A cyclist who was refused service at a McDonald’s drive thru has taken on the burger giant, demanding to know why staff wouldn’t serve him.
Alistair Thompson, a councillor on Portsmouth City Council, was out riding with his four-year-old son when he decided to pop into the drive thru at the Pompey Centre for a happy meal.
He told the Portsmouth News that having placed his order at the speaker, he was told he couldn’t pay for his order at the next window.
Even when the driver of a car in front offered to pick up his meal for him, the member of staff serving wouldn’t allow it. He added that as there are cycle lanes in the area, including towards the restaurant, it seemed counter-intuitive to ban cyclists from the drive thru.
"I got to the pay window and I was told 'you can’t stay here,'" he said.
"I had been queuing just like everyone else. The worker was a jobsworth. A woman in the car in front said she would buy the Happy Meal for me but the worker said “no, you can’t do that”. It was complete nonsense.
"I was told I had to park up and pay in the branch.
"I have written to McDonald’s headquarters and I am awaiting a response. I wouldn’t have minded so much if the food was for me, but it was a treat. It was the attitude which I didn’t like."
He said that he wasn’t able to park and go inside, because the trailer on his bike would have blocked traffic.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman said: ‘McDonald’s supports the health and environmental benefits of cycling. However it is our policy not to serve cyclists through the drive-through lane.
‘The Highway Code, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and our own hygiene and safety department were consulted when forming this policy.’
The incident comes a few weeks after a woman was fined after taking her horse into a McDonald's restaurant in Greater Manchester.
She was refused service in the drive thru in Whitefield, so led the animal into the main restaurant where it defacated on the floor.
A statement posted on the Facebook page of Greater Manchester Police's Whitefield Division read: "The staff refused to serve the women due to company policy.
"The woman then took the horse into the restaurant, who ended up doing his business on the floor. The sight and smell of this caused obvious distress and upset to customers trying to eat, as well as staff members."
71 thoughts on “Not-so-Happy Meal as cyclist refused service at drive-thru McDonald’s”
Anyway, the “health and
Anyway, the “health and environmental benefits of cycling” are largely offset by the simple act of eating at McDo.
At least they have clean
At least they have clean toilets, this Bank holiday I ended up in the City (around Bank), McD being the only open option. Ordered a tea, used the toilet, nipped the tea – bitter as do not actually prepare your tea but rather take a cup, hang in a bag, add hot water, close lid. 🙁
Better should have crossed Tower Bridge for a tea at Teapod Design museum!
I’d give a shit but
I’d give a shit but describing McD as food is somewhat debatable. And attempting to poison a 4 year old with it… 😕
Laughable “health & safety”
Laughable “health & safety” excuses…
I wish companies would stop giving H&S a bad name, because it has saved countless lives particularly on building sites and in industrial work, with there “we don’t like it so we’ll just say its H&S” jobsworth excuses…
I ask McDonald’s too. Their
I ask McDonald’s too. Their reply is on the SpaceForCycling website…
http://spaceforcycling.org/2013/07/24/mcdonalds-drive-thru-not-open-to-people-on-bicycles/
I had an encouraging reply back from CEO of Costa Coffee who are installing a drive thru in Basingstoke, so would be interested to hear confirmation from people there if they serve to people on bicycles.
AndrewRH wrote:I ask
Have you got some kind of cup holder on your handlebars? And hopefully a very secure lid on your cup too, because otherwise I can foresee a very unfortunate meeting between some hot coffee and lycra clad skin :O
I had this on way home from
I had this on way home from work after night shift and was refused at the window. The jobsworth then wouldn’t let me in with the bike. I shouted the order over from the door. The guy then had to walk over for the money. Return with the change. Then had to walk back for the order. I then sent him back for more condiments. My parting shot was didn’t he now wish he did it the easy way 👿
Ironically the same drive through has a line of drunken pedestrians at 2am in the morning at the hatch. A greater risk than a sober cyclist I would have thought.
giff77 wrote:I had this on
[[[[ But not as great as a pooping horse….which may have thought it was among friends. Ba-boom!
P.R.
I used to do this all the
I used to do this all the time, with no problems. Even saw someone do it on a horse once.
Bit weird to not allow it.
