Driver ends up with “very expensive lunch” after getting a ticket for using rewards app at drive-thru

A Canadian man has ended up with a cellphone ticket after using McDonald’s app for a free lunch at his local drive-thru.

The driver, from Saskatoon in Canada, left work to go and grab a quick lunch. He had wanted to use a free meal that he had earned on his McDonald’s app and stated that he was, “barely even moving, just rolling,” when he looked in his rearview mirror to find a motorcycle cop.

The driver stated that he showed the officer his phone to convince him that he was just loading up his rewards app, and he was certain that at this point, the police officer would let him go.

However, it turned out to be a “very expensive lunch” as the police officer went on to fine him $580 for the offence.

According to a local criminal defence lawyer who appeared on a Canadian News network, there is a grey area surrounding these traffic laws: “I feel sorry for this individual if he was in fact at a drive-thru and not on a public roadway.” However, he did comment that he was not familiar with all the ins and outs of the case.

He also went on to say that regardless of the details, ticketing people in drive-thru queues doesn’t seem to be a very good use of police resources.

In the US and Canada, typical road traffic laws (apart from being intoxicated at the wheel) don’t apply to drive-thrus as they are technically ‘private roads’, so the usage of phones isn’t illegal.

McDonald’s have not commented on this particular situation, but have this statement on their website: “If you are travelling alone in your vehicle, please ensure that you pull over to a suitable, safe place, stop, and switch off your engine before using McDonald’s app.”

“When collecting at Drive Thru there is no need for you to touch your phone.”

The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in Saskatoon disagreed with Prima’s version of events, stating: “RCMP can confirm that on May 13, 2024 the individual was observed driving a vehicle on a public roadway while using a cellphone.”

“An officer initiated a traffic stop with the individual. The individual then pulled in the McDonald’s parking lot, where the traffic violation was issued.”

This statement from the police would suggest that he was in fact using a public road when stopped by police, and then pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot afterwards.

According to Canadian news, he intends to fight this fine and will appear in court on July 31st, 2024 to plead his case.

It’s not often that you hear of someone receiving a fine for driving to get fast food, but if you want to avoid the risk altogether, why not board the KFC gravy train instead instead?