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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU with people in McDonalds?

78 replies

ZeddyByeBye · 03/04/2015 13:54

I called into a McDonald's today. (I'd been on the road all day and wanted something hot and quick!)

Place was busy, but I got served quickly and went and sat down. In the time I was in the store, I saw maybe ten or twelve people leave all their mess on the tables. One couple went as far as pouring their left over drink on the floor under their table and just generally making a huge mess.

One woman with a small child used a large amount of baby wipes and just left them on the table, despite the fact she was two feet away from a bin!

The man working to tidy up asked a few people to pop their rubbish in the bin and was laughed at, ignored, and told 'it's your job to clear up after me.'

It honestly made my blood boil. It's so flipping rude and uncalled for. AIBU to think these people have no manners? It takes very little time to shove your rubbish in the bin on the way out!

OP posts:
GasLIghtShining · 03/04/2015 14:21

My DD works in McDonalds and the attitude from some customers is appalling. I know the posts so far have been good but if any of you reading this post are those customers with attitude then you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Where my DD works there is a high level of college and uni students who are often subjected to the 'you're so stupid no wonder you work in McDonalds'

Most of these places where you are supposed to clear up after yourselves keep the cost of food down as in theory they employ less people as no need for a hoard of tidy uppers (is that a word)

I always have cleared up after myself.

SurlyCue · 03/04/2015 14:24

Yanbu!

I was in fiveguys a few weeks ago and a table next to us had four adults at it. When they left the table was covered in food and nut shells plus all their napkins and food packaging. It was awful. How dare they think that is ok?

BuzzardBird · 03/04/2015 14:24

Went through the drive through with DD last week and sat in the car on the carpark to eat and was shocked at the car next to me emptied every bit of rubbish in his car (including old clothes) onto the floor next to his car! The bin was in front of him! I felt awful for the long suffering staff member that was clearing up the carpark. :(

Some people are pigs, and that is an insult to a lovely clean animal.

Gileswithachainsaw · 03/04/2015 14:24

Any form of customer service role leaves you open to all sorts. customers are bastards except MNetters of course Wink

Original poster
ZeddyByeBye · 03/04/2015 14:26

Ah, just because I'm trying to lose weight and shouldn't really be eating fast food. I do enjoy it though!

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 03/04/2015 14:28

At my college there are signs in the canteen on all the tables reminding people that it is a self cleaning canteen and please put your rubbish in the bin. Some of my classmates have either lazily or absentmindedly not done this in occasion and we always point to the sign and remind them to tidy their mess, which they always do.

I wonder if MCDs and the like should try something like that to see if it had any impact on people's behaviour? It would also be a firm answer to "its your job to clear up after me"

icclemunchy · 03/04/2015 14:28

Yanbu, when I worked at McDonald's the abuse I got was unreal, shouted at, spat at, had a milkshake thrown at me, had someone try to drag me out of the drive through window by my shirt. It's like as soon as you put the hat on everyone sees you as less of a human :(

confused79 · 03/04/2015 14:31

I have never even considered leaving my mess behind Shock Even when I've had a toddler and newborn to lumber out I've always cleaned the table.

SmillasSenseOfSnow · 03/04/2015 14:32

Is this a cultural thing? As in, have some people started a trend whereby they have inadvertently convinced others that at McDonalds (+/- other fast food places) it is the norm to leave rubbish on the table, because it is the norm elsewhere?

There just seems to be a rather clear divide (going by this thread) of some people being convinced you're supposed to tidy up and put your rubbish in the bins provided and leave your tray on top of the bin, and others are totally convinced that it's the right and proper thing to do to leave the rubbish on the table. It's bizarre.

And YANBU. Why the hell would there be a bin and a 'tray here' sign above a shelf if the customers weren't supposed to make use of them. Idiots.

NobodyLivesHere · 03/04/2015 14:38

Yanbu OP. tidy up after yourself it's just good manners.
Though cant say I'd be taking my pregnancy test with me... if I felt the need to do in McDonalds, chances are I'd not want anyone finding it.

nooyearnooname · 03/04/2015 14:41

I was with some work colleagues the other day on the train and we all had a can of pop. When we got up to get off the train every single one of them left their can under the seat or on the table. I grabbed them and took them off the train with me to put them in the bin. They all laughed at me and asked what on earth I was doing. 'Not being a litterbug' I said. Same response - the cleaners are paid to do it. These were middle class middle aged men and women, not teenagers. I was Shock

TheoriginalLEM · 03/04/2015 14:45

I have stopped clearning my plates if places don't have places to clear it to as often there is nowhere for customers to put it and it actually makes it harder for the staff when a well meaning customer takes a tray of stuff and puts it on the side, they have to stop what they are doing and clear it there and then. I do try and minimize the mess now but in some cases its easier (for the staff) for it to be left.

