Big Mac says no to disabled man
McDonald’s apologises to Gosport man after staff v
A DISABLED man has been denied service at a McDonald’s drive-through in Gosport because he was using a mobility scooter — despite the vehicle being valid according to the company’s own policy.
Mark Waite, who suffers from lupus and osteoporosis, has a road-worthy Class 3 mobility scooter, which is registered with the DVLA.
Last Thursday, Mark suffered a sleepless night with his lupus keeping him awake until 3am, so the former factory worker decided to get some fresh air and visit his nearest McDonald’s branch to try their new triple-cheeseburger.
But he was shocked to be told that the drive-through facility doesn’t serve people on mobility scooters.
The 50-year-old said: ‘I was having a hard time sleeping so I went down to the docks and thought I would get some food on the way back.
‘There was one car in front of me, and I let them do their thing, and there wasn’t a car behind me.
‘It registered on the sensor that it was a vehicle – but I was told they don’t serve mobility scooters.
‘I explained to the gentleman at the window it was a DVLA registered vehicle.
‘I was told, ‘sorry sir, it’s a mobility scooter, we don’t serve them’.
But according to its own website, McDonald’s states that ‘drive-through lanes are custom built for motor cars, vans, trucks and road-worthy mobility scooters’.
Now Mark, who has been reliant on his scooter for the last five years, feels like the victim of discrimination.
He said: ‘I cannot drive because of the pain medication I am on – I need liquid morphine. And at 3.10am the lobby was closed.
‘No disabled person should have to feel like their disability is their fault. It has put me off visiting that branch.’
Staff at the restaurant did not recognise the scooter was valid for service and acted in a way to preserve ‘everyone’s safety’, according to a spokesman from McDonald’s.
He said: ‘We’d like to apologise to the customer in question.
‘We have reminded the team of the procedure to ensure this does not happen again, and they have apologised to this customer directly. We are liaising with them directly to help find a resolution.’
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After a holiday on the Isle of Wight, registered blind couple Siobhan Meade and Sean Dilley were in relaxed mood as they waited for a taxi to take them from the car ferry terminal to Portsmouth & Southsea railway station.
Surely it would be a straightforward journey to get them there so they could catch their train home to Stevenage.
But they hadn’t bargained for a difficult driver who appears to have initially refused to take them and their two black Labrador retrievers, Marty and Sammie — then, when he did eventually allow them to board, demanded 70p per dog on top of their fare.
No wonder the Aqua Cars driver’s attitude has dismayed Siobhan and Sean. They had mentioned the assistance dogs on the phone, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him.
In any case, such extra charges are illegal under the Equality Act 2010 and taxi drivers have to allow guide and assistance dogs to remain with their owners unless they have a medical exemption certificate.
Siobhan said it made her feel like a ‘second-class citizen’ and reckons she’s had well over 30 similar refusals from taxi drivers in the 17 years since she’s had an assistance dog. That is totally unacceptable.
Today we also report on how disabled Mark Waite was denied service at a McDonald’s drivethrough in Gosport because he was using a mobility scooter — despite it being valid according to the company’s own policy.
Mark, who suffers from lupus and osteoporosis, was quite entitled to use the drive-through, but staff wouldn't take his order.
Another example of discrimination from employees who don't know their own rules. In both these cases, training clearly needs to be improved.
But in the meantime it would hardly be surprising if McDonald's and Aqua Cars got no more custom from Mark, Siobhan and Sean.