New "sneaky thieving b*stards" scam you haven't heard before

[Shakermaker]

A mate was telling me of a new scam, which once he told me, I was surprised I hadn't heard before as it seems quite simple in execution

At the end of his night shift a couple of days ago, he fancied a McDonald's breakfast. He came into the car park towards the drive-thru lane when a car that had been parked drove up in front of him, then started dithering around whilst he was ordering his food. They then pulled ahead of him and the payment window, sitting in the bit inbetween the pay window the end of the lane.. and promptly drove to the collection window and nicked his food!

It must have been done before, right? But at 34 years old, I'd never heard that one before.

Any that you've learned of that in principle actually sound quite easy but you've only heard of once?

[captain_cynic]

Shakermaker said:

A mate was telling me of a new scam, which once he told me, I was surprised I hadn't heard before as it seems quite simple in execution

At the end of his night shift a couple of days ago, he fancied a McDonald's breakfast. He came into the car park towards the drive-thru lane when a car that had been parked drove up in front of him, then started dithering around whilst he was ordering his food. They then pulled ahead of him and the payment window, sitting in the bit inbetween the pay window the end of the lane.. and promptly drove to the collection window and nicked his food!

It must have been done before, right? But at 34 years old, I'd never heard that one before.

Any that you've learned of that in principle actually sound quite easy but you've only heard of once?

How... Every McD's drive through I've been through in 4 countries has been a closed loop of a road. You can't simply cut in in front so they'd have to back in and even a McWageslave would notice that.

Also McD's attaches your lic plate to your order on the drive through, so trivially simple to sort out at the collection window. I cant see how they'd get away with it given the sheer number of cameras around (my local McD's strictly monitors traffic as it's a busy car park, people get told to move if they're blocking the drive through).

Sounds like a bit of an urban legend to me.

The scams that are common for fast food staff are usually more typical cons, things like "I've got my kids in the car, its broken down and we've been waiting for the AA for hours, I left my wallet back at home, could you please give me 2 happy meals for my children" et al. before taking them over the road and eating them in plain view.

[R8Steve]

Even in the unlikely event that this would work, McD's would just give you your order anyway so it's not much of a scam.

[Shakermaker]

R8Steve said:

Even in the unlikely event that this would work, McD's would just give you your order anyway so it's not much of a scam.

Yes, my mate got his food when they realised what had happened, but the people in front stole his meal first

[P2KKA]

I can imagine something like this working. I recently paid £18 for a large coke because they had screwed up the order of people approaching the window. they gave me a coke and £20 of vouchers though so not all bad.

[Shakermaker]

captain_cynic said:

How... Every McD's drive through I've been through in 4 countries has been a closed loop of a road. You can't simply cut in in front so they'd have to back in and even a McWageslave would notice that.

Also McD's attaches your lic plate to your order on the drive through, so trivially simple to sort out at the collection window. I cant see how they'd get away with it given the sheer number of cameras around (my local McD's strictly monitors traffic as it's a busy car park, people get told to move if they're blocking the drive through).

Sounds like a bit of an urban legend to me.

The scams that are common for fast food staff are usually more typical cons, things like "I've got my kids in the car, its broken down and we've been waiting for the AA for hours, I left my wallet back at home, could you please give me 2 happy meals for my children" et al. before taking them over the road and eating them in plain view.

Well perhaps my description wasn't entirely clear, but the other car drove in front of him before he got onto the little loop around the building and then just sat ahead of him whilst he was ordering, in the bit in between the two windows. As if they were sat there, waiting for a potential drive-thru customer so they could pull this off

its obviously beaten whatever camera system they have - and at what, 6.30am, it won't have been that busy.

[Bear-n]

Scams like this are oat so simple.

[davek_964]

Shakermaker said:

Well perhaps my description wasn't entirely clear, but the other car drove in front of him before he got onto the little loop around the building and then just sat ahead of him whilst he was ordering, in the bit in between the two windows. As if they were sat there, waiting for a potential drive-thru customer so they could pull this off

its obviously beaten whatever camera system they have - and at what, 6.30am, it won't have been that busy.

So basically, they drive ahead of you onto the loop road, drive past the ordering point without stopping, and stop before the collection point.
They wait for you to order, then drive to the collection window to drive off with your food.

