wilzhear

HI i'm a newbie hear but would like to share some information with bicycle riders everywhere which i'm not to sure how to, but here it goes! Just went to McDonalds for something to eat, just a gut filler till i got home and was refused service because the only way to place an order is thru the drive thru at 11:00 pm and told because i was on a bicycle the corporate office policy is not to be served if you go thru the drive thru! WHAT KIND OF CRAP IS THAT! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO DRIVE OFF WITH OUT PAYING?
I'm calling for a boycott from everyone on the green side of life please and call corporate office and complain! if anyone else feels the same here's the #1-800-244-6227. do your part and stay green, maybe we should class action there discrimintory butts. what do you think ******************************?

destikon

Boycotted their disgusting a**'s long ago. Blech. Not to debate tasty or not tasty but woofta I haven't had them since I started my diet last June. In fact my wife took my 2 yr old to have her first chz burger and fries and she came home and puked it up. I don't think it's actually safe for human consumption. I guess the body needs to "condition" it's self if that's what you want to call it.

MrCowGod15

I've boycotted that crap (McDonald's) for a long time now.

Kimmitt 

My understanding is that this is more or less standard for drive-thrus, and is overall pretty dumb.

carkmouch

It's a dumb rule, but it mostly for liability purposes since they're worried that if some mom talking on her cell phone in her SUV doesn't see you and rear-ends you in the drive-thru you won't sue their asses.

They might be worried that too many kids on bikes might take advantage of the drive thru also, since bikes are just kids' toys y'know

Lazerus_Shade

Actually the concern is not that you will ride off without paying it is the fact that people who come to the window on foot or by bike are a security risk as they have been known to try and climb through the window into the restaurant.

I understand that you didn't want to rob the place, but it happened enough that pretty much every place with a drive through has that same policy for that reason.

On a side note though i would never eat at mc donalds or any other fast food place if i could at all help it....eat at any of these places often enough and you get too fat to ride which would make me cry.

dynodonn 

No problem with me on avoiding Rotten Ronnie's, especially after tasting one of their burgers a few years back on an outing with the granddaughter.

El Gigante

Same thing happened to me at Mickey D's. I went through their drive through on my bike to get a cup of their ice coffee, (which is pretty darn good, even through their food is horriffic). I waited for two or three minutes without anyone taking my order, then rode around to the pick up window to see what was up. I asked if their speaker was out of order and was told that because I was on a bike their sensor didn't pick it up, ("I got your sensor right here buddy..."). Long story short - I got the hell out of there, without the Ice Coffee, and haven't been back since.

Jay D

Honestly, you guys (and myself included) shouldn't be eating there in the first place.

However I can sort of understand why they have this policy, they don't want people just walking up to the window. This can possibly cause loitering or other undesirable problems with people just going up and hanging around the window whenever they wanted. They just want people to get their food and leave.

Aren't there supermarkets near by that are open 24 hours that you can eat at instead?

thompsonpost

The main concern with fast food drive up is that you may slip on the oil spot from where cagers stop and wait/pay for the order, and then sue them. I went to Jack in the Crack and got turned away. 'Ticked me off so I called corporate. They told me about the oil and getting sued. True story. Believe it if you want or don't but it seemed a prudent move to me. This took place at the Jack in the Crack at Broadway and Everett, or maybe Hewitt in Everett, WA.

bragi

Wouldn't it be easier to just use the door?

I've used the drive-thru on a bike at banks, and even at Starbucks, without incident. I'm not sure why it should be a problem. If they don't want to serve you at the drive-thru, I guess the best answer is just to go inside...

tatfiend 

Late nights at most of those places the drive-thru is the ONLY service available. The doors are locked.

Lot's Knife

McDonald's dollar menu is genius, particularly the double cheeseburger. Good fries, too.

dingster1

I know around here the only things open 24 hours are 7-11, McD's and I think IHOP. But since I can't ride my bike to McD's/IHOP during work, (solo xray tech at an emergency center) 7-11 it is.Especially since its right next door.

