Fast Food Worker Claims Customers Watched Him Get Assaulted & Then Complained About Wait Times — 'Not A Single Customer Asked If I Was Okay'
We need to treat fast food workers better.
@soybeanshowdown / TikTok A former McDonald's employee went viral for telling a story that highlights just how challenging it is to be a fast food service worker. He shared the story on TikTok under the username @soybeanshowdown.
The worker claimed that customers watched him get assaulted and then complained about wait times.
He stitched his story after a clip of a McDonald's customer verbally abusing an employee in another viral video. The former McDonald's worker detailed his experiences working in two different McDonald's franchises located in Ohio and Illinois.
He spent a considerable amount of his time serving customers in Cleveland and Chicago, and occasionally stepped in to assist in neighboring cities due to the franchise model of the restaurants.
Drawing from his wealth of experience, he described the struggles of being a service worker in the fast-food industry. "A good percentage of your customers, if you ever plan on working fast food, are going to be rude. Almost every interaction is negative," he said.
On top of that, he addressed the many people online who claim they are the exception to those who treat fast food workers disrespectfully. "Just based on proportions and statistics, babe, some of you are lying. In fact, most of you are lying," he said.
His commentary shed light on the stereotypes associated with fast-food workers, who are often deemed as "uneducated," "not intelligent," and "lazy." He questioned this behavior, calling out customers for being hypocritical when they demean service workers while simultaneously contributing to their wages through their patronage.
"If you are eating fast food, you have no place to act like working in fast food is shameful because you're literally what is paying those workers," he said.
He then began detailing an incident that had occurred during his time of service. While dealing with a line of cars extending into the street, an unhoused man, whom he had assisted in the past, tried to pull him through the drive-through window.
In front of an audience of honking cars and watching eyes, he was assaulted, with the man nearly succeeding in pulling him through the window.
Photo: @soybeanshowdown / TikTok
The indifference of the bystanders shocked him even more than the assault. "Not a single customer asked if I was okay," he said, "and the next guy that pulled up, not only did he not ask if I was okay, he complained about the wait times."
People in the comments sympathized and expressed their outrage.
His experiences ignited a conversation about the need to treat service workers with more kindness and respect.
"I feel like the only people who treat fast food workers like actual people are those of us who've worked in fast food," one person wrote.
Another comment highlighted the unfortunate perception of fast-food workers being viewed as a step below service workers.
"I think people don't view fast food workers as service workers, but a step below… which is so sad," they wrote.
As the story continues to go viral, it serves as a stark reminder of the crucial need for empathy and respect towards service workers, highlighting the urgent need for societal change in our perception and treatment of those working in the fast-food industry.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.