There's never a dull moment working at a drive-thru. You never know who's going to pull up to your window, or what shocking thing a customer will say or do. From raging Karens to cringe-inducing creeps, these weird moments at the drive-thru will make you shake your head in disbelief.
1. Elephant In The “Room”
When I was 15, I had a job at Tim Hortons in Newfoundland. One day, a man ordered his coffee at the drive-thru speaker and I heard an odd sound—something like an elephant’s trumpet. As he pulled up to the window, I was completely taken aback by what I saw.
There actually was a baby elephant sitting in the bed of his truck... right there at the drive-thru... in the middle of a Canadian island. I was so stunned I couldn't even ask, "WHY is there an elephant in your truck??"
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2. A Big Splash
Back in my high school sophomore year, I had a job at McDonald's. One night, around 1 AM, a woman came through the drive-thru and a mistaken order gave her a Diet Coke instead of a regular one. She was so furious about the mix-up that she hurled the soda back through the window.
What made this incident unforgettable wasn't her reaction, but where the drink ended up. It splashed right into the piping hot fryer oil. The oil started fizzing and splattering, and then, it covered one of my colleagues. The angry customer sped away quickly, but our manager managed to capture her car license plate number from the security cameras.
Action was taken against her for this horrifying incident.
3. Right Back Atcha
I've got this story from my time at McDonald's. Picture this: I was outside in the parking lot, tending to trash cans, when a large family car just out from the drive-thru started driving in circles and revving the engine loudly. It struck me as odd—it wasn't a sports car or anything.
I couldn’t understand why they were revving so aggressively. When I figured out the truth, I couldn't believe it. It was all because his child received the incorrect topping on his ice cream. Upon my return inside, the man hollered at me through the open window.
His child also took his frustration out on me by tossing his ice cream at me, staining my uniform. Okay, now I was pretty irritated. Against my better judgement, I picked up the ice cream and hurled it back at the vehicle. Mid-flight, it suddenly hit me that this could cost me my job, so my heart skipped a beat.
Luckily enough, it landed smack on the roof, cream side down, and the guy seemingly didn't notice. So, off he went, unknowingly sporting a waffle-themed car topper on his vehicle. I can only wish I was there to witness his reaction afterwards. Approximately a week later, I quit when a furious customer made a rather unsanitary mess on our restroom walls.
4. Having Too Much Fun
One time, I had an experience with a bunch of college kids at the drive-thru around 2 AM. They were belting out "My Heart Will Go On" and surprisingly, they were quite good at it. But as soon as they finished the last note, they suddenly sped up, hopped over a concrete block and crashed straight into a stationary car. The most hilarious part of all?
The car they hit belonged to my boss.
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5. Early Morning Karen
Once, during my stint at Dunkin Donuts, I had an interesting encounter. Just 20 minutes before drive-thru opening, a seemingly nice lady pulled up. As my colleague and I were still busy setting things up without our headsets, we were clueless about her arrival, and honestly, there was no way I was donning that headset earlier than necessary.
In time, she pulled up to the window displaying a rather foul expression. We tried to motion to her that "Regretfully, we're not open currently," but it didn't go down well. She took offense and began pounding on the glass.
When we cracked open the window to clarify that we weren't ready for service, she let loose a flurry of expletives and wriggled out of her car. Her aggression spilled through the window in a barrage of insults. We could only stare, amazed. We managed to warn her about alerting the authorities and she promptly hightailed it out of there.
6. A Little Tip
At the McDonald's drive-thru where I was working, a guy rolled up to get an ice cream cone. He seemed pretty chill, though I had a hunch he might be on something. After leaving to fetch his ice cream, I returned to the window to see him waving a five-dollar bill. He said, "Man, look what I just spotted on the ground!"
"Cool, wish I was that lucky," I managed with a forced grin as my shoulders slumped. He then offered, "Why don't you keep it? You likely bust your chops more than me". I scanned the place for onlooking coworkers and, sure enough, grabbed the note to stealthily stash it in my pocket.
Probably against the rules, but you know what, rules can take a backseat sometimes.
7. Slipping Through My Fingers
So I used to be an employee at Tim Hortons. My duties often had me stationed at the drive-thru window, a location I wouldn't really pay much attention to unless it got really busy. At 6'2'', looking down from the window wasn't exactly my go-to move as it required me to hunch over significantly, owing to the window's lower placement.
