Picture this: You’re out and about, perhaps in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and hunger pangs have started to kick in, so it’s a relief when you spot a McDonald’s drive-thru. Sure, you’re walking rather than driving, but should that matter? All you want to do is place your order, pick it up at the window, and be on your way — the absence of a car shouldn’t get between you and a Big Mac, right? While many would sympathize, peckish pedestrians should beware that there’s a strong chance McDonald’s drive-thru employees will refuse to serve you if you approach by foot.
On Reddit, one user who identified as a general manager of an unspecified drive-thru restaurant explained the policy, stating that many drive-thrus have a weight sensor at the order point that customers without a car would not set off, that the restaurant may be held liable for any pedestrians who get struck by a car while attempting to order, and that allowing people to walk up to the service window raised the risk of robbery.
It’s unclear if this is a universal policy at all McDonald’s drive-thru restaurants, or if it depends which country you are in. The official UK website for McDonald’s, for example, plainly states that “for safety reasons we cannot serve pedestrians and vehicles at the same outdoor service point.”
The McDonald’s drive-thru policy was once tested in court
The question of whether pedestrians should be served at McDonald’s drive-thrus has become so vexed, it has even required a court case to settle the matter. In 2016, the fast food chain faced a federal lawsuit from Scott Magee, a blind person who claimed that he had been laughed at an turned away from a McDonald’s drive-thru in New Orleans, Louisiana. The lawsuit argued that by refusing to serve pedestrians at the drive-thru, McDonald’s was discriminating against blind people who cannot drive, and “must hope for a companion with a car or paid taxi services to assist them in selecting and purchasing McDonald’s food,” per NBC News. However, the judge ended up siding with McDonald’s, saying that it was Magee’s status as a pedestrian, rather than his blindness, that prevented him from ordering at the drive-thru.
Serving motorists has been part of the McDonald’s story almost since the beginning, since one of the earliest incarnations of the restaurant founded by brothers Richard “Dick” and Maurice “Mac” MacDonald was a drive-in, rather than a drive-thru, though customers could also walk up to get their order — it wasn’t until 1963 that McDonald’s patrons could actually sit down inside the restaurant.
However, in 2016 it was widely reported that the franchise was experimenting with “walk-thrus”, which would allow those on foot to order from service windows. In any case, if you do find yourself without an automobile, remember that McDonald’s employees don’t make the rules and working in the service industry can be tough. So, even if your local drive-thru cannot accommodate you as a pedestrian, be courteous and understanding to those who work there.
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