14 DAY TRIAL // An elderly Virginia couple were kicked out of their local McDonald's last month for allegedly exceeding the 30-minute sitting limit. Now, after their story spread across social media sites, they were offered free meals for life, but by another local restaurant.
World War II veteran Carl Becker, 87, and his wife Barbara Becker, 81, were having scrunch – their meal between supper and lunch – when they were asked to leave the fast-food restaurant located in Culpeper, Virginia, Yahoo News informs us.
The couple say they've been having scrunch at that specific restaurant for decades, but they have never been treated like this before. They didn’t even know there was a 30-minute time limit. However, on February 21, an employee who was cleaning up approached them and rudely suggested that they should leave so that he could clean under their table.
“He says, ‘You two have to leave. Your half hour’s up and we have to clean this floor, now,’” recalled the great-grandmother of 14.
The Beckers were so angered by the incident that they wrote a letter to a local newspaper called the Star Exponent in which they explained how the whole thing happened.
“I have had many experiences in my lifetime as a WWII veteran, a university teacher, a Professional Engineer, a retiree from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization at the Pentagon, and the father of six children - three of whom are also senior citizens - but none as unusual as being asked to leave a restaurant so they could clean the floor under and around the table where I sat,” Mr Becker said.
After hearing the couple’s story, Shawn Moss, owner of Shawn’s Smokehouse BBQ in Culpeper, decided to do something for them. Moss says he strongly believes in customer service and offered the Beckers free “scrunch” one day a week, for life.
Because the octogenarian was a World War II veteran, Moss also decided to celebrate a “Scrunch Day” dedicated to all veterans.
“We’re also going to do a ‘Scrunch Day’ on Wednesday, and offer free coffee to all seniors and veterans,” he said.
On the other hand, McDonald’s corporate offered the couple two free small coffees, which the couple refused, sending the coupons back. The Culpeper McDonald’s franchise owner, Bob Drumheller, says the company is currently investigating the customer's claims.
The two seniors say they will continue their tradition of eating their scrunch at McDonald’s, but not at the Culpeper location.