Posted on 06/01/2016 7:39:25 AM PDT by Wolfie
Blind Louisiana Man Sues McDonald's for Refusing Him Drive-Thru Service
McDonald's has until mid-June to respond to a federal lawsuit accusing it of discrimination for refusing to serve blind customers who walk up during late-night hours when only the drive-thru window is open.
The plaintiff, Scott Magee of Metairie, Louisiana, said in court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago that he was laughed at and turned away from the drive-thru window at a McDonald's in the New Orleans suburb late at night last August. It wasn't the first time that had happened, Magee alleged.
Many McDonald's restaurants nationwide continue service through their drive-thru windows late at night after the main restaurant entrance has closed.
But the company's policy is not to serve pedestrians at the drive-thru, and blind customers can't drive, so they're effectively barred from patronizing the world's largest fast food chain by revenue, according to the suit, which seeks class-action status for all blind Americans who may have had difficulty ordering at McDonald's.
"While McDonald's sighted customers can independently browse, select, and pay for products at Defendant's drive-thrus without the assistance of others, blind people must hope for a companion with a car or paid taxi services to assist them in selecting and purchasing McDonald's food," according to the suit.
The suit says it wouldn't take much for the company to make its drive-thru windows work for blind people, "given the sophistication and size of McDonald's Corporation as well as the advanced technological society in which we live today."
After all, the chain recently managed to start providing all-day breakfast, "to the awe of McDonald's aficionados everywhere," it says.
The suit seeks a jury trial on its demands for "modest accommodations" to make its services available to the blind at all times, a formal declaration that McDonald's violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and unspecified court costs and attorneys' fees.
Senior U.S. District Judge Joan B. Gottschall gave McDonald's until June 17 to respond.
The company's corporate office in Oak Brook, Illinois, said that as a matter of policy, "we do not comment on pending litigation.
They wont serve you on a uni-cycle either.
Bastards !
They should have said that this is a pharmacy drive-thru. The McDonalds is down the road to the right...
I thought there was a legal reason for fast food restaurants to not serve pedestrians? Wasn’t there a lawsuit akin to the lady spilling hot coffee in her lap?
Or a pogo stick. they just kept looking at me up and down.
I’ve heard that this is due to insurance reasons. The drive thru lane is for cars only, and their insurance policies don’t allow walk up service. That’s what I’ve heard, that they are afraid of pedestrians getting hit by cars, and insurance is the reason for such policies.
The policy of not serving pedestrians at the drive-through window is safety-related, so it’ll be interesting to see which takes precedence. If McD can show that it’s not feasible to put controls in place so that pedestrians can be safe in what is ostensibly a driveway, and that it’s not really feasible to retrofit buildings with a walk-up window, they should prevail.
So then, what are we saying? Is it discriminatory against everyone not in a car, blind or not, if the drive thru is open but the rest of the facility is closed????
Legally, we may see them close drive thrus at late hours then, if they legally can’t discriminate against those who don’t arrive in cars.
And you know as soon as it happens, McDonalds will get sued again.
Why can't the blind man find someone to order for them? Everything is a federal case now.
So how did the blind person find the drive up window? Was the menu board next to the ordering speaker in braille? Is the person only legally blind and cannot drive, or totally blind?
Yep. Looking forward to the “Blind Man Sues McDonald’s Because He Was Run Over By Car at Driv-Thru” lawsuit.
Clearly the person needs to sue the state of Louisiana for not issuing drivers’ licenses to blind people.
Because if they did that, there would be no reason to sue. DUH!
It’s a safety issue. What if a car comes around the corner and hits someone who walked up to the window? They’d get sued either way. Secondly, what’s a bling guy doing walking around by themselves with no escort? And if he had an escort why didn’t they And thirdly, how’d this blind guy find the drive-up window? He wants some sort of blind assisted menu? If it’s voice activated is someone going to wait while the menu is voicing the selections? There’s a lot of stuff on them. This guy is just looking for money from deep pockets and Mickey D’s will just hand it over - cheaper than defending a law suit.
If I was a lawyer for McDonald's, I would name the state government of Louisiana as a third-party defendant in the case ... for refusing to let the blind guy drive a car.
“The suit says it wouldn’t take much for the company to make its drive-thru windows work for blind people, “given the sophistication and size of McDonald’s Corporation as well as the advanced technological society in which we live today.”
After all, the chain recently managed to start providing all-day breakfast, “to the awe of McDonald’s aficionados everywhere,” it says.”
What’s the proposed settlement, change policy and a free Big Mac?
AAA =Affirmative Action Attorney wrote that complaint. That language would be tossed out of a courtroom where I come from. NOLA, who knows. Pardee!
Yep, that lawsuit will happen.
So, it’s as if McD and others are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Ban pedestrians from the drive thru window, and they are discriminatory. Allow pedestrians but someone gets hit by a car, and get sued.
Now how in hell does a blind person know: 1. What restaraunt he is at? 2. What’s on the menu? And....are you read for this..........where the hell the drive through window is at!
Oh, I think I know: He smells what kind of food is served at each restaraunt by the smell coming out of the drive through window. Kinda like flies landing on your hamburger...they just come.
How could anyone be so unkind
To arrest a man for drivin' while blind
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