A Michigan man says when he complained to the employees of a Detroit McDonald's that his milk shake was watery, they beat him up.

He's now suing the hamburger giant and the franchise owner. The $100 million lawsuit was filed last Friday. It says that on Jan. 21, Alfred Pointer and his wife, Tijuana, went through the drive-up and ordered several items -- including a milk shake. Pointer complained his shake was watery and allegedly was instructed to park and enter the restaurant. The suit said the manager and several workers then started beating him and that, when his wife intervened, she was beaten as well.

Pointer says as a result of the beating, he has suffered partial blindness. Says his attorney, Geoffrey Fieger: "'You deserve a break today' certainly didn't mean innocent patrons would have their heads broken open."

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), March 01, 2000

Answers

I got a great "michigan and macdonals story". I was a teen then, stopped into mickey D's, ordered a fish sandwich. Well, got it, bit in. PTUI! Had to spit out the bite into a napkin. I mean that fish was 4 week old rotten carp or something, it was FOUL. So, I go up to the counter, trying to be polite, ask the clerk for a new sandwich. He looks at me, says "No." that's it, just no. I asked again, re explaining the problem. Again "No". So, in a LOUD voice, I say "THIS FISH SANDWICH IS RANK AND I WANT A NEW ONE!" The manager moseys on over to see what's up. I say the fish sandwich is rank, go ahead, smell it or taste it. So he does. he about gags, he turns to the clerk, yells "THIS FISH SANDWICH IS RANK!" and chucks the sandwich in the clerks face and fires him on the spot! We were cracking up! It was TOO funny!

-- instantkarma (badfish@don'teatit.revenge), March 01, 2000.

Why anyone would eat at that crap can is beyond me. If the food doesn't kill you, the employees will. hahaha

-- (Barf@bag.com), March 01, 2000.

Hi, Cherri,

Wow -- thanks for the warning. I'm a Michigander, although not normally a McDonaldite.

Here's one back atcha (true story):

At another McDonalds (I'm not sure where) a guy entered, ran up to the counter, and held a gun to the cashier. He demanded an Egg McMuffin (I'm not sure of the item) and wanted it pronto. The nervous cashier and other staff served him as quickly as they could. Then he paid them and left!

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), March 01, 2000.

LOL. eve, that's a little like the stories (urban legend?) of having to hijack the plane to make sure it goes where it's scheduled to go!

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 01, 2000.

True story. Just on the local news the other night. Seems a patron of a westside Jax Hardees decided to change her order. That apparently pissed the workerbee off so much she proceeded to throw a cup of 380 degree oil in the customer's face.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), March 01, 2000.

It was my understanding Mr. Pointer asked for a "new" shake and the employee responded "They're all watery". To which Mr. Pointer again DEMANDED a better shake. Impossible dream of couse. Events spiraled out of control. The staff are merely cogs in the wheel, they cannot magically improve the ingredients on the menu. Nor should they beat the customers. Now if you really want to discuss inferior products, ask any teen whose worked for the Chihuahua how your lowgrade meat was cooked. The moral of this tale? Boycott. Eat at HOME!

-- Fast Food is Our So Called Life... (couchpotato@daytimetv.com), March 01, 2000.

I have a hard time believing anything but the best of McDonalds. They have long been the high mark other fastfood restaurants strive to meet. The latest commercial on T.V. shows a woman knock a box of fries of the tray and the counter person immediately replace it with a new one without being ask. That is my experiance with McDonalds. They want to make it right even when they arn't to blame.

-- Just passin through (nobody@nowhere.com), March 01, 2000.

Just a product of the tight labor market. You move people from welfare rolls to payrolls and don't fix the anti social behavior customer service suffers.

People should be able to serve wholeasses with resorting to violence.

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), March 01, 2000.

This reminds me of when our children were young and they loved McDonalds (probably because we didn't go there that often and they (Mc) had a good ad campaign). So, in our lack of good sense, we introduced them to Red Lobster and Mountain Jack. We came to wish that we had left well enough alone, especially when four boys and one girl became teenagers!

-- Connie (hive@gte.net), March 01, 2000.

"The suit said the manager and several workers then started beating him and that, when his wife intervened, she was beaten as well."

Very, very strange story. I wonder how many crucial details were left out, which only those close to the event (or members of the jury) will ever hear.

-- suspicious (sounds@very.fishy), March 01, 2000.

Deano left out the last part of the customer abuse at one of our local Hardees. After the young lady had the hot grease thrown in her face, the female clerk grabbed a broom and started beating the poor customer. A fellow male clerk just stood and watched.

Needless to say, the clerk is no longer an employee of Hardees. She is in jail. The customer has a badly burned face, hands, and arms and is suing.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.XNet), March 01, 2000.

What is it about living anywhere? Sh*t happens.

-- ~~~~~~ (~~~~~~@~~~~.xcom), March 01, 2000.

Lurkess

I read yesterday where they were actually waiting for her to come back in and were loaded and ready with the grease. THEN, after she beat her with the broom, the poor lady had to run across the street to a convenient store to call 911 for help.

I'm not much on suing but in this case I would take Hardees down if it were me.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), March 02, 2000.