A McDonald’s employee in Boston was viciously attacked on Saturday, and it was allegedly over touching a drink lid. Authorities reported the unidentified 34-year-old customer became violent and struck the worker “several times.”
The suspect was taken into custody by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Transit Police. Officials posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the man was arrested and booked at MBTA police headquarters.
Police said his alleged victim was treated at the scene for injuries.
McDonald’s employees who work in food preparation are required to wear gloves and wash their hands at least once an hour.
As anyone on social media may attest, fast food establishments are now flashpoints for violent encounters between angry customers and staff. What should result in nothing more than a call to customer service too many times escalates into frightening scenes.
A Fox News report highlighted the epidemic of fast food violence in 2022, a year that saw multiple shootings, attacks, cash registers thrown through windows, and other bizarre behavior.
Boston McDonald’s employee allegedly punched by customer ‘several times’ for touching his drink lid https://t.co/aYksijvFyk pic.twitter.com/7jwASbxGPr
— New York Post (@nypost) February 26, 2024
There were several noteworthy incidents that may well be simply further indications of societal breakdown.
One involved a 27-year-old suspect, Sadaat Johnson, at a McDonald’s in Utah. He was accused of brandishing a weapon at employees over a mistaken order.
His 4-year-old child was in the backseat of his vehicle.
According to police officer bodycam footage, a gun was pointed out from the rear window. A round was fired, and Johnson then told alarmed officers that it was his child who shot the weapon.
According to the preliminary investigation, the father instructed the child to shoot the gun at the police.
In November, it was another McDonald’s that was the site of yet another frightening incident. This Philadelphia location was attacked by a robber who pointed his gun through the window from a red SUV at around 3:30 a.m.
He told the startled employee, “Give me the money,” and is then seen on security video yanking the entire cash register out of the window. The suspect and three others in the vehicle then fled the scene.
At one time it was liquor stores and convenience shops that were the stereotypical targets of violent criminals. Lately, the neighborhood fast food restaurant has become a mecca for dangerous behavior.