I wouldn’t fancy my chances
I wouldn’t fancy my chances on a bike lining up alongside the type of people who frequent a McDonald’s drive thru.
‘I’d give a shit but
‘I’d give a shit but describing McD as food is somewhat debatable.’
Sadly not everyone can afford swan.
andyp wrote:’I’d give a shit
No,neither caviar. But want a cheap snack or a “ready meal”? Eat an egg with bread. Or make a soup (2 leeks, 2 potatoes). At least it is healthy, delicious and no more work than having to heat up a ready meal full of palm oil and fructose syrup.
andyp wrote:’I’d give a shit
Swan! Sounds delicious. I’m still waiting for the larks’ tongue McFlurry.
I used to work in McDonalds and, to be fair, the food really is crap. Would not be cheap (for what it is) at half the price. It is beef in a legal sense (as in it was once cow), but not in any good butcher’s definition of the word. They were impeccably clean in my branch though (Bradford city centre, if you’re interested – look for the Blue Plaque outside saying ‘Ghedebrav worked here for a bit when he was skint’), so I’ll give them that.
Subway are better. Healthier options and (selfishly, for me) better for vegetarians. Never driven through one on a bike though 😐
There’s nothing wrong with a
There’s nothing wrong with a Maccy Dee’s oocasionally. Snobs.
I’ve been served on a drive
I’ve been served on a drive thru on my trike, I just blagged it and said I couldn’t get off as my wheelchair was in the car miles away, unless they would help me turn the trike after I cycled into the outlet, they would be better serving me at the drive thru…..(p.s. I don’t have a wheelchair and can get out of my trike unaided most of the time)
If life gives you lemons…
If life gives you lemons… make a packed lunch.
McDonald’s – the Evans Cycles
McDonald’s – the Evans Cycles of fast food?
snipping<< McDonald's - the
snipping<< McDonald's - the Evans Cycles of fast food? >> snipped
v.good!!
Hey-ho but we all eat a rubbish treat from time to time, crikey but I’ve had rubbish rides, rubbish ideas, rubbish mates, rubbish coffee, rubbish sex from time to time. That’s life…..
“…the food was a treat”.
A
“…the food was a treat”.
A treat?? Eh?? What the hell does that kid (assuming that’s who it was for) have to endure when he has done something bad?!
I value my body too much to
I value my body too much to poison it with a Mc D.
Well, Macdonald’s TV ad in
Well, Macdonald’s TV ad in Singapore shows that drive-thru order is possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svc1zpblGI0
Ignoring the health debate
Ignoring the health debate for now.
The policy is rubbish. To be refused service you must enter and queue in the lane. By the time you are refused you are already in a dangerous place according to mcd’s. if they want to implement the policy then they should man the entrance.
The policy doesn’t apply to motorbikes, of course……..
McD is expensive if you
McD is expensive if you consider you could cook a decent meal for the same price (and much healthier… and yummier cause McD is pretty crap tasting). But that’s neither here nor there. McD’s stated policy, back when there was that thing with the horse rider, is that they don’t serve horse riders or cyclists in the drive through. So why the big deal? If it’s against their policy rather than a spur of the moment decision by a burger flipper, then stop acting like you’re the injured party. Really a non story.
I have been refused on a
I have been refused on a motorbike as they couldn’t hear me apparently? They did hear what I next called them though funny that 😀 .
Jack in the Box refused me,
Jack in the Box refused me, but Taco Bell said OK. Last night I took my bike inside Jack in the Box and they didn’t throw me out (the bike is trained not to defacate in public restaurants). $3 for a Waffle Sandwich which was no more than 4 or 5 man bites but packed 470 calories. As it was the only “meal” in a 306km ride with 5576m of climbing, I think the bad stuff was probably burned up.
McD’s are worried that
McD’s are worried that motorists might not see a cyclist or horse rider at the drive-thru. You mean that someone too busy scoffing chips/burger, juggling drinks and change as they drive off might not be in safe control of a tonne or more of metal, well unless there’s a horse around no sh*t sherlock! Talk about missing a trick – a quick ride through for coffee on a club run perhaps? Even Pickles seems to realise it’s safer for motorists to get out of their tin boxes to buy things!
