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Author Topic: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru  (Read 7229 times)

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Offline Wretched Excess

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Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« on: January 20, 2008, 06:16:24 PM »
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Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A 75-year-old woman was arrested at a Clearwater McDonald's drive-thru, because police say she wouldn't pull her car forward.

Authorities say Jean Merola, a grandmother of eight, was arrested for disorderly conduct after she refused an officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window. Merola says the McDonald's employees told her to wait there for her food.

Merola was handcuffed behind her back and put in the cruiser.

Another officer arrived and took her to the Pinellas County Jail .

Merola says she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted.

Jail records show she was released about 90 minutes later on her own recognizance.

good heavens


it seems like the cop could have found another solution to this one . . .

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Offline Lord Undies

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2008, 06:20:21 PM »
Take a lesson, folks.  This would never have happened at a Jack-in-the-Box.  And they have tacos!
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2008, 06:22:56 PM »
Quote from: Lord Undies on January 20, 2008, 06:20:21 PM
Take a lesson, folks.  This would never have happened at a Jack-in-the-Box.  And they have tacos!

it is pretty annoying when they ask you to pull forward.  it means that you are about to starve to
death before you get your food.

it also never happens at wendy's, by golly.

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Offline Chris_

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2008, 06:28:09 PM »
Is there something in the water in Pinellas County?   :bird:
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Offline Lord Undies

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2008, 06:34:47 PM »
Yes, it is annoying as all get out.  McDonald's is the only place it has ever happened to me, as if their cuisine is so cooked-to-order you have to wait.  :mental:  

The McDonald's closes to me has a couple of reserved parking spots for "Customers Waiting".  That, believe it or not, is an improvement.  It is a very busy place on a small lot.  There is no logical place to "pull forward" without being in the way of twenty other cars.  I once ended up circling the building about twelve times before I realized the fat kid with a sack standing in the middle of the street was looking for me.  
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Offline Zeus

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2008, 08:49:19 PM »
Quote from: Vonne on January 20, 2008, 08:45:35 PM
Quote from: Wretched Excess on January 20, 2008, 06:16:24 PM
it seems like the cop could have found another solution to this one . . .

Shrugs, he asked her to move the vehicle... she refused.  Shrugs, hard to feel sympathetic

yep,it ain't a good idea to get in a pissin contest with someone that has the power to arrest you.
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2008, 05:32:01 AM »
Fries and COFFEE?  That alone is enough to be arrested over.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2008, 07:37:32 AM »
Something's missing here...besides a linky-dinky.

She was there waiting long enough for the police to arrive?  Seems like fries and coffee would be ready long before that time.  Did they refuse to serve her at the window even after the food was ready?  WTH???   :mental:
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Offline Bondai

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2008, 12:33:18 PM »
She is lucky she didn't get tased...... :old:
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2008, 02:30:26 PM »

here's an idea;  why didn't they just give her the food?  I'll bet she would have driven away after that.  how long could that have taken?  what could possibly be accomplished by putting a 75 year old grandma in jail?  setting an example for all the other 75 year old grandmas?

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Offline Ptarmigan

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2008, 02:35:20 PM »
I heard that drive-thru is slower actually going into the restaurant. Anyways, I never use drive-thru even if I am picking up.
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2008, 02:38:00 PM »
Quote from: Bondai on January 21, 2008, 12:33:18 PM
She is lucky she didn't get tased...... :old:

maybe she should have been. :tazeme:

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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2008, 04:01:06 PM »
Welcome to Florida--land of newlyweds and nearly-deads.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2008, 05:34:18 PM »
Quote from: lug-nut on January 21, 2008, 07:37:32 AM
Something's missing here...besides a linky-dinky.

She was there waiting long enough for the police to arrive?  Seems like fries and coffee would be ready long before that time.  Did they refuse to serve her at the window even after the food was ready?  WTH???   :mental:
Just seen on the news...the reason the police got there so quick is because the car behind grandma in line was the police car. They reported it as the window worker told grandma to pull up and she didn't. The police car began honking his horn and wound up arresting her.
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2008, 05:39:13 PM »
Quote from: JackZip on January 21, 2008, 05:34:18 PM
Quote from: lug-nut on January 21, 2008, 07:37:32 AM
Something's missing here...besides a linky-dinky.

She was there waiting long enough for the police to arrive?  Seems like fries and coffee would be ready long before that time.  Did they refuse to serve her at the window even after the food was ready?  WTH???   :mental:
Just seen on the news...the reason the police got there so quick is because the car behind grandma in line was the police car. They reported it as the window worker told grandma to pull up and she didn't. The police car began honking his horn and wound up arresting her.

well, that explains how they got there so fast and why the cop seemed so personally involved. I'd still have just given her the damn fries.

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Offline Chris_

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2008, 05:45:47 PM »
me too...whatever happened to little old ladies being able to get away with yelling "where's the beef?"...so to speak
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If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2008, 05:57:03 PM »

I suspect we are about to wear the granny story out, but this is about the fullest description I have
seen.

