julian in season. Two places like Vale Blackledge are very full, you get a sense in the summer, they are big tourist places.

 

Julian Bishop  23:43

They go for people with money, and they are full of people with money. So but I've never done it. And I'm not likely to but I understand that. If you want to go skiing in America, the mountains in Colorado or Salt Lake City, those are the places to go.

 

Michael Moran  23:57

So we're in your list of cities to visit would Denver be?

 

Julian Bishop  24:02

Well, I would say if we were using our normal five point scoring system, I would get Denver a four out of five. I do think that Colorado is a really beautiful place. Whether you know my first trip to America, I would make that to Denver. I don't know. Don't know whether I would do that. But I would love to go back to Denver. And Colorado is incredibly beautiful. Yeah, I would speak pretty highly of it. And you

 

Michael Moran  24:28

Yeah, so I'm not you. It's definitely a four to five. I think you're right. If you've not been to like it wouldn't be the first place to go to but if you like the great outdoors and you're looking for that sort of fresh air and fantastic scenery, it definitely up there. So I'm five to five. I mean, having been there three times and still wants to go back because the things I've not seen as the highest commendation and give it

 

Julian Bishop  25:07

We've covered drive in movies in a previous episode, episode eight. And in this episode we're going to now cover other types of drive thru. And we're going to begin with a short excerpt from my book high widen handsome. The other shopping element that is different in the US is the prevalence of drive thru shopping. It seems that most things can be bought via a drive thru restaurant food of course, but drive through dry cleaning, pharmacy banks, coffee shops, florists, and liquor stores are typical here. Supermarkets too are beginning to experiment in this area. A few specialist drive throughs exist. In Las Vegas, you can tie the knot at a drive thru wedding. In many places you can get some not so cheap thrills at a drive thru strip club, and a couple of funeral homes offer a drive thru option where the curtains open for three minutes for you to pay your respects. You can look at the open coffin usual here, I'm afraid for one last time before the curtains automatically close 190 seconds later. Michael, how many of these drive throughs Have you experienced?

 

Michael Moran  26:18

Do you not as many of you Julian because I was thinking about this in preparation. So I've done try to McDonald's. I've done drive through Starbucks. And then I started. I haven't done a drive to bank. I've definitely not done a drive to funeral or wedding go play. So I'm still a bit ambivalent to them if I was brutally honest. I mean, it's a very efficient way to get fast food. But other things to commend it to them. Not sure Julian, what about you?

 

Julian Bishop  26:47

Actually, since I wrote the books, there has been quite a lot of innovation and drive throughs one of them I'm sure you'll be familiar with is the COVID drive through the COVID testing drive thru.

 

Michael Moran  26:58

That doesn't get killed. We do not have that in person. But yes, we do. But I'm sorry. I'm thinking sort of places you want to go to and experience a lot of fun. A COVID test.

 

Julian Bishop  27:14

Well, I don't know that a funeral. A funeral home is fun. I mean,

 

Michael Moran  27:18

I didn't know about it till you told me about them.

 

Julian Bishop  27:22

Anyway, so COVID testing here is pretty much all done through drive thru. I know that there has recently in I think in Colorado and California. There are some drive thru marijuana places Cheech of Cheech and Chong, he set up a drive thru marijuana place somewhere.

 

Michael Moran  27:41

So you have to stop you again, Julian. So I understand it's been legalized in places. I can't believe marijuana smoking and drive-ins have been legalized.

 

Julian Bishop  27:53

As I understand that most of this is food related munchies related to the side effects of partaking of the wacky baccy. And then there's the Democratic member for Pennsylvania House of Representatives, he does his surgeries all drive thru. So there's a whole range of different innovations which have happened. So what do I think about them as is your question is, I use quite a few of them. So the banking ones they're excellent, don't have to get out of the car and go to the ATM if you even if you got another banking transaction, you don't have to do anything there. You just got this sort of vacuum thing? I don't know if you've seen the machine. So let's say you're

 

Michael Moran  28:34

in banking. I mean, yeah. Do you do

 

Julian Bishop  28:38

banking, of course, banks anymore, won't do the bank. They're big here. Still, they still have banks here. So if you've got something that you want to pay in, for example, then the it's like a vacuum cleaner or Yeah, so you put your piece of paper that you want them to look at, and it sort of goes up this hose into the bank, and then somebody receives it, and then says, Thank you very much. Mr. Moran. I'll now put that into your account. I like the banking and the you know, the ATM not having to get out of your car to get money. Stop, Julian.