This habit, however, resulted in a pretty awkward situation with a customer—and it still makes me uncomfortable to think about even now. It happened on a day when I was particularly absorbed in my own thoughts and not really attentive to what was happening around me.
As usual, I glanced out the window just long enough to collect the money, then quickly passed the cup of coffee to the customer's awaiting hand without actually looking at who I was serving. It was when I heard a startled, "Oh no!" that I finally looked and saw what had occurred.
Turned out, the man only had a few fingers—he was trying frantically to steady the coffee cup to prevent it from falling. I rushed to say sorry over and over again and after what felt like forever, he drove away. I will always remember that incident.
8. Get A Room
I was on shift at the Starbucks drive-thru when I encountered some pretty wild customers. I could kinda tell they might be a bit out there because they ordered Vanilla Beans with an extravagant amount of Caramel Drizzle.
Once the car pulled up to the window, it was pretty clear—the woman in the passenger seat was showing some pretty inappropriate affection to her driver boyfriend. They seemed utterly relaxed about it, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
Even now, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole experience. In retrospect, I feel like I should've just focused on their order, and said back to them, "So, that's two venti Vanilla Beans with extra cream, right?"
9. Careful What You Wish For
Back in my high school days, I was working at a local burger place. I was initially assigned to work at the fryer—not the most enjoyable gig. My supervisor, named Joe, tended to be quite critical, frequently finding reasons to scold me. Luckily, they moved me from the fryer to the drive-thru window, which felt like a nice change.
All was going smoothly until, one evening, a customer circled back to the drive-thru. Upon opening the window, his eyes met mine, and he proceeded to say, "My tater tots are undercooked, you absolute dimwit!" To emphasize his point, he hurled his food bag at me. Guess who'd been handling the fryer that evening? That's right, Joe.
We promptly cooked up a fresh batch of tots for the customer, yet, somehow, I became Joe's scapegoat for the whole incident. Nevertheless, I stayed on the job for about five more months, which wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs. On the bright side, they made some pretty good milkshakes.
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10. A Fair Trade?
One quiet early morning during high school, my buddy and I were having a potent relaxation session. We were sooo chill, trying to distract ourselves whenever we felt the snack attack kicking in. Despite our best efforts to resist, around 2 am we found ourselves caving into the hunger. Lucky for us, our friend was free and happily drove us to the nearest Burger King.
We decided to swing by the drive-thru, which was entirely empty; no other customers or cars to be seen. We asked for a mountain of food and as we pulled up to the cashier's window, we realised an older guy, who seemed to be in his fifties, was the only person working. What he said next surprised us.
Genuinely inquisitive, he looked at us and asked: "You guys got any of that relaxing magic?" Both my friend and I burst into laughter, naturally denying any such notion. Yet, the man was persistent and asked us three times more. Finally, we gave in and confessed. To our surprise, he proposed a trade—boundless free food for some of our "magic".
We, of course, accepted! We met him around the back next to the dumpsters, where the trade was finalized. However, as we were leaving, the man still hankered for more, even after we had given him some. We dashed back to the car just as he started to follow us, kicking it into high gear and leaving the scene.
We could see him chasing after us down the road as we raced away. What a bizarre experience.
11. Dozing Off
Once, a man and a woman pulled up at our drive-thru and placed their order. By the time they arrived at the window, he'd dozed off, only to be nudged awake by the woman for payment. However, just as we were about to pass them their food, we realised their truck had started to move.
It was scraping against our building’s side by the time I reached the window. Suddenly, he woke up, hit the accelerator, and darted onto the highway. But that wasn't the end. To our surprise, he returned half an hour later, with no memory of his previous visit, to place a completely new order at our KFC.
Seeing his condition, our manager dialed up the authorities. Meanwhile, we kept him occupied at the drive-thru till they arrived.
Wikimedia.Commons
12. Spoke Too Soon
Throughout high school, I was working at a Starbucks. On one occasion, a couple pulled up in a massive pickup truck. Being the chatty barista I was, I asked how their day was going. The lady responded, "I've just been discharged from the hospital". Without skipping a beat, I cheerily said, "Glad to hear you're doing better!"
However, she then revealed to me that she'd been in a vehicular accident and was now paralyzed from the waist down. I was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Handing them their drinks, I said my farewells, and watched as a wheelchair disappeared in the back of the truck. I won't ever forget that encounter. It made me feel quite awful.
