Woman's unhappy meal

A disabled woman is demanding an apology from McDonald's over her treatment when she rode her mobility scooter into a drive-through.

Margaret Todd, 69, said it was a last resort because she couldn't manouevre the scooter through the front doors of the Blenheim restaurant.

"I asked the boy if he would serve me and he refused because he said it was a drive-through," she said.

"I rode up to the window and asked the boss why he wouldn't serve me. He said it was health and safety reasons and I said, 'What sort of health reasons?' and he said he didn't know."

After a while he agreed to serve her if she kept away from the window, said Todd.

"I went to pay by eftpos and he said, 'We don't do eftpos' and shut the window. I was so annoyed I sat there and let the cars build up behind me."

Todd said she felt like McDonald's was "victimising" her because she uses a scooter.

The restaurant's owner Jenny McAuslin said there were two sides to every story but she was sorry about the incident.

"However, I want to make the point that the health and safety issue is really important. She is not in a car and therefore not allowed to be served at the vehicle drive-through."

McAuslin, the restaurant owner since 1995, said she always wanted people to have a good experience and invited Todd for a chat "to show her that we really do care what happens to our customers".

Todd said she would be happy to have breakfast with McAuslin, provided she could get in through the front door.

- NZPA