JoeyBike

Been there, done that 30 years ago. McDonalds as well. Banks too. It's a liability issue. I once had my bank send me a letter asking me not to use the drive thru on my bicycle for the cash machine, even tho the cash machine is only available by using the drive thru. They went through all the trouble of looking at a video of me, checking the time stamp on the video, finding my deposit, looking up my address and sending a note.

30 years! It ain't gonna change. Learn to live with it.

Chromavita

I just recently found out the same thing at a Wendy's. I was served because they didn't notice I was at a bike until I was at the window, but they told me they wouldn't serve me next time. I really regret not canceling my order right then, but at the time I needed a little food to make it home .

I understand not allowing walk ups (except maybe when the drive through is the only available option.) but if I'm legally a vehicle they should allow me to use the drive through at my own risk.

It can't be the fear of me riding off without paying because I paid before I received my food. And the oil thing makes no sense to me because doesn't someone on a motorcycle or scooter have the same risk of falling? Couldn't they just put up some disclaimer about the drive through being used at the drivers risk? (don't even get me started on the state of lawsuits these days.)

I think the rule has to do with the fact that bicycles are viewed as pedestrian traffic instead of vehicular traffic. It makes no sense to me that they'd turn away (and alienate) paying customers because they're on a bike. Seems like a strange business model.

I really regret giving them my money.
Edit: Even if it was only like $1.39

chicbicyclist

It's a case of a few ruining it for everyone else.

TuckertonRR

what's this have to do with commuting?

a simple solution is just stop patronizing them. I haven't eaten fast food for over 4 years. (salad excluded)

chipcom 

Our kid works at McDonald's. When he first started working there, we had an issue with his options for parking his bike...but were able to resolve them. Then one day last summer, riding home from work, 90+ degrees and humid, out of water, still 5 miles of mostly uphill from home, I rolled into their drive-thru for a lemonade or something. They tried to tell me I could not use a bicycle in the drive-thru, that it was for vehicles only. I explained that my bike was considered a vehicle under Ohio law and that I wasn't budging until I got my order. I invited them to go ahead and call the cops. I got my drink.

Sometimes it pays to be assertive.

exile

I can understand McD's point from a couple of different angles. I understand the liability concern of another motorist rear ending you or whatever residual residue left over from them. For security it makes sense not to serve some one of foot if they open that little door and someone grabs a clerk or something. Also, I know some shady characters who would probably walk to the drive thru order a whole bunch of stuff then walk away. Then do it again over and over throughout the day.

Of course someone could do this from a car but I guess some one might get the make/ model/ or licence plate #

thompsonpost

Is getting food the issue here, or is it finding a business that has a specific rule that affects you and trying to make the business change that rule for you? Do you use the opposite sex lavatory just to "show them?" Or demand that the vendor open the register just for you because you don't want to stand in line quietly like everyone else? If the business has chosen to do something in a manner that suits them, deal with it. I work from my home, and I don't allow my clients to drive into my livingroom to pick up their products. There are two options to the choice: do or don't give them your business.
IMHO, McDonalds doesn't serve any semblance of food, just flavored cardboard. I don't do fast food joints. When I had the Jack in the Box thing with the window incident (see above,) I wanted to know why it was so. As I said earlier, I got to the bottom of it and respected their wishes in the end, as well as not going back at ANYTIME. That was 15 years ago, and that was the day I made the change to just bring food with me. 'Haven't done fast food since. I feel vindicated.

If you don't like it, quit frequenting them, not to "show them" but because they just don't suit your needs. Simple business ethics.

Fremdchen

Kind of like cigarettes

ItsJustMe

I'd join your boycott, if only I ever ate at that horrible place anyway. Yuck. I'd go dumpster diving for lunch first.

JeffS

So this is going to be a thread for people to feel good about themselves for being "above" fast food?

Well aren't you guys special.

thompsonpost

Yes.