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13. Gotta Catch 'Em All
I was an employee at McDonald's for close to a two-year period. The most peculiar event had to be when a young boy tried to pay me with his Pokémon cards—he even went as far as telling me their value on eBay. I had to explain that we couldn't accept his cards as a method of payment, which seemed to upset him.
He responded by calling me a "devoted Yu-Gi-Oh fan" in a disparaging manner. Ultimately, he left, leaving me bewildered, holding both his cards and his meal order.
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14. Spare Pickles
A few years back, I was clocked in at a drive-thru when this fellow rolled up to the window. He looked a bit confused and asked, "Did I request a generous serving of pickles? Because that's what I fancy".
I told him his order was already prepared exactly as given, but I was more than happy to whip up a fresh one piled high with pickles. Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to go off in his head.
He lifted his gaze towards me and exclaimed, "Never mind, I've just had an idea! Actually, I think I might have some spares lying around here somewhere". With this revelation, he bent down, opened his glove box, and much to my surprise, out came a massive jar filled to the brim with sliced pickles.
15. Free Therapy
Once, while working at the drive-thru, a lady pulled up to the speaker. I kindly welcomed her and told her to order whenever she was ready. Instead of ordering, she confessed that she didn't really want food—she just needed someone to talk to. The saying is 'the customer is always right,' so I jumped into a chat with her, sharing how my day had gone.
Then out of nowhere, she dropped a bombshell. She confided in me that she had an untreatable illness. I was lost for words. The lady had probably just received the news and, out of all the people she could have talked to about it, she picked me, the guy at the drive-thru.
We chatted a little longer, before she finally decided to leave. Funny thing is, I never got to see her face or even what car she was in.
16. The Human Tables
Back when I manned the drive-thru at Popeye's, an eccentric family regularly visited that caused quite a stir. We had our fair share of regulars, but this one particular family, amusingly nicknamed the 'Human Tables,' was known to all the staff.
Their routine was always the same: the father, mother, sister, and brother would pull up at our window, and shockingly, their car would be loaded with at least three massive bags overflowing with untouched food from other fast food joints.
We affectionately named them the Human Tables due to their unique habit of reclining their seats all the way back and using their bellies as tables. The odor wafting from their car was quite unpleasant, to put it mildly. They didn't seem to bother much with cleaning up the remnants of their thrice-a-day fast food expeditions.
17. You Got Coned
I held a job at McDonald's for a couple of years and the weirdest incident took place once during a late shift. A group of teen boys in a minivan swung by the drive-thru to order an ice cream cone. Because it was night, we were operating with just one window.
As they reached my window, one of them, who was sprawled out on the minivan's roof, snatched the cone by its ice cream part, and they quickly took off. Surprisingly, they circled back to the drive-thru, wondering if any of them had accidentally left their wallet behind in the restaurant.
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18. Cinnamon Fiend
In high school, I landed my first real job at a rather carelessly operated Taco Bell, which had just let one of its managers go. One night, while I was on the graveyard shift, the discharged supervisor turned up at the drive-thru. Shockingly, he held me up, demanding all the Cinnamon Twists I had.
He snatched up the entire tray of Cinnamon Twists straight through the window of his car. Instead of contacting the authorities, we just baked a fresh batch. Let me tell you, the night shift sure has its quirks.
Wikimedia.Commons
19. Monkey Business
So, I spotted a customer with a pet monkey. Yes, you heard it right—a pet monkey, right there in the drive-thru of a North Texas McDonald's. But wait, that's not even the most bizarre part. I asked the lady if it was indeed a real monkey and her response just blew me away. She said, "No, it's a robot".
Then she just drove off to the next window, leaving me standing there with my mind spinning in all sorts of directions.
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20. Banana Gone Wild
Back when I was in high school, I worked at Little Caesar's as a team leader. Halloween, to my surprise, was one of our busiest days. After an exhausting day, my workmate and I decided to take a short rest before we started closing up for the night. As we were taking our break, an officer's car pulled up to our spot.
Initially, I assumed he was here for a late-night pizza binge, but as he got out of his car and approached us, it became apparent he had another reason. The officer inquired if we had noticed a wandering banana in the surrounding shopping precinct. Thrown off by the question, we told him no.
