jfoobar

I mentioned it for two reasons:

1. That blaming McDonalds in this case probably isn't even fair since the policy at place at this specific restaurant was not set by McDonalds Corp. As you probably know, there are virtually no corporate-owned McDonalds restaurants.
2. That such a policy exists across such a broad breadth of the fast food industry and this policy is probably not set, in most cases, by the parent corporations but instead by thousands of individual franchisees both large and small might just indicate that maybe, just maybe, this is widely regarded as industry best practice. Hint: it is.

All you did was cite another reason why these policies are in place, partially, as a means of robbery prevention. You are welcome to debate this point all you want but I am correct.

You then suggested that it was to mitigate dashing, which as at least one other person pointed out, is fairly unlikely based on the way fast food drive-thrus typically operate nowadays. I eat more fast food than I should and always notice when I am given my food before making payment. The reason I notice is that it is exceedingly rare (and also almost certainly a violation of store policy as well) in single window drive-thrus. In the very common double drive-thru configuration, it is pretty much impossible, even on a bicycle.

Troul 

checkers has a walk up ordering window that is covered by an awing near me. McD has not caught on to that yet?

Im by far not a fastfood guy, but the accommodations to such convenience would turn up the revenue imo.

wphamilton

Well, I disagree with that other person also. It is often sitting in the window, or just inside. Arms length away. It's not just about grabbing the food - it's about *anything* that you might be doing, even just hanging around. The license tag identifies you.

If you've been a restaurant manager for a while, you know that you can't actually tell people that. It's insulting, bad for business. You'll tell them something plausible and vague, such as "it's policy" and "for liability reasons", and almost always they accept that no matter how dumb it is.

Why do you believe that, seriously? You haven't cited any credible reason for it either, other than having been a manager.

bogydave

UniChris

McDonalds in Long Island City Queens used to have a sign specifically allowing walk-up customers at the drive through window at certain hours when the restaurant was not open to customers. I got the sense they opened early to get commuter traffic but didn't want to have enough staff on hand to make the building secure for indoor transactions. No idea if it's still true. Don't remember if they had the whole air-lock security drawer thing going on but probably.

I actually saw some sign with a sort of rope or bell or something on a bike trail up in Putnam county behind a food business of some sort implying you could order from the trail there, which seemed kind of cool. Didn't really feel like interrupting my ride to investigate and it looked a little disused anyway. Wish there was more of that though.

gdh81

I worked at McDonald's for years. We don't serve bikes in the drive through for the same reason we don't serve walk-ups, it's too easy for someone to grab the till or the employee.
We could give a rip about you getting run over.

Rollfast

This has been discussed quite a few times or maybe it's because it's a two year old zombie thread, please close it?

You aren't going to be served on a bike in the drive thru:

a. If you pull a weapon and commit a robbery, etc. there aren't aas many ways to identify you.
You don't have plates, they probably don't know your bike other than the color so they assume you are a theft risk.
b. Somebody can plow into you and kill you because you are invisible at McDonald's too.
c. You have no protection it you are otherwise assaulted and heaven forbid it's a bad neighborhood.

If it's closed inside, find another source for a meal.

It boils down to safety. Theirs even more than yours.

01 CAt Man Do

Huh? What would make you say that. I mean it's not as though it was something written in stone. It's just a stupid rule ( you fool ). Rules were made to be broken or changed. Sure, it may not happen today or maybe not even in my lifetime but somewhere along the line it will change because at some point people just realize how stupid and lame all of the excuses are for not allowing it. The next thing you know all the fast food places are doing ads with people on bikes riding up to the drive thru's with big smiles plastered on their faces. It just takes time for the stupid people who make these stupid rules to either die out or for someone else less intellectually challenged to open up a new place and figure out a way to do it without all the hassle.

My response to the above a-thur-c
a.) lame excuse #1 . Why, are they blind? Most places have cameras everywhere. Easier to rob someone if you have a car IMO and with cars and you get a faster get-away. ( No worry about plates if you use stolen plates ) Guy on bike tries to rob a place and then has to carry a bunch of cash on a bike and a gun and then hope like hell he can outrun the cops....good luck with that.

b) lame excuse #2 ; Now that's a real eye opener. Since I'm invisible I should be able to ride my bike right into a bank and just ride out with as much money as I can hold. While this is an interesting theory I have no intention of trying it out myself...but by all means, if you truly believe this, let me know if this works for you.

c) lame excuse #3 ; Personally I don't normally ride through bad neighborhoods but even if I did I doubt I'd stop for food in that kind of neighborhood even if I was in a car. That said I'm more at risk just riding my bike down the street that standing at a fast food window. Now if there really was that much of a risk of being robbed while at a given fast food restaurant, I would expect the store manager to hire a full time guard just to make sure that there was some kind of deterrent. Now before you scoff at the idea think about all the stores that have guards. I see them all the time.

I-Like-To-Bike

Do you seriously think that Checkers has anything significant to teach the McDonald organization about "turning up the revenue?" McD needs to "catch up" to Checkers and their awnings?

