Jay Wilson
“Hitch up the wagon, we’re getting burgers!” is now a phrase that people across the whole country can say without fear of it being contradicted. That’s all thanks to a recent policy change by McDonald’s, following an event in Wyoming where a farmer was turned away after driving his horse-drawn wagon through one of its drive-thrus, leading to somewhat of a media storm. Now, wagons can be driven safely and freely to the collection window, and the world is at peace again. When we told you recently that McDonald’s was making changes to its drive-thrus, this isn’t quite what we expected.
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But wait, what? What happened? What are you talking about, Jay? Don’t worry, I’ve got the lowdown here.
Horse-Drawn Wagons? They’re Now Neigh Bother
It all started last week, when farmer Allen Hatch drove up to his local McDonald’s drive-thru in Powell, Wyoming, in his horse-drawn wagon, being towed along by his horses Coal and Onyx. Powell had already placed and received his order (hopefully not the new Big Arch, because…yeah, not great) when the branch manager came out and told him that his wagon wasn’t allowed. “I was told there was a company policy precluding having livestock in the drive-thru for purposes of liability,” Hatch told Cowboy State Daily, going on to explain that the manager said that the issue was one of poop. If the horses decided to do their business in the drive-thru, then clean-up would become an issue. Hatch walked away from the McDonald’s feeling as though he and his horses had been banned.
Well, news spread, and it wasn’t a great look for the restaurant. Yellowstone McDonald’s, the franchise that operated Hatch’s local branch and plenty of others, had to spring into action. Hatch received a call from Casey Taggart, the franchise’s marketing and public relations lead, who apologized, and then some. “That ban has since been rescinded,” stated Hatch. “I was offered one free meal for the entire family. I was also told they are retraining their employees, so any legal form of transportation is allowed through the drive-thru.” We love a happy ending.
Legal Transportation, You Say… So, in That Case, What Else Can I Drive Thru?
Well, look, that varies heavily from state to state, and what we’re not gonna do is sit here and tell you that you can drive anything to McDonald’s without fear of reprisal. The restaurant also naturally has its own rules about what you can and can’t drive thru, as evidenced by the horse-drawn wagon event. All we’re saying, though, is in some places, snowmobiles, golf carts, amphibious cars, and ATVs are considered street-legal. So, by that logic…
You know what you can’t do, though? Walk through a drive-thru. Trust us: Many have tried, and many have failed. So, next time you’re tempted to do so, go and grab your wagon instead.
Gwynedd Stuart
Sporked Staff
Jordan Myrick