He then informed us about an individual sporting a banana costume, gallivanting around the area, and startling people with unwelcome flashes. He suggested that should we happen to run into this outrageous banana person, we should deter him somewhat before alerting the authorities.
Apparently, this banana miscreant had a tendency to bother kids.
21. It's The Little Things
An older gentleman asked me as I served him his coffee if I had touched it with my finger. I quickly replied, "...No sir, it's steaming coffee. I'd risk a burn," assuming he suspected me of tampering with his drink. His response surprised me when he simply said, "What a disappointment, I thought it might be as sweet as you".
22. The Prophet
During my high school years, I spent a year working at McDonald's. One particular Sunday, around midday, a lady pulled up to the drive-thru, placed an order, and advanced to the payment window. She juggled with her coins for a bit before finally passing me what was due.
As she did this, she began to reveal her financial struggles, counterbalancing her monetary lack by emphasizing her spiritual wealth in the Lord, Jesus Christ. She inquired whether I regularly attended church, to which I answered "yes," a white lie to prevent possibly upsetting her.
While extending her receipt, she seized my hand, held my gaze, and sincerely stated, "Jesus loves you, and he's on his way to visit you. He'll arrive any day now". After uttering these words, she smoothly glided her car towards the next window. As I processed the interaction, I just stood in place, utterly taken aback.
23. Well, That's Awkward
So, I'm employed at McDonald's and one night, I was handling the drive-thru. This elderly pair shows up and places an order for a Happy Meal, at which point I'm thinking, it's presumably for a little one. They roll up to my window and I inform them of their bill amount.
The gentleman riding in the passenger seat then inquires about our toy offering, and I reply, "Um, we've got Pokémon toys at the moment". He expresses a preference for Spider-Man figures to which I relay the unfortunate news we no longer stock them. His response was overtly unsettling.
He asks, "What if my wife flashes you, will that snag a Spider-Man figure?" Taken aback, I respond, "No, regardless of your proposal, we simply don't have any Spider-Man toys in stock". The whole encounter was bizarrely surreal, especially since there weren't any kids in their car…
24. There's A Time And Place...
One evening while I was on shift, a gentleman pulled up clad in his dressing gown. It didn't particularly faze me. As I prepared his condiments, I kept hearing peculiar noises from his vehicle. It turned out the man was conversing with an adult hotline, and he'd connected the call to his car's speaker system—the volume was pretty high.
I delivered his order just as a female voice was saying flirtatious things to him. What truly stood out for me was his seemingly unperturbed demeanor. He behaved as if such incidents were part of his typical routine.
25. Mission Failed
My buddy was hoping to dazzle a girl he liked. His idea was to swing by my drive-thru and show off by snagging some free grub. I wasn't serving at the window, but his voice over the speaker gave him away. As I headed over to give the drive-thru employee the meal for the car ahead of him, out of the blue, my friend bumped into the back of the customer's vehicle.
So much for making a good impression on his girl.
26. Caught Slipping
During high school, my first part-time job was at a Taco Bell, specifically, manning the drive-thru. I couldn't really be bothered about how the tacos and burritos were made and served. One day, a particular customer took his sweet time to order a massive set of tacos and bean burritos, which gave me a little break.
As he finally approached the payment window, I sensed the man was somehow off—perhaps high on something. In his dazed state, he handed me a ball of cash that was significantly more than his order's worth. I dutifully took the appropriate amount and extended his change.Then the awkward situation unraveled.
Whilst returning his change, I spotted his unmentionables peeking out from his trousers. Trying to soften the blow, I playfully told him: "Chicken's out of the barn, check yourself before you wreck yourself, buddy". Misunderstanding, he replied, "I didn't order chicken…"
Seeing this faux pas wasn't registering, I clarified, "Your downstairs are on display. Please adjust your attire, mate". He chuckled sluggishly, glanced down, and awkwardly muttered, "Oops!" He then hurriedly rearranged himself.
I looked on as he drove away with his rather large order of food that was a stomach upset in the making. There you have it, one of my many drive-thru escapades.
Wikimedia.Commons
27. Not-So-Smooth Sailing
One day, I was clocked in at a McDonald's drive-thru operation. My station was the last window, which let me interact with customers and handle their orders. This one fellow decided to swing by our drive-thru while hauling a considerably sizeable boat.
