A New California: How drive-thru services are helping people during the pandemic

LOS ANGELES - One of the services that’s helping us get through this pandemic is the drive-thru.

From drive-thru coronavirus testing to church services, we’re leaning on the window service more than ever. In fact, in many cases, the drive-thru is the only way to do business.

So, will this convenience, sometimes seen as an emblem of a lazy American lifestyle, see a resurgence in “A New California?”

Adam Chandler, author of Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom, says it’s already happening.

“It’s been really interesting to see the adaptation of drive-thrus or places creating windows or impromptu systems,” says Chandler.

Nowadays, it’s not just about grabbing a burger.  It’s much more vital than that.

The drive-thru has made it possible for thousands of people to get tested for Covid 19.

It has helped people feed their families.  A drive-thru food pantry in Pomona recently drew hundreds of vehicles.

RELATED: Stay up to date on all coronavirus-related information

Whether it’s through a window or curbside, the drive-thru has also helped us maintain some semblance of normalcy.

It’s how many of us get our coffee now. Chandler says drive-thru pet adoptions is now a thing, as our church confessions and drive-in sermons.

"We need these drive-thrus to keep the country going. It’s what hospital workers and families and truckers and all kinds of groups of people are turning to to go along their way because it's safe, it's quick, and it's still cheap,” says Chandler.

On the other hand, many cities across the country, including a few in Southern California, have either banned or are trying to ban new drive-thru restaurants, citing traffic and health concerns.

But, in “A New California,” perhaps we’ll see attitudes start to change.

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