 

Michael Moran  29:12

Before you move on. I'm banking. You see, I have issues of Are You Being Served? Yes. The whole departmental way where you put your socks it weighs food up. Again. I told you, you can now scan in checks. You don't need to go you know,

 

Julian Bishop  29:30

well, I know I'm aware. To be honest. I only really use the ATM for getting cash out of the out of the ATM. So pharmacies as a you know, the very most people will not go into the pharmacy. They'll just go to the pharmacy window. They'll deposit their prescription and then they'll either be served immediately or they'll come back half an hour later and the prescription will be ready for them.

 

Michael Moran  29:53

Julian pharmacy for you. Again, you order online. It goes through the post making the case I'm not sure there is a long term future for the drive thru.

 

Julian Bishop  30:04

If you're getting more heart medicine, you may not have time to wait for it to get through the post. If you're sick and you getting some antibiotics, you don't want to wait five days for it to come in the post, you might be dead by the time it arrives. We didn't go for the drive thru wedding option. I suggested it but Lorna wasn't very keen, we've done the COVID testing multiple times is to drive through dry cleaners very common, we don't really use dry cleaners that much. But instead of having to get out of the car, you just deposited at the window and then a couple of days later,

 

Michael Moran  30:40

she comes doors picks up drops off, you don't need to go outside the house and

 

Julian Bishop  30:45

emissions, getting your emissions done. The equivalent of your mot that is done through driving, you know you go you've got to once a year if your car's over a certain age, you've got to take your car and it's a mission to tested. And that's done while you're still in the car. Getting an oil change on your car is done. It can be done through a drive thru so you drive through, you know, as you drive there, lift your car, they take out your old or puts in a new one and then you drive off again. It's convenient. I like the way that Americans think how can we make this a little bit easier for people, you've got a different view.

 

Michael Moran  31:23

I just don't see the future for them. I accept that you're looking at something where people try to think outside of the box for creative solutions the things that you probably do, but the drones so I just can't see having a anything long term future.

 

Julian Bishop  31:38

So I've got very addicted to a website in preparation for this loss and that website is QSR me magazine, which I think stands for well the Q S stands for quick service and they cover fast food restaurants what percentage of food at fast food restaurants is ordered through the drive thru Michael

 

Michael Moran  31:59

Well, I'm going to say no more than 10% because again we the models definitely yeah you have delivery just eat you you online brought to you you don't go to the big food to you

 

Julian Bishop  32:14

42% Michael so you're saying there's no future 42% of their revenues come through the drive thru they did some brilliant surveys and we're actually going to link this now to you remember the episode we do on did on eateries Michaels?

 

Michael Moran  32:30

Absolutely. Cracker Barrel, I'll never forget it. Don't forget it. Well,

 

Julian Bishop  32:36

first let's start with let's get the bad news out of the way first. Yeah. First of all, Waffle House has no driveway.

 

Michael Moran  32:44

That's presumably because you have the experiences to see the fight all the way. You can't see the from your car window, you you've missed a very substantial part of the action.

 

Julian Bishop  32:52

It's actually yeah, you got to be in there to, to enjoy it. So yeah, so that's, that's the first thing. The quickest is Taco Bell only takes 4.46 minutes for somebody when they arrive at the beginning of the drive thru co till when they get their food.

 

Michael Moran  33:11

But if I remember correctly, Julia is a daughter a or doctor B's boyfriend was somewhat critical of Taco Bell. Basically, the last place you go to if you wanted fast food was?

 

Julian Bishop  33:22

Well, to be honest, it is 4.46 minutes is actually longer than how long the food stays in your stomach afterwards. So it might be a poor accolade. But they are quick. Food may be horrible, but they're quick. KFC 4.53 minutes, a Dunkin Donuts 4.91 minutes, and the slowest Chick fil A nine minutes, one second.