He cleanly placed his order through the speaker but, as he advanced a little further, an agonizing screech followed by the sound of grinding echoed through the air. It turned out that he had scraped off about half the paint job of his boat against our brick wall.
I must admit, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
28. Donkey Kong Vibes
Back in the day, I used to don a full-blown gorilla costume and mask to hit up drive-thrus. My weird sense of humor had me ordering banana milkshakes, even though no place ever had those on the menu. My backup? Ordering banana slices on my burgers. That never worked out either.
At that point, I'd humorously ask, "Well, got any banana-related options?" Usually, there'd be an apology and a "no," but occasionally they'd offer apples or something similar. Reluctantly, I'd settle for whatever item on the menu was the closest to fruit. The voice on the speaker was always baffled until they saw me at the window.
I must say, my little pranks did result in a lot of chuckles.
29. Performance Art
One day, I unintentionally overheard my brother and his pal Joey cooking up some big stunt. They both had massive grins and were cackling like hyenas. After a while, they left for In-N-Out, a renowned spot with notoriously lengthy drive-thru lines, and returned about sixty minutes later, eager to relay their adventures.
Seth, my brother, had asked Joey to hide in his car's trunk, while their other amigo Nick rode shotgun. Just before it was their turn to order, Seth punched Joey's number into his cell phone and let him know the trunk was open. Joey then acted like he had managed to pop the trunk open.
He sprang out, his face a picture of confusion, before taking off. Even better? The dude's only attire was his boxers! Nick yelled out the window, "OH NO! HE'S MAKING A BREAK FOR IT!" Seth promptly executed a U-turn right before it was their turn to order, and then scooped Joey up about a block down.
I wish I'd been there to see it, because word has it, the looks on the onlookers' faces were absolutely unforgettable.
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30. Fast-Food Romance
My father invited my mom on a date, right at a McDonald's drive-thru. She and my dad's best buddy had been an item for a year or two, so they were already familiar with each other. Happily, she was single once again. Coincidentally, she overheard my dad reveal his plans to his buddy about asking her out while they were in the car.
As they reached the service window, she gave my father a meaningful look, and announced, "I'll be done work at 9". Sure enough, when she stepped out of work, there he was waiting patiently in a parking spot for her. Fast forward—it's been 27 blissful years of marriage for them.
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31. Instant Job Offer
One night, during my early days working at Taco Bell, a car pulled up to the drive-thru containing three women and a man. They spoke to me in a very relaxed, informal manner. Not being used to much interaction due to my introverted nature, I still endeavored to be friendly and engage them in conversation.
Oddly enough, the discussion veered towards suggestive movies and they jokingly asked if I'd like to appear in one of those films. Startled, I responded by saying I had a girlfriend, and hastily closed the drive-thru window. I was a teen back then and these folks seemed to be around 30, which made the encounter rather unnerving.
I was so spooked that I asked a fellow worker to serve their order.
32. The Pony People
When I was on shift at Dairy Queen, a family van pulled up. They passed me their payment, and as I turned to serve them their beverages, I was sure I spotted a pony in the back. I dismissed it as my imagination playing tricks on me, but when the time came to hand over their meal, I saw not one, but two ponies peering at me from inside.
The couple explained they'd taken their ponies to the vet in their van, saying it was easier than towing a trailer. For a moment, I genuinely thought I'd gone crazy.
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33. It's Air Bud!
I had the window shift at Starbucks and a distracted blonde lady with a small dog drove up. She was too busy chatting on her phone to pay me any attention when suddenly, her energetic pooch made a daring jump straight through my window. I quickly grabbed the little scamp before it could touch the floor.
Then, I swiftly returned it back to her through the window, gently placing it on her lap. She seemed totally oblivious.
34. Impatient Lovers
Back in my youth, I was an employee at McDonald's. One late evening, a young duo zipped into the drive-thru, eager for a quick bite. As their order wasn't ready—their chicken needed more cooking time—we directed them to wait in a parking spot. Barely ten minutes slipped by, and I headed out there with their freshly prepared meal, but I was met with a sight that still sticks with me.
The girl was seated in the lad's lap in the back seat, engaging in some, well, couple activities. Undeterred, they didn't even pause when I appeared. The guy casually retorted, "What did you think, we were bored waiting here". I was speechless, really, and so I handed over their food and retreated into the restaurant.
