Commuting - Drive-Thru Take-out at Fast Food Restaurant

Anyone ever do this with their bike? Go through the drive thru to get food:eek: :eek: :eek: ?

Reactions from employee?

I've walked through a few times. Sometimes they won't let you, and sometimes they won't know you're there.

several times - no big deal in my experience

The worst part is being sandwiched between the exhaust of the vehicles sitting in line with their engines running so now I just park and go inside to the counter where it is much more pleasant.

For most places, it's against their policy to serve you. They do this for insurance reasons... if a car coming up behind another car isn't paying attention, it'll usually result in a very minor fender bender. But if you're on foot/bike/wheelchair, you can be seriously injured or killed. I'd recommend going into the lobby.

For most places, it's against their policy to serve you. They do this for insurance reasons... if a car coming up behind another car isn't paying attention, it'll usually result in a very minor fender bender. But if you're on foot/bike/wheelchair, you can be seriously injured or killed. I'd recommend going into the lobby.

Gawd, that's such a lame excuse. Might as well not leave the house except in a cage then.

I use the drive thru at the bank all the time to avoid having to find a place to park my bike (there are none). No one has ever said anything and I always get friendly smiles from the girls working there. They'll even comment if they haven't seen me in a while.

Gawd, that's such a lame excuse. Might as well not leave the house except in a cage then.

I use the drive thru at the bank all the time to avoid having to find a place to park my bike (there are none). No one has ever said anything and I always get friendly smiles from the girls working there. They'll even comment if they haven't seen me in a while.
It's not really an excuse, but usually it's printed policy of any fast food restaurant... usually posted by the window. If you don't want hassled about it, go in the lobby.

I don't think it's even a fraction as dangerous as riding through city streets, which most of us do on a daily basis. But if there was no danger from it, the companies wouldn't get insurance breaks from banning it.

nuh uh if you think about the cost, a minor fender bender could cause like $300 - $800 in damage, if you're on a bike i doubt you'd be injured or killed due to the speed of the car, but it may ruin your wheel, and the cost of a good wheel is... oh wait you've got a point! our local fast food joints won't serve bikers either. it doesn't bug me much because it's bad for you anyway, but i think they're racist against healthy modes of transport. i wonder what they'd say if you came in on a bike pedaled by 4 people, with a windshield, a trunk, four wheels, a horn, windshield wipers, disc brakes, a steering wheel, just the engine is replaced with 8 legs (we rented one of these on a vacation, pretty easy going if everyone pedals). i wonder if they're just racist against engines? maybe there should be a kindof critical mass, where velomobiles, recumbents, unicycles, and ok i guess uprights (but don't forget tandems) should get together at lunch or rush hour and totally mob a few fast food joints.

nuh uh if you think about the cost, a minor fender bender could cause like $300 - $800 in damage, if you're on a bike i doubt you'd be injured or killed due to the speed of the car, but it may ruin your wheel, and the cost of a good wheel is... oh wait you've got a point! our local fast food joints won't serve bikers either. it doesn't bug me much because it's bad for you anyway, but i think they're racist against healthy modes of transport. i wonder what they'd say if you came in on a bike pedaled by 4 people, with a windshield, a trunk, four wheels, a horn, windshield wipers, disc brakes, a steering wheel, just the engine is replaced with 8 legs (we rented one of these on a vacation, pretty easy going if everyone pedals). i wonder if they're just racist against engines? maybe there should be a kindof critical mass, where velomobiles, recumbents, unicycles, and ok i guess uprights (but don't forget tandems) should get together at lunch or rush hour and totally mob a few fast food joints.

Racist?

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
- Inigo Montoya


Seriously though, what it boils down to is that if their insurance company says they'll be charged a premium if they let cyclists use the drivethru, you can be sure that they won't. I think you're blaming the wrong people.

not fast food, but I've ridden to a bank drive-thru to make a deposit

I think you're blaming the wrong people.

Yup.
It's the fault of lawyers.

For most places, it's against their policy to serve you. They do this for insurance reasons... if a car coming up behind another car isn't paying attention, it'll usually result in a very minor fender bender. But if you're on foot/bike/wheelchair, you can be seriously injured or killed. I'd recommend going into the lobby.

IMO they are more concerned about robbery.

IMO they are more concerned about robbery.
I met a corporate lackey for McDonald's once, a friend of a friend of a friend type of thing. When I asked him about it, that's the answer he gave me. I'm not saying that's conclusive proof, but he knew exactly what I was talking about, and I don't think he had a reason to 'wing it'.