CliffordK

With new high-res cameras, one should be able to identify any robbers (perhaps a policy of no hoodies & balaclavas?

Of course, identifying a robber isn't the same as preventing the robbery, but identifying robbers would help get them off the streets.

Some places like coffee kiosks generally welcome walk-ups and ride-ups, without getting robbed by everyone that passes by, or getting their driveways covered by roadkill. Nor are the employees standing behind 6" of bullet proof glass and delivering coffee through bank drawers.

Of course, many of them have no choice, go to the window, or don't buy coffee. Those with lots of walk-ups might add a third walk-up window.

And, I think that is the real issue. They think the flow of food and services would be best by getting the cyclists inside, Inconvenient or not for the cyclists. Place to lock the bikes or not? "Safe" for the cyclists or not.

Of course, they don't consider the safety of cyclists including not getting their property damaged or stolen, or critical safety equipment disabled.

Milton Keynes

I find it strange this thread has gone on as long as it has... I mean, I don't have a dog in this fight because I rarely eat fast food, and when I do it's not McDonald's. I'd think most other cyclists are a bit health conscious too and wouldn't eat the calorie-laden crap at McD's.

jefnvk

You do realize folks who wear hoodies and folks who actually cover their face, like snowmobiles and motorcyclists, find those rule as ridiculous as you find no bikes in the drive thru, right?

As far as equipment being stolen, I have never been worried that in the couple minutes I stop off a McDonald's for an ice cream, someone is going to steal the bike I can look at through that big picture window nearly every one has.

Never understood these comments. There are plenty of threads I simply don't click on, because they don't interest me.

jefnvk

License plates reveal a lot more information than a picture of a partially obscured face. And, as mentioned numerous times, me pulling a gun and grabbing an employee through a window is far easier with me standing there than me trying to do it out of a car window.

Reductio ad absurdum generally indicates no valid argument to the point being made. Everyone here knows what "invisible" WRT cyclists means.

A guard isn't doing much for a cyclist out back of the store by the drive thru menu, he is a deterrent for inside the store, where pedestrians and cyclists should be. Surely you can see the difference in protection between an enclosed vehicle with locked doors and the ability to quickly get away and you sitting on a bike.

indyfabz

We are now into the realm of equine corpse abuse.

rgconner

I was thinking more the realm of "Stupid gits"

Herrick

I've seen at least one person walk through the drive-thru and get served LoL.

CliffordK

We could quickly get banished into the politic/religious realm for discussing facial coverings. And, I suppose a hoodie is less covering than a sombrero, if the camera is poorly situated.

But, unless it is -30 out, then there is no reason not to uncover one's face when dealing with others.

Isn't that like saying the neighborhood is safe enough to leave a stack of 10 (or 20 or 30) Ben Franklins on the sidewalk outside in full view of the employees.

If the restaurant is willing to do that, then I'll buy the argument that I should leave my valuables unattended outside.

jefnvk

Sure, but that is like me saying there is no reason you need to take a bike through a drive thru. If motorcyclists don't want to take off their helmets, why should they be compelled?

FWIW, I don't mind rules saying faces should be uncovered or that you can't have bikes in drive thrus. Simply pointing out that you have no problem imposing rules others don't like, while arguing restrictions on your activity should be removed because you don't like it.

Your bike is a vehicle. Plenty of people leave plenty of vehicles outside in the lot, it is the norm. If the rule was no smartwatches in the store, and they wanted to make you leave it on a table outside, then yes your money on the table analogy would be correct. There is no obligation on the part of a business to allow you to use your vehicle on their property how you wish.

If you want to argue that fast food joints should have adequate parking for bikes, that is an argument I'll agree with, but this thread is about not wanting to park a bike outside whatsoever. I don't know where everyone else rides, but I go through some not nice areas, I'm nowhere near paranoid as many here about bike theft for five minutes off it when I can pretty much watch it anyhow.

Heck, it is far easier to steal off my roof rack than when it is parked outside, and I leave it on top my car in the exact same fast food parking lots without a bit of concern.

Koyote

I've taken my bike inside plenty of businesses...I don't think anyone has ever said a word to me about it. So there is an option.

PS: McDonald's sells poison. If they won't serve you, you should thank them.

TimothyH

I ate a Quarter Pounder and small fries yesterday. I walked in.

Just felt like saying that.

mtb_addict

There are no bad food. Only bad choices of over eating.

coffeesnob

if it had been Chik-fila they would have chased you down to give you an ice cream

BlazingPedals

1. Many fast food restaurants have the same policy of no walk-ups at the drive-through.
2. While it may be exasperating to the cyclist, it's their property and their rules.
3. Debating it here is not going to cause any fast food places to abandon the policy.
4. The End.

mtb_addict

@BlazingPedals
Except that there's law against descrimination in restuarants.
So far, the argument by resturaanteurs have convinced me there's no descrimaintion against a certain class of people going on here and there is a genuinely need to refuse service based on public safety.
Otherwise.

jack002

People on a bicycle are not walk ups.
Tell a cop when you run a stop sign you were a walk up