Photo: Wikipedia user Annasmith1986
McDonald’s, the fast-food giant that's known among other things for its drive-through option for customers, is being taken to court because a teller refused to serve a blind man that walked up to the counter.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the restaurant refused to serve the Louisiana-born 35-year-old man because he was not in a vehicle while in the drive-thru.
The plaintiff understands McDonald’s idea of a drive-thru, but emphasizes the fact that the rest of the business was not accessible at the time of his arrival, as it was the during night when the disabled customer requested service at the drive-through window.
Scott Magee, the blind man who is suing the McDonald’s chain, says this refusal of accommodation for non-drivers at the drive-through lane violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
His lawyer, Roberto Luis Costales, claims that getting a late-night snack is a “quintessentially American activity that should not be denied to someone because of their disability.”
Along with a potential settlement, Mr. Mcgee’s lawyer proposed a simple solution - phones or intercoms in a specially designated place near the restaurant, where walk-in customers could be served by the same staff that operates the drive-through windows.
This request is not outrageous, as employees already step out of the building with orders for those drivers who demand elements that cannot be ready by the time they reach the next window. The measure is designed to prevent making the line too long and unnecessarily increase waiting time.
McDonald’s has a policy of closing restaurants over the night for security reasons, but keeping the drive through open 24-hours for extra business opportunities. The measure also reduces operating costs, as the drive-through requires less staff to run.
The denial of service to customers that ride a bicycle or walk to the drive-through line can be explained by a measure to limit liability in case one of the vehicles in the line runs over these potential customers. By refusing service to them, McD’s gets to avoid injury lawsuits on their property.
McDonald’s representatives stated that they preferred not to comment on pending litigation. This is not the first time Mickey D’s is being sued by a blind customer, as their “Freestyle” soda machines were operated with a touch screen, and a visually impaired person from New York filed a federal lawsuit against them.
The plaintiff understands McDonald’s idea of a drive-thru, but emphasizes the fact that the rest of the business was not accessible at the time of his arrival, as it was the during night when the disabled customer requested service at the drive-through window.
Scott Magee, the blind man who is suing the McDonald’s chain, says this refusal of accommodation for non-drivers at the drive-through lane violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
His lawyer, Roberto Luis Costales, claims that getting a late-night snack is a “quintessentially American activity that should not be denied to someone because of their disability.”
Along with a potential settlement, Mr. Mcgee’s lawyer proposed a simple solution - phones or intercoms in a specially designated place near the restaurant, where walk-in customers could be served by the same staff that operates the drive-through windows.
This request is not outrageous, as employees already step out of the building with orders for those drivers who demand elements that cannot be ready by the time they reach the next window. The measure is designed to prevent making the line too long and unnecessarily increase waiting time.
McDonald’s has a policy of closing restaurants over the night for security reasons, but keeping the drive through open 24-hours for extra business opportunities. The measure also reduces operating costs, as the drive-through requires less staff to run.
The denial of service to customers that ride a bicycle or walk to the drive-through line can be explained by a measure to limit liability in case one of the vehicles in the line runs over these potential customers. By refusing service to them, McD’s gets to avoid injury lawsuits on their property.
McDonald’s representatives stated that they preferred not to comment on pending litigation. This is not the first time Mickey D’s is being sued by a blind customer, as their “Freestyle” soda machines were operated with a touch screen, and a visually impaired person from New York filed a federal lawsuit against them.
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