Growing Jaded in my old age....

[Pinkie]

I just saw a story on CNN about a woman who is suing McDonald's because she says she was refused service in the drive thru because she has no arms. She claims that this happened twice, and one time even a manager refused her service. (She did get her food both times... the clerk gave it to one of her children one time and the other time, a friend went inside and got her food.) I'm waiting with baited breath to hear McDonald's side to the story. I've got a few guesses based on my experience in customer service. My first guess is a clerk had a problem handing over food to someone who does everything with her feet (eating, walking, driving, dressing) and felt there might be a problem with germs on her feet. My second guess is that she (the customer) didn't like the way the clerk was looking/staring at her (certainly not something you see on a daily basis) and took offense, got rude and began swearing, ranting and raving. If this were the case, I can see the manager stepping in and refusing service because of her abuse. Any other guesses out there? Many years ago I would have automatically sided with the customer, but after so many years of abuse and threats by SC's that they are going to sue, I'm getting jaded. Anyone else?

Link to story: http://www.wrex.com/News/index.php?ID=19532

[Micer]

Actually going to de-lurk for once since I have the article.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/4...-mcd02.article

And with that - relurk.

[Marxfan]

I normally sympathize with people with physical or mental handicaps, but to have such a "poor me" attitude and sue someone because they made them not feel normal just blisters my back. Now, unless the manager threw rocks at this woman while calling her a freak, by all means get the justice you deserve. But if you're suing just because your poor widdle ego was bruised, then there's a problem. That woman needs to suck it up and stop feeling so put upon. The world isn't going to bend over backwards to make her feel "normal". And, as my girl Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission".

And people without physical and mental handicaps are often treated badly, too! And you all wanna know why?

People. SUCK.

Sorry, but it's true. Not all people, mind you, but most do, indeed, suck mad monkey balls.

Yeah, I'm jaded. Wanna make something of it??

[RentalRacer]

Without knowing the whole story, it is hard to pass judgement. I will say that I had a friend in middle school who's Dad had no arms, he was really good about giving people (workers) instructions on how he needed things done due to his disability. He realized that waiting on someone with no arms is not an everyday occurance. To my knowledge, he was never refused service. On a side note, watching him do everyday tasks like reading a newspaper, eating, driving or writing using only his feet was freaking amazing.

What I have noticed in my dealings with the HC is that there are some people like the woman in the OP who it appears expected Mcd's to know how to serve her, and those like my friends Dad who expected them not to know how to help him.

[Sliceanddice]

hmmmmmmmmmm ok im jaded too because while they may have been 'disgusted (i cant spell right now)' but they would have given the food to the other person (second incident) or who really knows...
I just think it sounds like they where unwilling to hand over food to her feet in fears of her droping it or contamination, or maybe she got beligerant and violent but either way i dont really believe her at face value.

[Boozy]

Maybe I'm just jaded too...

...but I absolutely believe that the cashier was rude. I believe that she refused this woman service because she (the cashier) was ignorant and close-minded and unable to see past her prejudices in order to help someone who didn't look and behave like "normal" people.

I've seen plenty of uneducated, rude, and disgusting behaviour towards people with disabilities. This story does not surprise me in the least.

All she had to do was hand her a bag of food. If she's so worried about germs, she can go wash her damned hands.

[Pinkie]

...but I absolutely believe that the cashier was rude. I believe that she refused this woman service because she (the cashier) was ignorant and close-minded and unable to see past her prejudices in order to help someone who didn't look and behave like "normal" people.

I'm not saying that it isn't possible that the employees at McDonalds were rude. I doubt that we'll ever know the true story here. There are many forms of rudeness, some intentional, some unintentional, and varying on the level of discomfort experienced by the employee. Not everyone knows how to behave or were taught how to behave around others who are "different". What may have started as a small flub by an uncomfortable employee, could have been escalated by the customer here. I'm guessing that all of the employees were told to keep quiet or risk losing their jobs.

I'd also like to know, if she had such a terrible experience the first time around, why go back the second time? I certainly would have written a strongly worded complaint, and then taken my business elsewhere if I was that uncomfortable.

Again, we'll probably never know the truth here.

[Andara Bledin]

I'd also like to know, if she had such a terrible experience the first time around, why go back the second time? I certainly would have written a strongly worded complaint, and then taken my business elsewhere if I was that uncomfortable.

Again, we'll probably never know the truth here.

According to the article in the Sun Times, the second incident occured at a different McDonalds.

At the McDonalds closest to my work you usually can only find one or two people who can even speak English, and sometimes not even that. The last time I was there, the register was out of receipt tape and had been for hours because nobody in the shop knew how to replace it. That is what the manager told me when I told them to give me a receipt.

^-.-^

[Rapscallion]

Already posted in 'Check it out', which is where this should be. Closing this one.

Rapscallion