The HSE do a daily web update
The HSE do a daily web update of stupid health and safety excuses. I’ve used the McD’s drive thru in Sandbach on quite a few occasions for coffee and cola (and maybe the odd burger) when I’ve been on a long one over that way.
I think the HSE should close
I think the HSE should close down MaccyDs for being a breach of health and safety!! LOL! :))
On Saturday evening (31st
On Saturday evening (31st August 2013) I went into the drive through on the A23 in Waddon, next to Pets at Home. I was followed by three girls walking through it.
They were served and I watched them pay for and then collect their food from the window.
Why can pedestrians walk through, but cyclists are not allowed to cycle through?
You are what you eat. McD is
You are what you eat. McD is junk.
Simon E wrote:You are what
I’ve no problem with people eating the occasional MaccyD. It takes the human body about 8 weeks to break down and remove transfats/hydrogenated fats. The other additive stuff will probably break down and exit your body in about 4 weeks…
However I know a local MaccyDs nearly got shut down by the health inspector after a Gentleman (very loose association with one tbh) added his own special sauce and was caught on CCTV.
I’m so annoyed by the food
I’m so annoyed by the food snobbery displayed in these comments that I’m off out tomorrow for a McDonalds. Yummy!
mattsr wrote:I’m so annoyed
My comment may be taken as snobbery but it’s a fact – stuff like McDonalds is junk food.
It’s a bit like a Sun reader complaining when someone says it’s tripe written for someone with a reading age of 8.
mattsr wrote:I’m so annoyed
It’s not food, so can’t be food snobbery.
BTW, the ‘jobsworth’ is the councillor for actually giving a sh*t. He should put it down as a close-call and be thankful he had to get his sustenance elsewhere.
And McD’s respecting health and environment…. =))
I wonder what they saw in the
I wonder what they saw in the Highway Code that was in any way relevent to this?
Anyway, if they’re going to have such a policy, they need to have clear signs at the entrance to the lane. Being told it is “against policy” when you reach the pay window is ridiculous- as they’ve already let you get into a position that apparently their own policy says is dangerous.
(would always avoid such places myself, but for the purposes of this discussion the nutritional or otherwise delights of their food is rather moot)
Devils Advocate time…with
Devils Advocate time…with the acceptance that McD’s policy is not applied at every store (brain dead staff)and is probably not legally compelling or competent in all areas…
If you go through the drive-thru on your bike and staff take money upon an order being placed then a contract has been entered by both parties willingly.
If you then have your £5k road bike squashed by a car then McD’s could be held accountable and liable as most cyclists (read cyclists, not roadies) do not have insurance that protects the bike or the rider. Cars (or most of them) do have cover which also provides personal injury protection and satifies the ‘bean counters’ at the McD corporate office.
McD’s are also somewhat regulated by the HSE rules so maybe redirect your anger towards them? Even if miniscule there is still an increased risk if a cyclist uses a drive-thru.
There is also public interest to consider. McD’s dont want bad publicity if a cyclist (oe pedestrian for that matter) got injured, killed or their ecpensive bike got trashed.
All these things and more need to be considered when coming up with a policy. I personally think the furore over things like this is daft… They are called “DRIVE THRU” for a reason.
I am not affiliated to McD’s in any way. I now think their food is shite but used to eat it when I was younger, regrettably. McD’s load their burger rolls or buns with sugar to make kids like them, in fact they load everything with sugar to make your children love what they sell and craze you to go McD’s.
Oh my, just read the Space
Oh my, just read the Space for Cycling page on it. The RoSPA response is entertaining. Appears “consultation” means “look at websites with no specific advice regarding drive throughs”.
So whats the policy with
So whats the policy with motorcyclists?
PhilWalker wrote:So whats the
So long as you’re carrying a number plate it ought to be ok I guess.
To the next guy planning a Walk-Thru, I suggest a plate with your Roadcc avatar, just for posterity.
Jesus what the problem with
Jesus what the problem with the odd McDonalds every now and again?…some of us have kids and you know what sometimes we just think sod it I need a rest lets have a drive through….
As for people saying its poison etc. just f**k off – its about balance we cant all always give our kids or ourselves the ideal healthy food…
What is this,
What is this, gastrosnobs.cc?