I've done it a few times at McDonald's for strawberry sundae's for my pregnant wife. Employees are generally suprised to see you pull up on a bike. At Starbucks, I wasn't heavy enough for the sensor so I had to knock on the window.

eating a big mac, fries, and large coke is pretty hard while pedaling so I sort of skip the drive thru and just go inside where I can relax and read the paper while I eat

At a Taco Bell drive-in (It was late, the dining room was closed and the only other place available was a smoke-filled Waffle House) I couldn't get their attention at the box, so I would let a car go through, then loop back and try again. I did this about 5 times before the staff recognized me. When I got to the window, I asked them what was best to do and they said just to come up to the window and place my order there.

At a Taco Bell drive-in (It was late, the dining room was closed and the only other place available was a smoke-filled Waffle House) I couldn't get their attention at the box, so I would let a car go through, then loop back and try again. I did this about 5 times before the staff recognized me. When I got to the window, I asked them what was best to do and they said just to come up to the window and place my order there.

I get the Kenya song stuck in my head every single time I read one of your posts.

It was funny the first ten times. :p

... maybe there should be a kindof critical mass ..

I think the most effective Critical Mass would just be encouraging everyone to get out and take care of business whenever they need to on bikes. If a business objects to you going through a drive through. Let them know you need to take your business elsewhere if they don't have a place to lock your bike. Hearing the message periodically over time in the normal course of business is going to have a much more positive effect than a mob of people making a fuss one night, even one night a month.

And keep the comments nice and matter of fact, don't be nasty about it.

Yup.
It's the fault of lawyers.
More likely the "fault" of urban legends about lawyers/insurance companies/holdups and fast food drive-in access.

I once did it at 16 at 2am in the Morning. Riding around drunk with no lights was not one of my brilliant ideas.

Took my velomobile to KFC for its maiden voyage. They thought it was cool. Unfortunately, I had to get out of the thing to reach the window.

I've never done it on my bicycle, but I've done it several times on my motorcycle. It's really no big deal. I just throw the bag of food in my backpack, and drive away. I'm sure you could do the same on a bicycle. I never did figure out how to drive away with a pop, however! :D

For most places, it's against their policy to serve you. They do this for insurance reasons... if a car coming up behind another car isn't paying attention, it'll usually result in a very minor fender bender. But if you're on foot/bike/wheelchair, you can be seriously injured or killed. I'd recommend going into the lobby.

I've ridden through on a bike when the lobby is closed. They say no walk-up orders on the window. I once had to explain that I'm not walking, and that I'm using a vehicle that's approved and legal for road use. They served me. If that didn't work I was going to go through the drive-through again and make motorcycle noises.

... but i think they're racist against healthy modes of transport...
What...is your bike white and their's is black??!! Considering that the concept of "race" is discounted today by both the American Anthropological Association and the Human Genome Project, the idea of being "racist" simply means one holds a prejudice against others based upon the color of their skin or other physical featues. Therefore one cannot, by definition, be "racist" against a form of transportation.
I'm a social sciences teacher, so I couln't stop myself. Remember: Race is not color is not ethnicity is not nationality. We're all 97% genetically identical, so we're all one "race": Human.
Thank you for listening. :)
And no, I've never been through the drive through. For me it's faster to go inside and less frustrating.

I've never done it on my bicycle, but I've done it several times on my motorcycle. It's really no big deal. I just throw the bag of food in my backpack, and drive away. I'm sure you could do the same on a bicycle. I never did figure out how to drive away with a pop, however! :D

Carry about two feet of tygon tubing.

Put the soda cup on the chin of your full-face helmet, then pull your visor down to jam it in place. Drink through tubing.

Seriously, though. I have never been denied service at a drive-up on either my M/C or a bicycle. But that was a while ago, and I prefer to just go inside now anyway.

So we can see it is hit or miss. Which might be a a forgotten policy or people with one, or others who want to serve their peeps.

I like the drive thru liquor stores irony.

I wonder how they would react if you took a folding bicycle into the store?

Gawd, that's such a lame excuse. Might as well not leave the house except in a cage then.

I use the drive thru at the bank all the time to avoid having to find a place to park my bike (there are none). No one has ever said anything and I always get friendly smiles from the girls working there. They'll even comment if they haven't seen me in a while.

That's not a friendly smile, they are really laughing at you. I would know I get that a lot. :D :D :D

I wonder how they would react if you took a folding bicycle into the store?
I heard that the "lawyers" don't allow that. Or was it the "insurance companies"? Whatever, sounds like as good a reason as any other.

I wonder how they would react if you took a folding bicycle into the store?

One of the McDonalds here allows bicycles in the store.