They loitered around for a bit, then finally hit the road. What a night, let me tell you.
35. A Gift For You
While I was on shift at McDonald's, a woman approached to collect her milkshake. She complimented me, saying, "You're doing fantastic work, keep it going!" Next, she handed me a tiny, soft toy snake. I shut the window and couldn't stop laughing.
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36. When Kindness Backfires
During our Independence Day celebration, my girlfriend and I were grabbing a bite from McDonald's drive-thru. The guy at the counter seemed upset that he was missing out on the city's fireworks display.
Wanting to lift his spirits, we handed over a few packs of sparklers—a makeshift firework display of sorts for later on. His excitement was infectious and quickly spread to his co-workers, who looked forward to sharing the sparkler fun.
Out of the blue, the voice of authority, the manager, stepped in. Rudely elbowing past his team, he put on a fake smile and inquired about what was going on. Even after we explained our goodwill gesture of giving the workers sparklers, he responded with a cynical "Uh-huh," implying disbelief in our kindness.
What followed was a harsh scolding directed at his team, as if they were naive children accepting sweets from a suspicious stranger. We watched, flabbergasted, as he ranted at his team. His irate rant, filled with expletives, was utterly incoherent, leaving us clueless about why he was so triggered.
After an uncomfortable couple of minutes, we drove away, contemplating if our kind gesture had ironically got them in trouble. We never saw those employees again during our subsequent visits, making us wonder if they had been fired.
37. An Easy Swap
A few years ago, after hanging out with friends, one of my pals and I decided to drive to Jack in the Box for some late-night snacks. My friend placed our order and, unexpectedly, he informed the cashier at the end that he was out of cash, suggesting a trade of bottles for tacos.
I was sure the drive-thru guy would send us packing, but instead, something totally unexpected occurred. Hit by silence for around thirty seconds, the guy suddenly spoke, stating, "Three bottles in exchange for six tacos..." We approached the window, handed him the three bottles, received our less-than-appetizing tacos, and zoomed off.
38. From Zero To 100
Well, here's a wild story for you. Once, just about 15 minutes before we were about to close up, a guy pulled up and ordered 30 Mama Burgers. This meant a load of extra work piled on us, but, hey—we were open, so it was our job. I asked him if he wanted cheese on them, and he couldn't have cared less.
My supervisor, the sole other guy at the counter with me, thought this would be the perfect moment to dash off and help the kitchen team. So, there I was, left alone to face what promised to be a pretty irate customer. I collected his payment and tried to make myself invisible behind the milkshake machine.
Peeking out to check on him, I got the surprise of my life—he was PUMMELING his own car. I kid you not. He was punching his windshield as if it had personally insulted him. Next, I heard him hurling things out of his window onto the street.
I didn't have a clear view of what he was discarding, but when he finally took his food and drove off, the mystery was solved—he'd been throwing car parts! Scattered all over the road were fragments of his gear stick, air vents, a volume knob, and a host of other bits and pieces. Every time I think about it, I'm still bewildered.
The guy's state of mind must've been seriously disturbed. It's the only explanation that fits this strange blend of car destruction and the impulse-buy of 30 hamburgers.
Piqsels
39. Karma Strikes
Back when I was a high schooler, I held a job at Chick-Fil-A. Just about a week before Thanksgiving, I was at work with my good friend Cassie. A man drove up to our window and ordered a small chocolate shake, plain—no whipped cream or cherry on top.
Cassie was managing the window that evening, so she cheerfully confirmed his order, "A simple chocolate shake, no extras? That'll be $3". The man confirmed his order, handed over his credit card, and Cassie processed the payment. Once she'd gathered his straw, receipt, and shake, she went to hand them over to him.
To her surprise, she found him indecently exposed and grinning at her. Quick-thinking Cassie was able to get his license plate before she recoiled. The shift's manager rang up the authorities right away. And, guess what? That's not all!
A week later, officers successfully tracked down the man and Cassie positively identified him. Naturally, they were set to press charges. But just to add a touch of poetic justice, they decided to confront him on Thanksgiving Day. They found him at home with his shocked wife and kids who had no clue since he is a regular churchgoer.
40. Redneck To The Rescue
A slightly tipsy older guy drove his pickup to Taco Bell at 1 in the morning. He tried to order four steak meals only to discover that we were out of steak. Unfortunately, we had our least capable manager on shift, and he failed to inform me of the lack of steak until after I'd already processed the customer's payment.