I bloody love a McDonalds at times, and have ridden through a drive-through on my bike before (many years ago). My reason? Because they didn’t have anywhere to lock my bike.
The woman who took her horse in was clearly a completely separate matter: even bore it sh#t on the floor having animals in restaurants is unsanitary.
You can’t beat a double
You can’t beat a double sausage and egg McMuffin, sugary chemical ridden crap but they are bang on.
I’m also a big fan of their lard filled milkshakes.
I’ve been stopped a couple of times from riding through the drive through on my bike, didn’t feel the need to contact the press about it though.
farrell wrote:You can’t beat
[[[[ “No horses”, eh? But do they mean in the restaurant or in the kitchens? Just askin’.
P.R.
I like a McD’s now and again,
I like a McD’s now and again, I like Big Macs and it’s quick and easy.
I haven’t been through a drive-thru on a bike but have been through on foot, 4 of us lined up as though we were in a car and moved in position from window to window. I even pretended to wind the windows down. We were quite drunk and thought this was hilarious, the women behind the window did not but did serve us. I’m sure we weren’t the first to do this and we won’t be the last!
Maybe next time I’ll try it with 3 mates on bikes as though we were in a car.
nothing new about this
nothing new about this news
12 years ago riding on City Road in London, cycled into the drive-thru MC’D to get a vege burger
was strictly told “no service unless in a motor vehicle due to H&S concerns”
was then told “you can use the restaurant but you cannot take your bicycle inside”. When I pointed out I was not leaving a £3,500 mountain bike unlocked they had no answer.
complained to the company itself, and was told it was a franchise and the franchisee can do whatever they like basically
hampstead_bandit wrote:…12
Since when did McD sell vege burgers? I have never heard of this (in 28 years of vegetarianism).
Are you sure you are not thinking of Burger King, who have sold vege burgers and bean burgers for decades?
Most likely an issue of
Most likely an issue of insurance, covered for vehicle use only in the lane.
I worry that sometimes
I worry that sometimes cyclist just want an argument
Christ there are some right
Christ there are some right snobby ba****ds out there.
I’ve been served in a
I’ve been served in a McDonalds drive-thru on my bicycle before. In my defence I was young and didn’t realise what rubbish it was that they are serving. I now usually just buy coffee as I can handle their simple choice – black or white.
For next time, he should plan
For next time, he should plan to walk up to a Drive-Thru on foot and order there.
I assume there is not a “no
I assume there is not a “no cyclists or horses allowed” signage, so I can assume their drive thru facility is an invitation to all road users. As has been previously mentioned, the cyclist is not informed of the rules until they are at the serving window; that is to say, until they are in a position that McDonalds considers to be dangerous for cyclists.
As cyclists (and horse-riders) are legitimate road users, this means that McDonalds have lured them into a place where they consider them to be in danger due to the inadequacy of the design of their drive thru facilities. Does this not mean they are admitting liability for any injury that may occur? Even without a cyclist being there is this not negligence and a Health and Safety issue?
I had a similar experience at
I had a similar experience at a McDonald’s in Boston, up in Lincolnshire a couple of years ago. When I stopped to photograph the entrance to the drive through, which did not indicate a ban on cyclists in any way, the teenage “manager” came out and threatened to call the police if I didn’t vacate the premises. Annoyingly, it was the only food available near where I had to catch my train back to London, and I didn’t have a lock, so I went hungry instead. I didn’t alert the media, but I do think about it every time I see a McDonald’s ad.
This happens in Australia too
This happens in Australia too as some friends have just pointed out to me so it is some kind of policy.
My friends were at Lakes Entrance in Victoria and rode their bikes through the Macdonalds drivethrough. They were refused service no matter how hard they argued.
The McDonalds in Camberley
The McDonalds in Camberley has a pedestrian serving hatch for night time use, like they have in petrol stations although I wouldn’t eat that shit if you paid me to.
[[[[ Nah…McDonald’s
[[[[ Nah…McDonald’s probably thought that if there were any horses around the gaff, they’d take one look at the would-be customer’s luminous pantaloons and freak out, causing “evacuations” all round. Nay,nay! The customers, I mean!
P.R.