Quote
Grandmother, 75, Gets Cuffs, Not Fries

CLEARWATER - If anyone was "lovin' it!" at the McDonald's that Jean Merola visited Thursday evening, it certainly wasn't her.

The 75-year-old grandmother of eight was arrested for disorderly conduct after she refused a police officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window.

"Isn't that terrible?'' she said from her Clearwater home Saturday. "Oh my goodness, here I am, a poor little innocent woman waiting for my French fries.''

Merola had pulled her Lincoln Town Car to an area where drive-up customers are directed if their orders will take some time. She ordered her fries without salt.

While waiting, a Clearwater police officer pulled up behind her and started honking his horn, she said. He was also waving his arms, apparently signaling for her to move her car, she said.

It was not immediately clear why the officer was at the McDonald's

She stayed put, so Officer Matthew Parco, 30, got out and walked over to her car and asked for her license and registration. Words were exchanged and after a brief altercation, she was handcuffed behind her back and put in the cruiser, according to Merola and an arrest affidavit.

Another officer arrived and took her to the Pinellas County Jail, where she was booked for misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Merola said she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted. She was released about 90 minutes later on her own recognizance, jail records show.

"My shoulder hurt me so bad that night," said Merola, who said she was just getting over pneumonia. "My shoulder and my arms and both of my hands were all swollen. When you're older you can't take that. That's when you're a young person, to put up with that. And it was uncalled for.''

The arrest affidavit states that Merola's car was partially blocking the drive-through lanes. Parco wrote that he asked her three times to move her car forward a foot to allow cars behind her to pass.

After refusing, Merola yelled at Parco for about 20 minutes, calling him a "brat,'' a "smart a--,'' and a "dumb----,'' according to the affidavit.

Merola, a widow and 43-year resident of Clearwater, made no apologies for her conduct. She said she could not move her car forward as the officer wanted because a curb was in front of her. She denies that she was blocking anyone.

"He's the one that blocked the traffic," she said. "Because he parked there where he wasn't supposed to park.''

As for swearing, "I got upset because he honked his horn at me,'' Merola said. "You know, it's only normal for you to get upset when somebody honks a horn at you when you're not doing anything.''

Merola said Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard called her Saturday morning to offer an apology.

"He says, "I am so sorry Mrs. Merola, this should never have happened."

Neither Hibbard nor Clearwater police were immediately available to comment.

The personnel at the jail also were sympathetic, Merola said. She didn't have to go in a cell with other inmates and didn't have to put on the yellow jumpsuit they wear, she said.

"They were very, very nice to me,'' she said. "When I was in there, they were just all shaking their heads. And I didn't get to eat my McDonald's, you know? So they gave me a sandwich. But I couldn't eat it.''

linky

it started over salt, I suppose.  and she had pulled forward, she just didn't pull forward far enough.
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Offline seemomgonuts

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2008, 06:10:59 PM »
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It was not immediately clear why the officer was at the McDonald's


Maybe Dunkin Donuts was closed?  :whatever:
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2008, 06:14:17 PM »
Quote from: seemomgonuts on January 21, 2008, 06:10:59 PM
Quote
It was not immediately clear why the officer was at the McDonald's


Maybe Dunkin Donuts was closed?  :whatever:

I thought that, too, but didn't want to go off on a semi cop-bashing tangent :-) 
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #19 on: January 21, 2008, 07:12:36 PM »
who orders fries without salt? that's kind of why they taste so good.
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2008, 07:14:39 PM »
Quote from: DixieBelle on January 21, 2008, 07:12:36 PM
who orders fries without salt? that's kind of why they taste so good.

I was assuming she has high blood pressure, and avoids salt because of that.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2008, 07:14:53 PM »
McRoad rage
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If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #22 on: January 21, 2008, 07:17:33 PM »
Quote from: Wretched Excess on January 21, 2008, 07:14:39 PM
Quote from: DixieBelle on January 21, 2008, 07:12:36 PM
who orders fries without salt? that's kind of why they taste so good.

I was assuming she has high blood pressure, and avoids salt because of that.
Probably. Kind of misses the point of eating fries though.
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I can see November 2 from my house!!!

Spread my work ethic, not my wealth.

Forget change, bring back common sense.
-------------------------------------------------

No, my friends, there’s only one really progressive idea. And that is the idea of legally limiting the power of the government. That one genuinely liberal, genuinely progressive idea — the Why in 1776, the How in 1787 — is what needs to be conserved. We need to conserve that fundamentally liberal idea. That is why we are conservatives. --Bill Whittle

Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #23 on: January 21, 2008, 07:18:17 PM »
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru
« Reply #24 on: January 21, 2008, 07:19:57 PM »
Quote from: DixieBelle on January 21, 2008, 07:17:33 PM
Quote from: Wretched Excess on January 21, 2008, 07:14:39 PM
Quote from: DixieBelle on January 21, 2008, 07:12:36 PM
who orders fries without salt? that's kind of why they taste so good.

I was assuming she has high blood pressure, and avoids salt because of that.
Probably. Kind of misses the point of eating fries though.

the oxymoronic product market is often confusing.  saltless fries.  sugar free gum.  smokeless cigarettes.  safe sex. :-)
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