McDonald’s accused of drive-through injustice

[Mrs Behavin]

ROCKFORD, Ill. - A woman born with a condition that resulted in underdeveloped hands and arms is suing a McDonald's restaurant owner, claiming employees refused to serve her when she wanted to use her foot to collect bags of food at a drive-through window.
Dawn Larson was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome and has small hands that extend not far from her shoulders. She has adapted by using her feet for many activities.
"I drank my baby bottle with my feet. Nobody ever taught me how to do it, I just did it," Larson said. "I can ride a regular 10-speed bike. I can swim. It has not been a problem in my life at all. It didn't stop me from having four boys. I've never dropped one of them."
In a lawsuit filed last week in Winnebago County Circuit Court, she alleges employees at two different McDonald's restaurants in Rockford recoiled when she tried to retrieve her food using her foot.
In both incidents, employees eventually agreed to give Larson's food to other people in her vehicle, including her son and a friend, the lawsuit alleges. Both times, cashiers at different windows took her credit card from her foot with no problem.
"I felt discriminated against, harassed, embarrassed," Larson said. "All I wanted was the food I had paid for with my money card. I just wanted to feed my kids."
Larry Taylor, director of operations for McDonald's Restaurants of Illinois Inc., which owns the two restaurants, said in a statement e-mailed to the Chicago Sun-Times that the company had not seen the lawsuit but has a strict policy prohibiting any form of discrimination in its restaurants.
"We care very much about our customers and take this allegation seriously," Taylor said. "We do our very best to serve our customers with the utmost care and respect."

McDonald’s accused of drive-through injustice - U.S. Life - MSNBC.com

I can see how she would be embarrassed but why in the world does she have to sue? Thats just petty to me. As harsh as this may sound, she needs to get over it and move on

 

[TheOriginalJames]

It's discrimination to be shocked, and maybe even apalled, by something you don't see everyday?

I mean seriously, she walks on her feet, how many of you would touch your feet to your face or suck on your own toes? That's disgusting and these people deal with OTHER PEOPLES food. Listen to me, and I'm not even a germophobe.

I'm sorry she was born with the disorder, but perhaps she needs to

a. stop using the drive through or
b. have someone else get the food from the windows.

 

[All Else Failed]

This is pretty clearly discrimination.

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

I just want to know how someone with no arms is driving, and how this is ok??? if they let people with no arms drive they might as well let me drive after 3 beers..lol

 

[TheOriginalJames]

The car has most likely been specially modified for her.

There are cars that have brake/gas controls on the steering wheel for people who can't use their legs.

 

[TheOriginalJames]

This is pretty clearly discrimination.

That's it? Just an opinion, please explain. How?

 

[All Else Failed]

That's it? Just an opinion, please explain. How?

Its discrimination because they refused her service based on how she is/looks. People need to grow up and realize there are people in this world that need special help and attention.

 

[TheOriginalJames]

No, they didn't refuse to hand her her bags of food because she has underdeveloped arms. They refused to hand off bags of food to someone who was sticking their FOOT toward the drivethrough window.

Go try it yourself. Drive over there, take off your shoes and try to grab your bag of food from them with your foot. You'll freak them out and they'll either refuse or tell you to pull up so they can bring the food out.

This discrimination lawsuit is frivolous.

 

[AUDRAA]

if they had a half of a brain they could have seen she had a handicap they are so at fault here

 

[All Else Failed]

No, they didn't refuse to hand her her bags of food because she has underdeveloped arms. They refused to hand off bags of food to someone who was sticking their FOOT toward the drivethrough window.

Go try it yourself. Drive over there, take off your shoes and try to grab your bag of food from them with your foot. You'll freak them out and they'll either refuse or tell you to pull up so they can bring the food out.

This discrimination lawsuit is frivolous.

ITS THE ONLY WAY SHE CAN FUNCTION. She NEEDS to use her feet. They're feet for Christ sakes, not deadly weapons. If they cannot understand this, they are fools.

If I were to do this, it would be folly, since I have full use of my arms, she does not. This is still discrimination.

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

but they are McDonald's workers...most likely they do NOT have more than half a brain : /

 

[TheOriginalJames]

ITS THE ONLY WAY SHE CAN FUNCTION. She NEEDS to use her feet. They're feet for Christ sakes, not deadly weapons. If they cannot understand this, they are fools.

If I were to do this, it would be folly, since I have full use of my arms, she does not. This is still discrimination.

So you're saying your local teenage McDonalds drive through attendant is supposed to prepare themselves for every contingency that may or may not ever be presented to them?

What you're saying here is that her condition is widely known, and they have no right to be surprised by it.

They didn't deny service because her arms are underdeveloped. They denied service because she stuck her foot at them. This is a FOOD related business. She should be aware of this and should have gone in or had someone else grab the bags of food.

