Horse rider refused service at drive-through
Worcestershire woman told ‘you are not a car’ by McDonald’s staff
A woman says that staff at a McDonald’s drive-through refused to serve her because her “vehicle” was a horse.
Keen rider Louise Carter, 48, of Worcestershire, was watching England’s World Cup semi-final last month when she got a craving for fast food.
“Once you get your mind sorted on a Big Mac you have to have one,” she told Worcester News.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Noticing that the roads were unusually quiet due to the football match, she decided to saddle up for the short ride to nearby Malvern Shopping Park.
However, after trotting three and a half miles along the A449, when she arrived at the drive-through McDonald’s her attempt to satisfy her Big Mac craving was thwarted.
“They said ‘I can’t serve you, you are not a car’,” she said. “I never thought I’d have some jobsworth saying that. I know I’m not a vehicle.”
Carter later posted on Facebook that she and her steed had taken their custom to a nearby Caffe Nero for a “a lovely toastie and a latte”.
A McDonald’s spokesman confirmed that employees had correctly followed company policy by refusing service. “Our drive-thru lanes are specifically designed for roadworthy motor vehicles only and are therefore not suitable for horses,” he said.
In March this year, a male rider encountered a similar reception when he tried to place an order on horseback at a McDonald’s drive-through in Suffolk.
The unidentified man was told to tie up his horse and order inside the restaurant “Once he got his coffee, he got back on the horse and just trotted off across the grass with his latte,” an eyewitness told the BBC.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 doom 'n' gloom cartoons about the mess we're in
Cartoons Artists take on long-term pessimism, dystopian fears, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Church of England's legacy of slavery
The Explainer Should the CofE offer financial redress for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade?
By The Week UK Published
-
Baffin Island: looking for narwhal in Arctic Canada
The Week Recommends An exploration of this island between mainland Canada and Greenland is ideal for the adventurous at heart
By The Week UK Published
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drug
Speed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
By The Week Staff Published
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policy
Speed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
By The Week Staff Published
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?
Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UK
Speed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakers
Speed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
By The Week Staff Published
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’
Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?
Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tonga’s tsunami: the aid effort turns political
Speed Read Efforts to help Tonga’s 105,000 residents have been beset by problems
By The Week Staff Published