BikketBikketBikket · 03/04/2015 15:46

I used to work in an FE College Library, and one day approached a table of 6 students who were about to leave 20 or so books spread about all over their study table (rather than place them on the trolley 6 feet away - the one with a big label saying 'PLEASE PLACE YOUR BOOKS HERE AFTER USE') They were also leaving cans and crisp packets strewn around (yes, propped against the 'Please do not eat here' and 'Please drink only water in the library' signs) Easter Angry
I was told, 'That's your job' when I asked them to tidy up... Easter Shock Strangely, they became very meek when confronted by an angry woman who banged her hand on the table and informed them - loudly - that they were not in McDonalds now...
Both my DC worked in McDonalds before and through uni - so I knew only too well what it was like for the staff...
The students tidied up Easter Smile

dejarderoncar · 03/04/2015 16:33

Read through this thread with a bit of a puzzled frown, thinking, 'I go to McDonalds quite a bit, but don't see this kind of thing.'

Then it dawned on me - I don't live in the UK!

AyMamita · 03/04/2015 17:27

YANBU about this being unacceptable but YABU to expect any better in McDonald's. They cater to total pondlife, people who wouldn't even be allowed on Jeremy Kyle. At least that's who I see going in and out of the ones near me!

Andrewofgg · 03/04/2015 17:37

Over forty years ago I had a summer job in one of the cafes at London Zoo. The manager assured me that the customers were the filthiest creatures in the place and she was so, so right.

Gileswithachainsaw · 03/04/2015 17:46

The manager assured me that the customers were the filthiest creatures in the place and she was so, so right

^
this

I'm all my years serving customers I've never been sworn at, threatened, felt up, removed shit off toilet walls or floors, thrown out for smelling or being abusive or had to Barr an animal.

ByTheWishingWell · 03/04/2015 17:55

I worked in McDonalds when I was in college and it was just awful. All of the staff became accepting of the fact that they would be treated like shit every day. In less than two years working there, I was sworn at and ridiculed countless times, spat at, had rubbish thrown at me, groped, and on one memorable occasion had an aggressie snarling dog shoved through the drive-thru window at me.

I was grateful to at least have the counter as a barrier, what the cleaning staff put up with was horrendous. I have never come across so many rude, aggressive, selfish arseholes anywhere else in my life.

ludog · 03/04/2015 18:00

I work in McDonald's and I see this quite a bit. One day I saw three people (two women and a man ) get up to leave. The man picked up his tray and one of the women said "no, leave it. That's their job." I was a bit Hmm as I was standing quite near and clearly in hearing distance of them . The restaurant was packed so I wasn't standing around doing nothing. I must say, though, I find parents who already have their hands full with a few kids are actually the best at clearing off their tables.

DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel · 03/04/2015 18:01

LEM while I do agree with you to some extent. I wouldn't say it was true in Maccy D's. I have worked in a cafe type place and it was a pain if a customer brought me their tray/plates etc and was so much easier if they walked away leaving me to clean up after them. However I think that McDonalds its easier for the customers to take things away because it can be really busy.

Not the same, but when I worked in a cinema during Uni holidays I was often spoken down to (not in the same way as those who work at McDonalds do most likely). One time while I was pouring the customers drink I mentioned to my colleague about my dissertation for uni. The customer suddenly spoke to me like a human being.

Its the general attitude that a lot of customers seem to have in thinking that people who work at Maccy D's are thick/scum etc. Now that makes my blood boil. No-one is better than anyone else. And as it has been noted most of the people that work there either are part time while studying or perhaps its a lifestyle choice and they genuinely enjoy the work and are happy there. Still no need to treat them like they are beneath anyone else for that.

woodhill · 03/04/2015 18:05

I work in a college and alot of the students are really messy and rude. A cleaner had just cleaned up and one student deliberately dropped a cigarette but (smoking outside) and he was challenged and he retorted it was the cleaner's job.

How horrible.

I would always clean up my mess and I have taught my dc to do the same although they don't always achieve it at home but I hope they would clear up in McDonalds.

EveBoswell · 03/04/2015 18:07

I've never eaten in a McDonald's and never will. Is it an accepted way of frequenting there that customers put their rubbish (paper cups etc) into a bin? If so, I didn't know. There must be a notice up somewhere though asking people to dispose of their detritus, surely?

There are bins for the customers at the Buckingham Palace cafe to do just that.

atonofwashing · 03/04/2015 18:09

I had a maccy d's a few weeks back. An employee helped me with my ketchup pumping and then once I had finished my burger and chips and was about to bin the packaging, she appeared again and took it from me for her to bin. She was so sweet, lovely and helpful. It was almost as nice as being in John Lewis! Wink

I can only imagine what the servers have to deal with each day. Some people are beyond vile. Animals don't behave the way some people do. It's incredibly sad.

OP, YANBU.

sosix · 03/04/2015 18:10

Surley part of eating out is that someone else tidies up. Obviously making a mess delibratley (sp) is arseholey. I usually tidy up in there tbf but if dcs are kicking off, in a hurry may leave it. Its all part if mc not wanting to employ more people.

Sallystyle · 03/04/2015 18:11

Horrible.

At a restaurant I even stack our plates and put leftover food on one plate and wipe down any spillage with serviettes.