McD don’t use
McD don’t use trans-fats/hydrogenated fat in their stuff – so many ill-informed muppets making comments. Is it healthy? Not really, it’s mostly med-high GI empty calories but then so is a lot of food we consume.
If you don’t like it don’t eat there but trying to take any high ground against people that do is laughable.
Hmmm, this happened to me on
Hmmm, this happened to me on the RAB last year. We arrived in Glasgow on Day 7 and needed to get some plastic bags and things (we’d been shat on the day before).
I went to the local retail park and spotted McDs. I’d come up on my bike, walked around Sainsbury’s with my bike (security guard got a bit narky, but no one else said a word) and decided a Big Mac would be just the ticket.
I went through the drive-thru and promptly got into an argument about whether they could serve me. I told them I couldn’t leave my bike outside for fear of theft and what I was doing, but still no dice. They did let me take the bike into the restaurant and purchase the burger inside so it was a concession of sorts. But their statement was the same, no bikes in case their was an accident. Though from what has already been said above I understand why now, except I was fully insured….ironic.
There are definitely worse things you can eat than McD’s. All things in moderation, though if you’re burning 9,000 cals a day you’re more likely to need the food than worry about its long term effects of eating it as part of a stable diet.
Leaving aside the arguments
Leaving aside the arguments about the nutritional value of McDs there really should be clarity on what type of vehicles they want/don’t want in the drive-thru. It would seem perfectly reasonable to me to ride through to pick up a meal so some sort of signage would seem sensible.
The fact is its actually easier to park and secure a car (get out and press a button on your keys) than it is a bicycle (carry a lock, remove QR front wheel and seatpost, detach trailer and panniers etc.) so you could argue that this sort of facility is better suited to cyclists than drivers!
‘It’s not food, so can’t be
‘It’s not food, so can’t be food snobbery.’
oh, ffs.
Of course it is food. Not very healthy, granted. But it is food.
remove head from arse before posting again, please.
What about an E-Bike?
Or have
What about an E-Bike?
Or have we covered that?
farrell wrote:What about an
Good point. What about pedal cars? Or BMX’s with sidehacks? Or Side-by-side tandems?
Not a very busy day in the
Not a very busy day in the office today is it.
Anyone else feel a flash-mob
Anyone else feel a flash-mob event at a MacDo coming on…..
The horse was probably
The horse was probably worried it would end up in a burger….
If McDs don’t show notices at
If McDs don’t show notices at the entrance to their drive-thrus that cyclists are not welcome, then methinks an oft repeated “flash mob” preventing drivers from contributing to McD’s profits will make them give more consideration.
This would be akin to the old tale of a large group of people arriving in cars at a country cafe and then making a fuss, asking loudly why; as they were the same people why they had been previously refused service when they just happened to arrive on bikes.
To be honest it’s common
To be honest it’s common sense where is he going to put the food while on his bike? He would need to park it up and go inside or to a bench for his kid to eat it anyway.
Maybe it is old news, but if
Maybe it is old news, but if you had read Mark Beaumonts book ‘The Man Who Cycled The World’ then you would know that McD have had vegetarian burger meals for a very long time – it surprised Mark when he walked in to the first McD he saw in India and realised they had no meat based food for sale and only vegetarian, which made him happy and the scoffed down 3 whole meals as I recall before getting back on his bike for the afternoons ride.
leqin wrote:Maybe it is old
Sorry, I suppose i should have framed the question to ask since when did McD sell vege burgers in the UK. AFAIK they still don’t care about UK veggies.
Where else does this nobber
Where else does this nobber drive his bike through? Perhaps he’d like to take chance on driving his bike on the local M27 motorway? Does he clean it in the local automatic car wash?
Some people on bikes just seek out conflict. (|:
I can understand why they’d
I can understand why they’d refuse to hand over the food as that would mean you potentially riding off through the car park one handed as you’d be holding your food and this would create a safety risk for all users of the carpark. However, there shouldn’t be any issue paying for your order.
They should just make a concession for cyclists whereby you pull up in the carpark and a member of staff brings your food out to you. You’d need to be stationary to eat it anyway, and they do this in cases where there is a delay with your order so as not to hold up the drive-thru line anyway.