the drink carrier

Okay, this always happens to me and it never fails to make me wonder why. Everytime I am at a fast food place or starbucks when I ask for a drink holder, I always get a blank stare, like I have suddenly slipped into an ancient dialect that no one can understand. Why is this always such a surprising question? Seriously, this can't be the first time someone has asked for a drink holder. I always try to make sure my voice is a very friendly conversational level and not aggresive in the least, so it's not that I am being rude or beligerant. Do the holders come out of the employee's wages? Do they get demerits for the amount of drink holders they hand out in a day? Is this a mark against them on their permenant record? Notice next time you order more than one drink and you ask for the holder, you will see the look of confusion, sometimes panic, and finally a defeated "okay".