Dawn Larson demonstrates how she hands over her credit card with her feet. (Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
Dawn Larson was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome, leaving her with underdeveloped hands and arms. (Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
Posted on 07/03/2007 11:47:48 AM PDT by Kaslin
In a lifetime of using her feet the way most people use their hands, Dawn Larson never felt as discriminated against as she did at McDonald's, she said.
Born with Holt-Oram Syndrome, Larson has diminutive hands about six inches from her shoulder.
That has never stopped her from leading a productive life.
"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."
On Nov. 3, Larson pulled up to the speaker at a McDonald's in Rockford and ordered food for her and her boys totaling $23.59. She drove to the first window and passed them her credit card, gripped with the toes of her left foot. The cashier took the card, processed her payment and handed the card back to her.
According to a lawsuit Larson filed against the restaurant's owner last week in Winnebago County, when Larson pulled up to the second window to get her food, an employee said "with a tone of disgust and repulsion," "What's the matter with you? . . . You ain't got no arms. ... Let me see your arms," and drew back the bags of food from Larson's outstretched foot. After making more allegedly rude statements, the employee closed the window and went to consult a manager, the suit states.
The manager appeared at the window and likewise stared in disgust at Larson while her children watched from their seats in the car, the suit states. Larson suggested that they hand the bags to her son, who has one full-size arm. He reached over and took them.
Larson later called a manager at McDonald's to complain and was told "corrective action has been taken" against the employees, the suit says. McDonald's sent her $10 in gift certificates.
'Oh, no, I'm not doing this'
On Feb. 15, Larson went to a different McDonald's in Rockford and the same thing happened, she alleges. The employee at the first window was happy to take her card from her foot, but the employee at the second window threw up her hands and said, "Oh, no, I'm not doing this," and closed the window, the suit states.
The employee would not hand the bags to her son, either, the suit says. Larson asked her friend to enter the restaurant and get the food, and they would not give it to him. After several minutes, an employee came out and handed the food to the friend.
A company spokeswoman first told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Under no circumstance was this customer denied any service at any of our locations," then later e-mailed this statement from Larry Taylor, director of operations for McDonald's Restaurants of Illinois Inc., which owns the two restaurants:
"We care very much about our customers and take this allegation seriously. We do our very best to serve our customers with the utmost care and respect. We have a strict policy prohibiting any form of discrimination in our restaurants. We have not seen the lawsuit and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment."
Larson's attorney, Laurel Wykes Smith, said the two incidents add up to a violation of her civil rights.
"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."
Dawn Larson demonstrates how she hands over her credit card with her feet. (Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
Dawn Larson was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome, leaving her with underdeveloped hands and arms. (Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
NO SHOES NO SERVICE.
Using a foot to hand a credit card to a clerk using bare hands in a fast food restaurant in unsanitary.
The McDonalds in every neighbourhood I have ever lived in in my entire life would serve unwashed homeless people, crystal meth addicts, the morbidly obese—anyone, and by anyone I mean anyone—so I have difficulty even trying to imagine this woman being treated this way.
The woman’s problem stems from another woman bringing suit because she spilled hot coffee and burned her mouth. Refusing service could be lawsuit prevention.
Yes, you don't know where that clerk's hands were 15 minutes ago...........
Using a foot to hand a credit card to a clerk using bare hands in a fast food restaurant in unsanitary.
sure hope you were being sarcastic
So is using a hand.
Employees who refused to serve her should be fired, but my sympathy ran out with the four million dollars she’s suing for. And civil rights? Hello? You’re buying something. This was a case of attempted theft by refusing to provide goods already paid for.
It seems she never enterd the building for one. And another, if her feet are kept in such a manner that they do the use of her hands, then they are just as sanitary as our hands.
A little hand sanitizer before touching the card and if need be a little on the card upon reciept will more than accomplish sanitation needs.
Better to have small hands than small ....
I agree and might I add, their food is gross. The only difficulty I have with this woman is why she decided to have children knowing that the condition is genetic (50% rate)?
It's not as unsanitary as having Jesse Jackson working there.
The person at one window handles the money, a different person at the second window handles the food.
I’m sure her feet are fine. What mystifies me is why she would want to use them to touch that unhealthy, unsanitary, revolting cr*p they pass through the window at McDonald’s.
So is using your hand. I checked the photo, and she does have very clean feet. The first thing I though of was if she has to use her feet for everything, she must go barefoot so they might have been gross. Here it just sounds like some ignorant window-jockey was freaked out by her condition.
What is an "allegedly rude" statement?
Perhaps they meant: "After allegedly making more rude statements, the employee closed the window and went to consult a manager, the suit states."
You got to hand it to her, she knows Mickey d has deep pockets.
Next time she should show up armed.
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