Has the fast food giant banned its customers from buying food for and by the homeless? Though the company’s corporate headquarters insist that this is not an official policy, two recent incidents tell a different tale.
27-year-old Daniel Jackson was almost denied service at a McDonalds joint on Oxford Road in Manchester because he was wearing dirty clothes and the staff thought he “looked homeless”.
Gardener Daniel Jackson was wearing outdoor work clothes when he was initially denied service at the McDonald’s… http://t.co/ncIH80U3Fp
— Police Alerts UK (@PoliceAlertsUk) May 8, 2015
“I’d just clocked off work and I was absolutely ravenous. I’d not eaten since breakfast so I thought I’d go to McDonald’s for a quick meal. But when I got to the till the cashier went to get the manager from the back. He then said he wasn’t going to serve me because I looked homeless. I explained to him I had been at work all day but he said they had a zero tolerance policy on serving homeless people,” Jackson told Manchester Evening News. “It took some serious persuasion to convince them I wasn’t homeless. I admit I was wearing scruffy clothes because I’d been working outside all day. That’s no reason to assume I live on the streets. I’m angry that I had to justify myself in front of a massive queue of strangers. Yet what I find most disgusting is that policy like that even exists. It completely victimises homeless people. Surely if you have the money in your hand and you want to purchase a meal, you should be treated like any other customer,” he added. Charlotte Farrow, a 19-year-old girl, visited that same McDonalds to buy food for a homeless man. She was also denied service and told that it was their policy not to serve homeless people.
McDonald’s refuses to let teenager buy elderly homeless man breakfast because of ‘new policy’ http://t.co/qPqdhFl2AB pic.twitter.com/13iIk7LRjp
— The Independent (@Independent) May 20, 2015
“We queued up and the homeless guy tried to get some money out before I told him I was paying. Then the supervisor said ‘we don’t serve homeless people’. He said the business manager told them they weren’t allowed to serve homeless people. They said it was a new policy,” Farrow told Manchester Evening News.
“It was his attitude towards the guy – we were both customers so there shouldn’t be any difference. I think it’s absolutely awful and completely immoral. We’re all human beings. I wouldn’t expect to be treated like that. If they’re refusing to serve homeless people it’s extremely judgemental,” she added.
When McDonald’s spokesperson learned about the incident, they apologized for the confusion. “We welcome all customers through our doors and work hard to create a friendly and welcoming environment for all. We can confirm that it is not McDonald’s policy to refuse to serve homeless people and apologize for any confusion caused. We will be reiterating this policy to all team members,” the spokesperson said.
McDonald’s denies it has a policy of not serving homeless people, after twice apparently refusing to do so http://t.co/qlS6WrplwK
— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) May 20, 2015
“The story isn’t true, both people quoted were served, McDonald’s does not have policy about not serving homeless people,” McDonald’s clarified on Facebook.
It may not be policy and could be a personal choice by the managers. Having homeless hanging around will deter would be customers. Or it could be a policy told my word of mouth so they can’t get in trouble. It you all really want to end this bull shit, we need to change ourculture, our values. These kinds of people (homeless) exist because of the culture and values. I know it can be hard to understand this but it is the hard truth. We can make the world a better place with our current technology yet we insist on living as if everything was scarce when it’s not and it’s obvious that it’s not scarce. You will have to stop letting others tell you what to believe and do. Start thinking for yourselves, become informed individuals and not a part of a flock or group or mob or what ever you want to call your groups.
Im sorry but homelessness is not the responsibility of society’s behavior it has more to do with the individuals willingness to put in the work for their selves. I live in the US and homelessness is everywhere but a lot of the times when food, clothing and hygienic products are offered directly to the person it is thrown away like garbage because what they truly want is money for drugs and alcohol. I do believe that this so called policy is wrong because if the person has the same kind of money as myself to pay for a meal they should be allowed to do so, i don’t however believe that my culture or values created homelessness.
LOL, you’re lucky that they don’t give food to you, you have only gained in health………
Maccas may not be healthy but its cheaper, the man is homeless.
all good reasons to boycott McDonalds…(apart from the fact that the “food” is disgusting in the first place) BUT the Sheeple don’t really care about anyone but themselves, and indulging their children….so they won’t
I am going to share this story !
Why did you sit there trying to get them to serve you? Dirty or not they have no rights at all at assumptions on how you look. You should of walked out immediately when she got the manager and never gave them another dime again.
And they wonder why their sales are down globally? HAH!
lucky homeless… They will live an healthy life while mcdonalds costumers will die at their 40s of heart disease or bowel cancer… : P
So the separation of society is progressing.
Will this provoke massive uprisings and fights for a human society, or will this progress be so slow that everyone will finally do nothing ?!
I pray for us not to be so dumb and do nothing.
Even riots are better than doing nothing! Even the biggest massacres will be better than doing nothing, even when peace is always the way of choice.
But if there won’t be no time left, war will be the choice of justice.
that food is garbage I wouldn’t voluntarily eat that place
Although I have cut most fast food out of my diet. Now and then I will stop and grab a sweet treat. I will NEVER buy anything from McDonald’s ever again.
I would look at the manager, take out my smartphone, and call the police to have them arrested.
Let met start off by saying how would they feel ifthe shoe was on the other foot if i see someone is hungry i am going to buy them food what are they going to do aresst me i highly dout that as a christain i believe do onto other as god has done for us
This is horrible!
1) After promoting homeless advocacy for more than a year I have come to one solid conclusion : the “homeless” image the stereotype was based upon regards a population of people who have ::chosen:: the street life over accepting the help and resources that could get them a place to live and food in their stomachs. These people will play the game, acting as if they want off the streets until either something better comes along or the workload is too much…r they see the actual possibility of things getting better. I’ve seen too many homeless folks turn a deaf ear to the resources available to them because they’d rather be drinking off in their tent community than bettering their lives. It is these people that have created a grand disillusion of the need to help those living on the streets.
2) It is the responsibility of every business to accepts all customers equally. This does not mean that none should be turned away. Instead, let the dollar speak first, and the actions second. The homeless mentioned above ::will:: act differently than the average customer. They will disrupt other patrons. They will loiter, as opposed to simply being there enjoying their food. And a vast majority of the time, they will make every attempt to cheat the system into getting them more. Ask the people that work retail stores what they see, especially people that work in the bottle/can recycling areas. Ask the cashiers what they see homeless people buy with their food stamps (pro-tip :: buy cases of bottled water, and cash in the refunds; then use refund money for booze). These abuses of the system should be what you send people away for, not just being dirty.