Neigh luck for men on horse and cart at McDonald’s drive-thru
If you find yourself on a horse and cart – maybe in a bridal gown in a white carriage on your way to a wedding, or perhaps just out for a jaunt – don’t go via McDonald’s.
Sadly, we’ve had yet another reminder that staff at fast food outlets just don’t want to serve fries to people on a horse.
Two men were turned away from a Maccies branch in Weston-super-Mare last month after trying to put in an order from their cart.
Staff said they can only serve people in motor vehicles due to health and safety, and it’s not the first time this has happened.
It’s not usually filmed, though, but this time another customer decided to get his phone out to document the unusual incident at the Western Links branch.
Jake Sweet, 24, had stopped to enjoy his Chicken Legend Meal with cheeseburger at 1pm on June 21 when he spotted the horse trotting past him.
A stand-off began when the customers started asking to file a complaint.
Jake claims when they asked to do this, the branch manager threatened to call the police.
Admitting defeat, he said the duo apologised to those in the queue behind them and then left looking for a new lunch stop.
They were in luck, however, as Jake saw them in the road later and took pity, giving them his own burger.
It follows a similar incident at KFC in 2018, when a man with a horse and cart was refused service.
KFC said they were ‘not looking to stirrup trouble’ – but ironically, the man said he was eventually served at McDonald’s on that occasion.
Jake, from Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, said: ‘It’s not something you see every day.
‘You could clearly tell the two guys were annoyed but they were being reasonable with it and trying to give a valid argument.
‘They were more trying to convince the McDonalds staff that the horse and cart is the original vehicle, and I kind of see where they’re coming from.
‘While the guys were trying to put up a decent argument I think they knew they were getting nowhere.
‘Obviously it’s pretty uncommon but there are people who take a horse and cart everywhere – I’d have thought that McDonald’s would have served them.’
Footage taken by Jake shows the duo on a horse and cart joining the orderly queue of cars.
‘I honestly think they responded really well,’ Jake said. ‘They knew it was heading nowhere and they’d maybe had that situation before.
‘Whether the police turn up or not, they’re not really going to get theirMcDonald’s either way.’
When Jake and Shauni were driving home on Winterstoke Road they spotted them, drove alongside them and handed them a spare cheeseburger they picked up.
‘I always get an extra cheeseburger for myself and so we just decided to catch up with them and throw them it,’ he said.
‘I thought afterwards that I could’ve bought them their whole meal but a cheeseburger’s something at least.
‘Personally I’d probably want McDonald’s to consider changing their policy, but I don’t think this will affect them massively in their day-to-day business – they seem to be doing quite well.’
A McDonald’s spokesman said: ‘Our drive-thru lanes are custom built for motor cars, vans, trucks and road-worthy mobility scooters.
‘The health and safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and for this reason we are unable to serve pedestrians, bicycle riders, non road-worthy mobility scooters, horse riders or any horse-drawn vehicles through the Drive-thru lane.’
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