A disabled mother says she was refused service at McDonald’s because her mobility scooter couldn’t fit through the door, while staff laughed at her.
Dawn Weeding went to the fast food outlet in Langwarrin, Melbourne, on Friday to buy her eight-year-old daughter Izzabella a Happy Meal.
The 39-year-old said she tried using the drive through after she couldn’t fit in the door, but the manager refused to serve her citing health and safety policy.
Disabled mother Dawn Weeding (R) says she was refused service at Melbourne McDonald’s because her mobility scooter couldn’t fit through the door or be served in the drive through
Ms Weeding said she saw staff at the pickup window laughing at her and she left in tears after they also wouldn’t serve her from the car park.
‘I was gobsmacked to think they could treat me like that, in front of my daughter. I was quite upset, I was crying. It was humiliating,’ she said.
‘Izzabella is so young and innocent, she was trying to console me and she shouldn’t have to see that.’
‘They didn’t offer another solution like serving me in the car park, the manager just said “it’s not my problem”.’
The chronic pain sufferer who also has hip tendonitis said several people were behind her in the queue and none of them stepped up to help her.
‘People judge you when you’ve got a disability, they frown and look down on you,’ she said.
Ms Weeding (R) said she tried using the drive through after she couldn’t fit in the door, but the manager refused to serve her citing health and safety policy
Ms Weeding went to the fast food outlet (pictured) in Langwarrin, Melbourne, on Friday to buy her eight-year-old daughter Izzabella a Happy Meal
‘I’m wheelchair bound, I can’t walk or stand up so I need the mobility scooter to get around.’
Ms Weeding claimed to have used the Langwarrin McDonald’s drive through before without issue.
McDonald’s said the outlet had disability access and she couldn’t have been served through the drive through as policy.
‘To ensure the safety of all who visit our restaurants, it is our policy to only serve customers in vehicles through our drive-throughs,’ it said.