The customer was understandably upset, but I offered him a refund if the manager agreed. However, my suggestion didn't sit well with the manager. He berated me in front of the customer, questioning my intelligence and denying the refund.
This inflamed the customer, who took it upon himself to leap through the window in my defense. He yelled at the manager, declaring, "You don't treat young ladies like that! You're nothing but a bully who enjoys making girls cry to cope with your own insecurities!" Amidst the chaos, I attempted in vain to close the window on him.
Despite receiving a few blows, the manager was let go later that week, after it was discovered he'd taken about $500 from the company.
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41. That's Not Nice
There was this one shift I worked at McDonald's drive-thru. At the moment, we had the limited-time Mighty Wings on offer, paired with a unique habanero sauce. A gentleman pulled up and requested the wings, but we had run out. I suggested he ordered the nuggets as a substitute. However, we had also exhausted our habanero sauce supply.
As you can imagine, he wasn't pleased which moved him to remark, "Alright, I'll go for barbecue instead". As he approached the payment window, he looked at me directly and uttered, "You are a failure". Knowing that the stock running out wasn't my mistake, his words still caused me some pain.
42. Asserting Dominance
My first job was at a coffee shop where I once had a man order a small iced coffee through the drive-thru, simple enough, right? I brought him his drink and took his payment. As I handed over his order and wished him a good day, he unexpectedly tossed the coffee back at me.
It was suddenly like time slowed down, but somehow I was able to catch the drink without making a mess all over the place. The whole time, the man had this silly look on his face that I'll never forget. He took off quickly, but not before I had the chance to jot down his license plate.
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43. Anything For Chicken Strips
When I got my first job at Dairy Queen, I met a certain type of, let's say, interesting characters. I was stationed in this truly charming region known affectionately as "Tornado Alley"—not entirely sure why it's referred to as such, although I suspect it might be tied to those peculiar twirling clouds that have an uncanny tendency to topple mobile homes.
One day, out of nowhere, a massive storm rolled in on what had been a perfectly sunny day. Even the local weather guys were taken by surprise as they had predicted a sun-soaked weekend. So there I was at work, when suddenly the wind became so wild that people were coming into our store just to get out of the treacherous weather. The wind was powerful enough to push cars around.
Not long after, the weather radio buzzed, announcing a tornado sighting near an intersection of two highways in town, just a couple of miles from our store. That's when the sirens started blaring and we all hurriedly sought refuge in the store's sturdy walk-in cooler.
Inside, the sirens kept wailing and the wind shook the building so violently that we thought it might crumble. Then, something crazy happened. Suddenly, those of us wearing headsets heard a ding: "Um, could I order a chicken strip basket and a large strawberry dipped cone, please... Hello? Anybody there??"
What ensued was a truly bizarre spectacle of my manager, headset in place, trying to persuade the customer to abandon his order and get to safety. The customer, however, stubbornly insisted on placing his order... I suppose in his mind a potential tornado was no reason to delay his chicken cravings.
Fortunately, the tornado dissipated before reaching us, but left in its wake severe wind and hail damage across the town. What sticks most from that storm wasn't the frightening weather, but the man who was willing to brave life-threatening conditions for the sake of chicken and ice cream...
44. Smooth, Dude, Smooth
Once upon a time, my dad, as a young man, was at a drive-thru with his buddy. When they got their food, it appeared that the lady who served them had stepped away. Just then, my dad told his friend in a loud voice, "She seems like she'd be a great partner". As he turned back, he was surprised to find her standing there.
She had heard him. And would you believe it, she's now my mom.
45. Mystery Man
Before I attended college, I used to work at McDonald's. There was this man, in his late 30s, who would often come by the drive-thru. He looked like a farmer, based on his car and the dog in the back. He wasn't a man of many words, although there were times he'd attempt chit-chat.
During New Year's when I was on duty, he noted that I was too young to be working instead of partying. I could sense a whiff of loneliness or perhaps sadness each time he'd pull up, trying to have a conversation. It was particularly tough to cut him short due to rushes, noticing he probably desired human interaction.
One day, he asked my surname out of the blue. With my manager silently observing, I confirmed it. He then took off his hat and revealed a secret that left me stunned. He confessed that he was my father. Growing up, my biological mother was unclear about my father's identity, so this was a plausible scenario.
