bentstrider

Has anyone ever tried to order from one with any success?
I get off of work between 11PM and 1AM, and when I'm hungry, I want something quick and easy.
Usually, I'll go home and fix up leftovers, but, I tried the drive-thru thing twice and got turned down each time. Most places have 24 drive-thru's, but the persons that work there seem to be quite anal about the "car-only" policy.
I say if they can't serve you through there after hours, then just shut the whole place up for the night.

Stacey

Never tried a fast food place, but I do my bank drive thru with positive results. The first time I went thru, I thanked the teller for not giving me grief for being on a bicycle. She replied with concern for my getting hit by a car coming in. Laughingly, I told her it's a concern I have every time I ride.

damian_

No problems here. Get served if you walk through as well - as long as you don't jump the queue.

Wogster

I would suggest having a chat with the manager of the establishment, or go somewhere else. Most coffee shops have some food, and many of those are open all night, they often have a real cast of characters, so you get entertainment as well.

dobber

-Give the poor minimum wage earner a break, they don't make the policy.
-If you don't like the policy, eat somewhere else, you're not fighting for civil rights here.
-Are you really in that big a hurry ?

Ken Wind

I've had that problem before. I think it's a liability thing for the fast food restaurants.

n4zou

There worried about people trying to rob them. If you were in a car they would have enough time to close the window to prevent the robbery as it would be very hard for someone to exit the car quickly due to the design of the drive through. If you're walking or riding a bike you can have your hands/arms through the window and attached to the person inside before they can do anything about it.
One of the local fast food joints at the local College put in a walkup window with bars between the window and a small counter providing the same extended reach as would be encountered when servicing someone in a car.

DataJunkie

I ran a wendy's in WA state. It was not a robbery concern but a liability issue. A case of misguided insurance companies, if you will.
I would take this as a hint that perhaps fate wants you to procure your food elsewhere. Like safeway

wahoonc

Try Waffle House, Huddle House or your local equivalent. Always open and always serving. Personally I think the drive thu's are stupid to begin with, and by not serving walkups and cyclists they are loosing business. I won't patronize a place that won't serve me...regardless of how I got there. I have "gotten into it" with one our local fast food restaurants. I was a walkin customer, placed a special order, couple of minutes later heard a similar order placed from the drive thru...wanna guess where my food went? Me and the manager had a helluva go around over that one. And I boycotted that chain for years afterwards. Seems drive thru's take priority...

Aaron

Da Tinker

Had some trouble, but more with banks than FF joints. I always ask them to read the policy to me. Most usually say something to the effect of 'customer must be in a vehicle'. If so, you have them. Quote chapter & verse from your state's vehicle code where a cyclist is defined as a vehicle.

When confronted with logic & the law, most cave in.

mlh122

I agree try to talk to the manager and see if they can make an exception, they can put a little note with a poloraid saying "serve this biker" most fast food joins have a polaroid or digital camera on hand for taking their employee of the week/month pictures. if they still won't, screw em that stuff's bad for you anyway slash and burning for cow pastures... as for the bank, i do withdrawls and minor deposits at the drive up atm and don't even deal with the people, drivers don't seem to complain either.

agarose2000

Probably easier just to walk your bike inside - if they say you cant take it in, just tell 'em you''re leaving in a sec since you're getting it to go!

bmclaughlin807

I wouldn't take my bike into a restaurant, but if I'm going inside I lock it up as close to the building as I can. If they have a bike rack that's clearly visible from inside and not in danger of being hit by cars I'll use it, otherwise I lock it against a window or something so I can watch it from inside.

If the walk-in portion of the restaurant is closed, I would probably just find someplace else to get something to eat... not worth arguing about it. (Then again... I have 3 24 hr restaurants and a 24 hr grocery store within 2 miles of where I live)

The bank I just roll my bike inside the lobby with me. Nobody has ever said anything (Despite this being their MAIN branch, all decked out with marble floors and everything!) Lean it against the counter while I'm conducting my business, and I'm usually back out the door in 5 minutes or less.

Hal Hardy

I haven't had any problems. In fact, since I ride a recumbent (Amish Harley), I've had back room employees come over to the window to take a gander and customers lean over the counter to see my head just above the window sill. It seems to make their otherwise dreary day. Any place that serves motorcycles should accept bicycles.

Daily Commute

I've done this. If there's no sign prohibiting it, try it. The cliche is right--it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

raleigh_fan

For the record for those of us in North Carolina, this would be NC General Statute 20-4.01 (49):

https://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedl...hapter_20.html

mlh122

what if (like me) you're semi crippled and it causes you great pain to stand or walk for longer than 20 minutes but you can ride a bike for hours, i'd love to ride my bike through a walmart picking up stuff. and no one would think i'm stealing unless trek sells out to walmart, in which case I'd a kona, since my dog's name is kona

I-Like-To-Bike

I doubt any state law about vehicle operators' entitlement to use the highway has any bearing or status when applied to the private property of the merchants.

Weeks

"deemed as vehicles". if they say you have to be on a vehicle, you can definitely throw that in their face. not sure it would hold up in court though.

robert_atx

And the Texas version:

"3. A bicycle is a vehicle and any person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle, unless it cannot, by its nature apply to a person operating a bicycle."

See https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/DLhandbook.pdf

I-Like-To-Bike

The local Walmart here has many free electric riding shopping carts for those who need to use them.

atbman

This seems to be a Mcdonald's policy. In a similar case in the UK, the manager justified the refusal of service on the grounds that the cyclist might ride off with a burger in one hand and a drink in the other and that would be dangerous.

There is obviously an IQ ceiling for students to qualify to study at Big Mac's Burgerversity

mlh122

but im like 26 and not visibly cripple, and they don't go fast enough. think about it, on a bike you could get from one end of the store to the other in like 10 seconds. with full blinkies for safety of course

ken cummings

At first I thought "Don't get mad, get even." Then I realized you might have no other place to get food, no?
Using the correct wrench bought for the purpose and left there and using rubber gloves just hurts the wrong people. Is the place ruled by a major corporation? Check with the HQ and get their policy. If they favor bikes ask them to enforce their own policy.

bhchdh 

I have agood friend who is on the board of an upstart bank, he ha spromised to have a bike rack included in the buildings design.