A McDonald's customer attacked an employee in a fight over plastic straws - and it reveals a troubling reality for fast-food workers
- A viral video shows a McDonald's customer reach across the counter and drag a female employee towards him, as she fights back.
- The incident was sparked by a dispute over plastic straws, as the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, recently banned fast-food chains from giving away unlimited straws in their lobbies.
- A 2015 survey of almost 1,500 fast-food workers found that 87% had been injured at least once while at work, with 12% saying that they had been assaulted on the job.
A viral fight between a McDonald's worker and customer reveals a dark truth about the fast-food industry.
A video filmed in a St. Petersburg, Florida, McDonald's location shows a male customer reach across the counter and grab the female employee by her shirt, dragging her towards him. The McDonald's employee started to hit the customer, attempting to get him to set her free, until the pair was separated by other employees at the fast-food chain.
"I want her a-- fired right now," the customer said.
"You're going to go to jail," the employee responded.
Watch the video here:
The incident was sparked by a dispute over plastic straws, CNN reports. Daniel Taylor, a 40-year-old homeless man, began arguing with employees because the McDonald's location did not have straws out in the lobby. A new law went into effect on New Year's Day in St. Petersburg, requiring customers to ask for plastic straws.
The employee attempted to explain this to Taylor, according to eyewitness Brenda Biandudi.
"He started exchanging words laced with profanity, which I won't repeat," Biandudi told CNN.
Biandudi recorded the incident and posted it online. Taylor was arrested later the same day on two charges of simple battery.
Read more: A viral video appears to show a Florida man attacking a McDonald's employee over a plastic straw
"Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants," a McDonald's representative said in a statement. "We have been in contact with the police department and are fully cooperating with their investigation."
The incident reveals some larger issues, in that chain-restaurant employees can often end up in dangerous situations, both when engaging with customers and working behind the scenes.
A 2015 survey of almost 1,500 fast-food workers found that 87% had been injured at least once while at work in the past year. Some of these injuries were in the kitchen - 79% said they had been burned, and 67% said they had been cut.
Additionally, 12% reported that they had been assaulted on the job in the last year.
While these are longstanding issues for many people working in the service industry, violence at restaurants has been in the spotlight recently as people can increasingly catch incidents on smartphone cameras.
In the past year, countless videos showing the aftermath of apparent racial profiling at restaurants and other retail establishments have gone viral, including incidents such as the arrest of two black men in a Starbucks and a woman being forced to the ground and having her breasts exposed at a Waffle House.