 

Michael Moran  33:51

But the only one I've done on that face. I've done McDonald's drive to so in London

 

Julian Bishop  33:57

average of five minutes something that you can get quicker if you arrive there. And then there's no one in front of you. So, so yeah, they did these surveys. These are actual times QSR magazines and best people out. And they sent them to 1000s of different restaurants all over the US. And they average the times. And they found that McDonald's five minutes.

 

Michael Moran  34:23

So that was from giving your order to collecting your order, or was actually arriving in the queue and arriving to collecting. That's actually quite low time because you might experience when I've done it at McDonald's or Starbucks. They're much quicker than that.

 

Julian Bishop  34:39

If Well, I think McDonald's probably is quite quick. But the problem is it's quite popular because it's cheap. Yeah, so you rarely go and there isn't someone in front of you. Okay, anyway, Chick fil A are revolutionizing the drive thru at the moment. So they have COVID as made them rethink the line. Because the lines outside Chick fil A are always the longest because it's the most popular. It's the is the best of that type of restaurant to be honest. So normally what happens when you go to a drive thru, you drive your car. And then there's a big sort of Billboard with all the various things that you can order. And then you speak into a big microphone, and then you water and then someone at the other end confirms your order. And then you drive through to the first window, you pay. And then you go drive to the second window, and you pick up your food. That's normally what happens, well, Chick fil A change that route, they've had people going outside their restaurant into the lines and taking the orders. When people are further down in the line. They think they're getting served earlier. They're probably having to wait the same amount of time, but they think they're getting served earlier because they've got a point of contact with some nice person with an iPad. And it's a it's an earlier point. Anyway, so they've got other data points, accuracy of orders. Chick fil A is number 100%. Of Chick fil A orders were accurate in the survey that they did.

 

Michael Moran  36:01

Now. Let me before we move on again, you see again, I have to take that's probably because they were Americans they were serving. In my experience with my accent. When I say to them, I won't have a big Mac burger. They say big what? You know what?

 

Julian Bishop  36:21

This objection is so clear.

 

Michael Moran  36:26

I don't know Julia. But the sound systems can be a bit hit and miss, you'll not be surprised that this is never straightforward in my experience would have done it.

 

Julian Bishop  36:35

Well, having been a regular on the QSR magazine site, I would have to recommend the headset produced by Rf technologies, the apex model, you know, for clearer sound quality, because that bloody advert came up every time I went to a new page. So anyway, yeah, so Chick fil 100% accurate. And actually, incidentally, while we're on it, my wife is not a big fan of drive throughs or at least she wasn't when she first came here. And the reason was the nervousness she got when she got to that microphone stage that she either wouldn't be able to remember what the American word was, or they wouldn't understand her accent. Ah, so I think she has since she has since got over this disability and is very comfortable with them. But yeah, but initially she was like you I think so Chick fil A burger king is 97.2% Bottom, Wendy's 85.3% So 15% of the time you don't get your rights order. You get a typewriter or you know, whatever they've confused it with. And then the third one I looked at was customer service. These silly pigs were asked to rate service they rated the percentage where they receive rude or laxa days a call service Chick fil A 0% of people received lackadaisical or rude service. However, Wendy's 26 and a half percent of the Thai people felt they received rude or laksa vegan a

 

Michael Moran  38:06

spicy hamsters, you know, sort of the way by McDonald's or

 

38:12

the Automator. I got to eat another one. Because I've been given Taco Bell. Quite

 

Michael Moran  38:17

cute really aren't the guinea pigs. I always thought

 

Julian Bishop  38:21

drive throughs I can't get enough of the mic. I'd say I don't really use the food ones that much. But, you know, I like the fact that somebody is taken a bit of time to think how can I make this purchase a little bit more pleasurable and convenient for my customer?

 

Michael Moran  38:35

What sort of take come back to the customer service in my experience of drive throughs, which I accept is limited. But it's one where the retailer after customer service? I mean, it reminds me during the early episode, do you tip when you go through a drive thru? Right, do you because actually, there was no customer service? Yeah, this sort of guy says, Yeah, I have number six, number five. And they I will say throw it at you. But five minutes later, you get your food. It's minimal customer service, isn't it?

 

Julian Bishop  39:01

Yeah. And I don't tip. drive throughs. I mean, I might do if it was a drive thru funeral or something? I don't know. But I haven't used that one yet.

