Ketchup for all

Stopped at McDonald's for lunch today. (Yeah, I know it's junk. So give me that metaphorical kick sometime). While I'm waiting for our food, I notice idly that at the side-by-side pair of small tables nearby, there are two women, one at each table, one 20s, the other maybe 50s. They are not talking to each other, so I guess they are strangers.

A few minutes later, an overweight young man in a bright red Tshirt walks up to the table with the young woman, carrying a tray on which there are six McDonald's containers of Coke and nothing else. He sits down across from her. These two are going to consume six glasses of Coke? But the older lady reaches across and takes one, and that's when I realize that they are all together. Still, six glasses between these three?

Another couple and an older man join them. OK, six people now. Makes sense.

Then the overweight young man gets up and walks off to the food counter. He returns with a tray on which there are, I am not making this up, 24 little McDonald's plastic cups filled with tomato ketchup. Nothing else on the tray. Yes, a 6x4 array, each one carefully filled to the brim from the ketchup dispenser across the room.

These six are going to lunch on Coke and ketchup?

A McDonald's employee brings them burgers and fries. OK, that's their lunch. Still, 24 ketchup containers?

When they finish and get up, they take two of their four trays to the trash can. The other two, for no apparent reason, they leave on the tables. On one of those two trays are seven little McDonald's plastic cups filled with tomato ketchup. Untouched.