I'd have to be bloody hungry to want McDonalds in the first place - I'd have to be so hungry I could barely drive to go to that much trouble - without even knowing what the order was going to be - just to get it for free.

[Shuvi McTupya]

As a teen I worked in McD's for a short while.

For ages after that i never had to pay for any food. I would simply join a queue that had a buddy of mine working the till and when i got to the front of the queue he would just ring up the last order and dish it out to me again and then mutter the standard Mcdonalds script "Thank you very much for your order, try not to choke on it"

I once made the mistake of getting in line behind a family of four and ended up walking out with way too much food

[R Mutt]

I probably average about 1.5 McD's a year. The girl at the collection window didn't even ask what I'd ordered. Presumably knew my number plate. Tech seems pretty idiot proof, no offence to the staff but yeah, probably required.

I did have someone nick a pizza I'd rang through for collection. How many people were ordering a veggie hot at 2am for the dodgy kebab/ chicken/ pizza place. Very strange.

[Shakermaker]

R Mutt said:

I probably average about 1.5 McD's a year. The girl at the collection window didn't even ask what I'd ordered. Presumably knew my number plate. Tech seems pretty idiot proof, no offence to the staff but yeah, probably required.

I did have someone nick a pizza I'd rang through for collection. How many people were ordering a veggie hot at 2am for the dodgy kebab/ chicken/ pizza place. Very strange.

see, I'd never put it down to the number plate. I'd just have it numbered. Car 1 ordered this, Car 2 ordered this, since they can't overtake each other in the queue once they've ordered.

Though, I now note that some McD's now appear to have 2 ordering points so something must have changed

[gregs656]

This has been going on for a while.

They pull up at window 1 and tell them they've changed their mind, then wait just ahead of it, then when the person behind them has ordered they drive up to window 2 and get their food.

So they're in the 'closed loop' already.

[captain_cynic]

gregs656 said:

This has been going on for a while.

They pull up at window 1 and tell them they've changed their mind, then wait just ahead of it, then when the person behind them has ordered they drive up to window 2 and get their food.

So they're in the 'closed loop' already.

Again I find this hard to believe because someone is watching. In most McD's there is room for maybe one car between payment and pickup and the person taking the payment will see that they've stopped and notify the duty manager (they'd need to do that anyway for a cancelled order).

The whole thing sounds like an urban myth.

[R Mutt]

Shakermaker said:

see, I'd never put it down to the number plate. I'd just have it numbered. Car 1 ordered this, Car 2 ordered this, since they can't overtake each other in the queue once they've ordered.

Though, I now note that some McD's now appear to have 2 ordering points so something must have changed

Yeah an extra collection window.

I recall 3 but only seeing a human upon collecting my order at the 3rd as I presume they're card only which I'd tapped at the 1st upon ordering, with the 2nd (or 1st collection window) closed as it wasn't busy.

[Shakermaker]

captain_cynic said:

Again I find this hard to believe because someone is watching. In most McD's there is room for maybe one car between payment and pickup and the person taking the payment will see that they've stopped and notify the duty manager (they'd need to do that anyway for a cancelled order).

The whole thing sounds like an urban myth.

But it isn't. It happened, to my mate, this week. Absolutely no reason at all for him to lie to me about it. Come on man, we usually generally agree on things despite your cynicism

[R Mutt]

I think the disbelief may lay in the question of why someone might steal a McDonald's. I presume these people must live in very affluent areas where people don't steal washing/ cables etc. I'm surprised there's a McDonald's there

[gregs656]

captain_cynic said:

Again I find this hard to believe because someone is watching. In most McD's there is room for maybe one car between payment and pickup and the person taking the payment will see that they've stopped and notify the duty manager (they'd need to do that anyway for a cancelled order).

The whole thing sounds like an urban myth.

They don't cancel an order, they never make an order.

Definitely happens.

Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZLnl6cSQZ8

[PositronicRay]

As a yoof I worked in a supermarket, post box inside the store.

One shoplifter took to posting cds and stuff so not technically smuggling them out.

(they were caught eventually, the police asked royal mail to open up the box and check the address)

[Drew106]

Can afford to put petrol in the car, but can't afford a cheeseburger. Tough times.

[br d]

I don't use McDonalds but I'm a little lost here, don't you pay at the window when you pick up the food? How is the car in front picking up the food if it hasn't been paid for yet?