The event at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant ended close to noon. Our P.M. e-mail blast
goes out at 2 p.m. I knew I could write a story in time. But would I be able to find the WiFi I needed to send it?
I did what I’ve done for years: Typed ‘Nearest McDonald’s’ into my phone.
I’ll admit, I’m more of a Chik-fil-A guy. Or Popeye’s. Or even Wendy’s.
McDonald’s, however, has two things on all of them: Good cheap coffee and solid
dependable WiFi.
It has for decades.
Being the first national chain to have free Wi-Fi at every location was a winning play for
the brand. Ample parking, clean bathrooms and still-great fries, help too. And, in an era
when people live in the drive-through, the still-big dining room areas often are
surprisingly quiet.
When you’re in the field – and need to write, right away – McDonald’s still is the place to
be for me.
Conservative estimate: I’ve filed more than two dozen stories at the McDonald’s on
McCarter Highway in Newark. Tell me a better place to go when you’re in the city?
Of course, there isn’t always McDonald’s nearby to work.
That’s when the front passenger seat converts into a workstation. As does a stairwell.
Or a train station.
To be sure, plenty of places have free Wi-Fi now. But it still can be a challenge.
I once leaned against the window of the Dunkin’ Donuts at the Hoboken Terminal and
grabbed their Wi-Fi long enough to file. And I’ve asked a hotel clerk at a hotel I was
staying at for their Wi-Fi password.
It’s part of the job. But the job can be easier when there’s a McDonald’s nearby.