 

Michael Moran  39:14

I suspect Julian, you will be that bothered about customer service. If you didn't drive through here to learn about this.

 

Julian Bishop  39:22

One on his eyes, you've got to make preparations.

 

Michael Moran  39:26

no expense spared I'm sure she'll be very pleased by that. So before we finish that, and so I'm at the point of thinking, this is something which is dead on its knees, and I'm quite reverent about it, but you like them. So for English viewers who clearly will be very badly very few dresses in the UK. I mean, other than the fast food it just not, not there. So why do you like what, what? What's the most redeeming feature as far as you're concerned?

 

Julian Bishop  39:54

For example, if you're in the middle of a pandemic, and you have to go to the pharmacy It is much healthier for you to go to the pharmacy in your car, stay in your car, be separated by a screen and picking up your medicine than it is actually going into the pharmacy with all those ill people. That is a better solution to in the UK going into boots, waiting in a line for 15 minutes with a bunch of other people who, you know, on their last legs. And then Few days later picking up whatever it is they went into the pharmacy for.

 

Michael Moran  40:31

I'll give you that one. Julian was one advantage, although I repeat, you don't go to the polls anymore. It comes to you. So, Julian, we come into the end of episode 24. Really good news. We have to deal with a bit of customer feedback, literally. So are you ready for this retailer is that first one said we use the map of the US of all the places we had covered, he just thought we'd covered. And we can observe there was a big gap in the middle.

 

Julian Bishop  41:12

Right and a bias towards the east coast. Yeah.

 

Michael Moran  41:15

Although we have been looking at San Diego, Dallas and Denver, we say to everybody, if there's a place you would like us to cover, it doesn't matter that Julian hasn't been there. We're happy to take you down. Julian. That's right. Bobert jazz Danka Yes,

 

Julian Bishop  41:30

I'm okay, well actually happens to know Barbara. And this is a bit mean, because her surname is spelt XHAJ A Nka. And I happen to know that the first three letters are silent.

 

Michael Moran  41:50

She asked why we haven't done Atlantic, which actually is a really good question, since she lived there for a long time. So we need to put

 

Julian Bishop  41:55

that away. Yeah, we're going to do that in the next couple of episodes. I think so they'll

 

Michael Moran  42:00

give me a chance to my rant about Atlanta International Airport, which is from Atlanta airport. But anyway, that's

 

Julian Bishop  42:09

got to be the same salary that you've told him about Denver airport. I know you'd like to recycle? No,

 

Michael Moran  42:15

no, no, no, no. Definitely. Connor O'Leary, asked if we could do something on local slang, so we can only to Alice? Subjects. It's quite a big topic, isn't that Julian? So we may have to invite new pieces in and you think other particular slang things that come to mind? Or we've included in it?

 

Julian Bishop  42:33

Well, I think there's maybe something we do on accents, which is different from slang. And I think you've got old slang versus new slang. And then you've got the influence of slack. You know, there's, there's lots of different areas, we could take that so we'll talk offline, and then we'll figure out how to deal with that subject, deal with it in a couple of different ways.

 

Michael Moran  42:51

And I was thinking, certainly, obviously, if you meet a true New Yorker, that's like making a Cockney, there's a whole series of words that need translation for so that was that I shouldn't advertise the podcast is now on YouTube. So we might do some video content at some point. For the time being, it's just a podcast, but I think we, I think we should go.

 

Julian Bishop  43:12

So if you do a search, if you do an American Journey, Julian Bishop, Michael Moran, or whatever those into YouTube, you should find our podcast there. But it is basically the same podcast, it's on your podcast provider. We just got it on YouTube.

 

Michael Moran  43:28

Okay, finish it with a plea.

 

Julian Bishop  43:30

Well, actually, before you do that, Michael, I have a couple of extra things.

 

Michael Moran  43:34

Are these on the spot legal and try and see, what do I know don't know, Julian?

 

Julian Bishop  43:40

Sort of, I've been transcribing the words of the podcasts. So that there's a, you know, a written version of what we've said is in addition to the audio version, and I've been using this very clever transcription software to do that. There really are marvelous, but I can report that these marvelous bits of software. They haven't developed well enough to transcribe your thoughts, Michael. It's struggling the so for example, you said trimming stuffing roast potatoes, and that was transcribed as criminal stuff in most Kato's?