I'm not seeing the discrimination behind denial of service based on these facts.

 

[All Else Failed]

So you're saying your local teenage McDonalds drive through attendant is supposed to prepare themselves for every contingency that may or may not ever be presented to them?

What you're saying here is that her condition is widely known, and they have no right to be surprised by it.

They didn't deny service because her arms are underdeveloped. They denied service because she stuck her foot at them. This is a FOOD related business. She should be aware of this and should have gone in or had someone else grab the bags of food.

I'm not seeing the discrimination behind denial of service based on these facts.

I don't think its much to ask for people to help others with disabilities. Not at ALL. This person is a HUMAN BEING, not some gross monster that these poor McDonalds employees have to run away from because they got a "ooky" feeling form a pair of fucking feet!


Also, her sticking her foot near or a little through the drive through window DOES NOT VIOLATE ANY HEALTH CODES or endanger anyone's health! What exact, I ask you, health hazard would result from her sticking her foot inside of the window?

 

[GraceAbounds]

I don't think its much to ask for people to help others with disabilities. Not at ALL. This person is a HUMAN BEING, not some gross monster that these poor McDonalds employees have to run away from because they got a "ooky" feeling form a pair of f*cking feet!


Also, her sticking her foot near or a little through the drive through window DOES NOT VIOLATE ANY HEALTH CODES or endanger anyone's health! What exact, I ask you, health hazard would result from her sticking her foot inside of the window?

Don't faint ... but I agree with you AEF. The foot is touching the bag. It doesn't even need to touch the person. And even if it did, food handlers should be washing their hands all the time anyways.

Not only is it discriminating, it is just plain mean.

 

[All Else Failed]

Don't faint ... but I agree with you AEF. The foot is touching the bag. It doesn't even need to touch the person. And even if it did, food handlers should be washing their hands all the time anyways.

Not only is it discriminating, it is just plain mean.

THE END IS NYE





:tongue::tongue::tongue:

 

[GraceAbounds]

heh!

 

[TheOriginalJames]

I don't think its much to ask for people to help others with disabilities. Not at ALL. This person is a HUMAN BEING, not some gross monster that these poor McDonalds employees have to run away from because they got a "ooky" feeling form a pair of fucking feet!


Also, her sticking her foot near or a little through the drive through window DOES NOT VIOLATE ANY HEALTH CODES or endanger anyone's health! What exact, I ask you, health hazard would result from her sticking her foot inside of the window?

The health codes aren't my point. The point I've been trying to make to you, even though you're known for never accepting anyone elses point of view, is that these are teenager and 20 something college kids who dealt with this. This isn't professionals denying handing her a bag of food, these are KIDS at a FAST FOOD RESTAURANT who were obviously in shock and not sure what to do.

They didn't discriminate by saying No, I will not hand your bag of food to your foot because your arms aren't of a normal human beings development. They denied this because they were in shock and disgusted by the thought.

Period .

If you can't see that you should put yourself in that position remembering this is happening TO you, and not something you read from a news article.

 

[All Else Failed]

The health codes aren't my point. The point I've been trying to make to you, even though you're known for never accepting anyone elses point of view, is that these are teenager and 20 something college kids who dealt with this. This isn't professionals denying handing her a bag of food, these are KIDS at a FAST FOOD RESTAURANT who were obviously in shock and not sure what to do.

They didn't discriminate by saying No, I will not hand your bag of food to your foot because your arms aren't of a normal human beings development. They denied this because they were in shock and disgusted by the thought.

Period .

If you can't see that you should put yourself in that position remembering this is happening TO you, and not something you read from a news article.

Oh come now, lets not get punchy here.

Sorry, but if a 20 something year old gets "shocked" from a person who has a life altering disability they are a complete moron. Also, if a dam,n foot disgusts them, they need to grow the fuck up and stop being so sensitive. Trust me, I work in the food place right now and we get PLENTY of people who have physical disabilities. Actually, there is a guy that comes in that has NO HANDS. Just nubs, yet we still treat him like a human being with dignity (something you seemed to be opposed to for some reason) and I'm not "disgusted" or "shocked" at all because I have a functioning brain that understands his situation.

Maybe they should deny people with mental disorders too, eh? Some of them look weird!!!!!!

 

[Sneakiecat]

If you're not expecting to see a disable person, you're going to be shocked, whether you mean to or not. I have deaf friends, worked in the deaf middle school girls' dorms at the Florida School for Deaf and Blind, had deaf teachers and still get startled by deaf people. It's not because I'm thinking "Ew, deaf person!" but I didn't think I would come across one.

 

[All Else Failed]

I think mental and physical disabilities are pretty frequent in life that they shouldn't be some sort of "shock to your system" kind of deal....this doesn't excuse these people from treating her this way.


Sneakie: Yes, you may be caught off guard by a deaf person, but don't you treat them with dignity once you understand their situation?