These senior citizens will not stop spending all day in the McDonald’s and it's sure annoying the restaurant
There’s an interesting battle brewing at a Flushing, Queens McDonald’s restaurant. The New York Times is reporting that a group of senior citizens is annoyed that the Northern Boulevard McDonald’s they frequent doesn’t like that they get there very early and then stay nearly all-day. As the Times writes it, the unspecified amount of elderly men and women arrive “as early as 5 a.m. and often linger until well after dark.”
McDonald’s has been trying to enforce a 20-minute dining limit on its patrons. The group insists that since they are paying customers, they are entitled to take their time and that the time limit is far too brief. 77-year-old David Choi told the paper, “Do you think you can drink a large coffee within 20 minutes? No, it’s impossible.”
Apparently, though the group has been meeting up regularly at the McDonald’s for more than five years, the past few months have been especially heated. The Times notes, “The police said there had been four 911 calls since November requesting the removal of the entrenched older patrons. Officers have stopped in as frequently as three times a day while on patrol, according to the patrons, who sidle away only to boomerang right back. Medium cups of coffee ($1.09 each) have been spilled; harsh words have been exchanged.”
So why do they go there? That’s a great question. They don’t particularly enjoy the food, and as the Times points out, there are several facilities in the area that “cater to the elderly.” Heck, there are even other fast food restaurants in the neighborhood, including a different McDonald’s.
As for the restaurant, general manager Martha Anderson told the paper, “It’s a McDonald’s, not a senior center.” She said other customers have not been able to find a place to sit because of the elderly group. They’ve called 911 four times since November alone, but even after the group is ushered out, it’snot long before they return. This is really one of the weirder stories to come out in recent days. Make sure you read the New York Times article.
More info: The New York Times