 

Michael Moran  44:22

Absolutely great.

 

Julian Bishop  44:24

I did enjoy it. And I'm going to put these transcripts online so people can view them I'm going to do minimal editing, get provide for hours of entertainment.

 

Michael Moran  44:34

I think our listeners will think you should get out more you've got nothing on your plate if you do the same thing. It's a story of money. It's so nice to finally dyslexic and we he got dragon software, and when it first came out, so we could talk into it and it would type and he had rattail will probably wouldn't work for him and and then he said Well Mr. Moran you should do it at exactly the same problem. So he's not news to me. So what's your second thing?

 

Julian Bishop  45:05

The second thing is I understand you've been Moonlighting. Michael, welcome your own companies has got a podcast. Yes. You've been appearing on it.

 

Michael Moran  45:14

I have not as frequently as on this 110 80s crew insights very helpful available at Google plan and the App Store but yes, I second podcast, Julian.

 

Julian Bishop  45:25

You told her a very entertaining story about elevator pitches on elevators didn't Michael

 

Michael Moran  45:30

I did I did evolve in the bathroom of Canada. Have you yet told

 

Julian Bishop  45:35

them about your story about purchasing the romantic package in any number of US national parks? Has that as that listenership got that one to come?

 

Michael Moran  45:44

No. Julian, there are certain things you should keep separate, no, fresh. And this is a personal podcast. With all my professional podcasts. I've yet to introduce them to the subtleties of buying romantic packages on national bar. Okay,

 

Julian Bishop  45:59

so um, do you want to give people the title, the other podcast might as well throw some listeners.

 

Michael Moran  46:05

It's called credit insights. And by the way, it's not just me. I have done a number of things. But you've also the rest of the team who are much more entertaining than me.

 

Julian Bishop  46:15

Surely not. Absolutely. So baseball. Michael, do you want an update on the baseball? I

 

Michael Moran  46:20

do? Because I'm coming over in April, Julian, I wouldn't see baseball. So are they playing?

 

Julian Bishop  46:26

Well, at the moment not know, they have a deadline of tomorrow. And if they don't meet the deadline of agreeing, then they have said that the season will not start on time. And they've said that players will not be getting their full pay for the year. If the baseball season doesn't start on time. And they'd be meeting everyday this week. But aside from a couple of minor areas of agreement, I think that they are no nearer agreement than they were many months ago. There's always a delay between us recording this podcast and it coming out. But I wouldn't put a lot of money that there will be spring training baseball within the next couple of weeks.

 

Michael Moran  47:07

And I get the sense that the relations between the the owners and the players is still, at say the least fractious,

 

Julian Bishop  47:15

so many strikes over so many years. I mean, it's just obviously a lack of trust. I cannot guarantee you baseball when you come over in April, I would like to but maybe it will get sorted by them. Maybe not?

 

Michael Moran  47:29

Well, because you're literally going

 

Julian Bishop  47:32

regard literally leaking. Yeah, yeah.

 

Michael Moran  47:36

Okay, so shall I go to my usual plea for our listeners? If you like what you hear, please, please, please ask us questions. Please, please, please review it on your normal favorite podcast provider. And tell your friends always happy to have a more listeners. Oh, Julian. And what do we got coming up, Julian? We're going to do at the request of Alyssa Atlanta vegetarianism, because Sara Burgess during the New York Marathon and wants to know where to get good food.

 

Julian Bishop  48:08

Think she's a vegan and she's running the New York Marathon. And she wants to know whether she will be able to eat easily in New York. And we might as well extend that So how easy is it to be a vegetarian in the US?

 

Michael Moran  48:21

Yeah, well in New York, it'd be no problem at all

 

Julian Bishop  48:23

it but I wouldn't have thought so.

 

Michael Moran  48:25

Midwest more trip tricky.

 

Julian Bishop  48:28

I think the US is easy compared to France.

 

Michael Moran  48:31

Okay, well, more on this subject next time. So it's good bye for me and it's

 

Julian Bishop  48:36

and it's good bye goodbye from him.