In a viral video, TikToker Brandon Gross (@brandonwgross) shared his experience getting kicked out of a McDonald’s because he was considered to be loitering by the manager.
He prefaced the first video by saying this was his second or third interaction with the employee, and that he had bought a drink after she had made the claim that he must buy something in order to stay.
“Why are you so angry about it?” he asked the employee. “You’re acting like I’m a homeless meth addict or something in here that’s disturbing people.”
@brandonwgross Mcdonald’s workers need to chill.. #imlovinit #cheeseburger #police #kickedout ♬ original sound – Brandon Gross
The employee said she was upset because Gross wasn’t listening to her, and claimed he was taking up space and prolonging their cleaning process. In the video, it appears to be broad daylight outside.
“She’s getting the supervisor now because I’m not allowed to sit here on my laptop in McDonald’s because I’m taking up too much space,” he said as he showed the empty restaurant.
As Gross waited for the supervisor, a woman and her daughter spoke to him and said the employee was rude and was acting like a “Karen.” The McDonald’s, located in Athens, Tennessee, has a supposed 30-minute loitering policy according to the shift leader.
In a part two video, Gross talked with the shift leader and halfway through the clip, he was met with the cops in the parking lot.
The video has over 1 million views.
@brandonwgross Replying to @Blaze here ya go! Its a long one! #imlovinit #mcdouble #mccrackhead #cheeseburgers ♬ original sound – Brandon Gross
The shift leader began to explain that Gross needed to have bought food, not just a drink, in order to be able to stay longer. The creator then asked if he could be refunded for the drink after she told him she could give him 15 more minutes.
“If there were a lot of people here, I would be out,” he said after the shift leader said he was taking up table space. “There’s nobody here. You understand right?”
After the first so-called “Karen” and another employee threatened to call the cops, two customers talk to Gross saying that he has been quiet the whole time and that he is just working.
“Sorry to waste your guys’ time like that,” he said to the cops in the parking lot. “It is what it is man,” the police officer said.
The officers asked for Gross’ ID for the record, and assured him that he was not in trouble.
“I’m pissed that they made me buy a drink and still kicked me out,” Gross continued. The officers agreed with him, and eventually left.
In the comments section, users discussed the employees’ actions.
“The McDonald’s workers who live in their own reality where they rule the world is a psychological phenomenon that needs studied lol,” one user said.
“You bought a drink. You are a customer. You are not loitering. Simple. Let corporate know,” another commented.
“As a former McDonald’s manager back in the day, I wouldn’t get paid enough to care this much,” a third user said.
In the end, Gross revealed that the manager called him the next morning, apologized, and said that the whole reason she got Wi-Fi for that location was to encourage customers to come, stay, and work.
The Daily Dot reached out to Gross via Instagram messaging.