My manager allowed me to take a break and continue the shocking conversation. The man carefully explained having a relationship with my mother around the time she conceived, when he himself was just 16. He expressed deep regret and looked quite embarrassed about his past actions.
Apologizing for not having sought me out, he mentioned living an hour's drive away as a part of his reason. Moreover, no one ever informed him he was a father. While I assured him I was content with my life, I handed him my number, suggesting we could chat sometime. And that's how I met my biological father.
Years later, when I reconnected with my biological mother, she confirmed his claim. We met for coffee three or four times, although we didn't find much common ground to converse about. Over time, we lost touch. During our last conversation, he shared his diagnosis of MS. He also told me he had other sons, but I was his only daughter and he was thankful we had met.
46. Aced It
During my high school days working at McDonald's, there was this annoying trend. Customers would order a beverage at the drive-thru, then chuck it back through the service window at us. One day, a guy attempted this but made a crucial mistake—he didn't remove the lid.
As he lobbed it at me, I saw my chance to get some payback after enduring this nonsense for months. Instinctually, I batted the drink back at his car, just like a volleyball serve. The repercussion was immediate and sweet; the cup struck his window, opened up, and drenched his car interior.
By which, I mean his lap, his car seat, and his dashboard were all soaked. The dude looked down at the aftermath, then back at me, acknowledging: "Wow...you really got me this time". He then drove away.
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47. Just Another Night
I remember, back in high school, I had this part-time job with Taco John's. It was a spooky Halloween evening. Suddenly, my workstation beeped, which just meant a customer had pulled up at the drive-thru. So, like always, I pressed the intercom saying, "Welcome to Taco John's, how can I serve you today?"
I heard some indistinct curses intermingled with sounds of panic, and then radio silence. Curious, I left my station, strolled to the back of the joint, and swung the back door open. Guess what I saw?
A vehicle was stuck on our menu sign. One man was desperately trying to remove his car's number plates, while a lady was shouting at him. Next thing we knew, he dashed off, deserting the girl there. But that wasn't the end of it.
We dialed up the authorities. Officers showed up, took one look at the car and the abandoned girlfriend, and said, "So it's Deano again. We know exactly where to find him. Sorry for the mess with your menu, looks like your drive-thru is shut for tonight".
Wikimedia.Commons
48. His Last Words
When I was 16, I had a job at the McDonald's drive-thru. One Sunday night, a man started to place his order for a no-pickle double cheeseburger, then suddenly went silent. I tried asking, "Excuse me, sir, need more time to decide?" thinking maybe he had misplaced his wallet or something similar.
Then, I sent one of the grill staff members outside, pretending to inspect the restaurant sign, just to see what was happening. What transpired next, I’ll never forget. The staff member rushed back, visibly distressed and speaking at a rapid pace. "He's not responding, he might be a goner! He's slumped forward and didn't react when I asked if he was okay!"
We briefed our shift manager, a young man of 23, and he promptly dialed 9-1-1. Shortly, the paramedics arrived (meanwhile our drive-thru was busy with onlookers causing a traffic jam). They attempted CPR on the man for a bit but there was no improvement.
They then transported him in the ambulance, one of the paramedics drove the man's car out of our drive-thru. Later that evening, we received an update from the hospital. The man had suffered a severe heart attack and likely passed almost instantly. His last words to me, asking for a no-pickle double cheeseburger, honestly terrified me.
Flickr
49. Little Man Vs. Burger
During my tenure as a manager at Burger King, I had a range of unusual experiences. One particular incident that comes to mind involved a peculiar customer at the drive-thru. He asked if he could add "extra patties" to his Whopper.
I responded, "Of course, how many extra patties would you like?" To which he promptly replied, "Eight, please. And don't forget the cheese, bacon, and a generous amount of ketchup".
I recall the monstrous creation costing around $28; I even had to tape two burger wrappers together to accommodate it. It was a substantial, greasy behemoth. When he pulled up to collect his order, I was surprised to see he was quite a slim guy, maybe around 140lbs.
Gleefully eyeing his colossal meal, he asked me, "Fancy watching me tackle this?" It took all my willpower to decline; I by no means wanted to witness his gut-busting endeavor. After the exchange, it left me musing about his possible motivations.
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