McDonald's Bottled Water

It seems that more and more fast food places are either charging a small amount {$0.25 or less} for water in a paper cup or they are doing away with tap water altogether, leaving you to purchase a $1+ bottle of water OR one of their less healthy offerings.

This morning, I went to McDonald's and was surprised to find that a bottle of water was my only option if I wanted water. In this particular case I was actually going to get a cup of water for my dog {we were going on a walk and I wanted to have water available for her after the walk}.

When I discovered they no longer offered water in a cup, I declined to pay for a bottle, but proceeded with my breakfast purchase. I am slightly appalled at this for a couple of reasons: water is a fairly cheap resource and up until recent years it has been a free alternative to buying a sugar-loaded, caffeine-enhanced soft drink. Now you have to pay for the privilege of a bottle of water. In addition, bottled water is not really sustainable and in our area, where recycling is not a priority, it is even more of a waste {think plastic bottle verses paper cup}.

I do not visit McD's very often, but in light of having to pay for water, I do not intend to visit them again. What are your thoughts about having to pay for water???