famous food chain refuses cup of tea ~ for it was bought for a homeless woman !

Bolton, is a town in Greater Manchester in North West England. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th century, introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition. Bolton was a 19^thcentury boomtown, and at its zenith in 1929 its 216 cotton mills and 26 bleaching and dyeing works made it one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton spinning in the world. The British cotton industry declined sharply after the First World War, and by the 1980s cotton manufacture had virtually ceased in Bolton.

Often, when you enter a hotel or a restaurant, you notice a sign stating that the right to admission and service to every guest rests with the hotel. However, the foundation of the hospitality industry remains the service that is provided to every guest who walks into the hotel or the restaurant.  Though it is a service industry, it involves transaction between two parties and one of them has the right to decide on the presence of whom they want [rather whom they do not want] says sources. Every hotel has its own set of codes of conduct that the guests need to adhere to. These might range from the appropriate attire of the guests to their behaviour.  Some do  deny admission to guests not wearing shoes. MCC and another famous club were in news earlier for denying admission on dress code.

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald.  A McDonald's restaurant is operated by either a franchisee, an affiliate, or the actual corporation itself.  

Mcdonalds  at OMR ~ illustrative – Wikimedia commons

Some time back  was an outrageous  incident of pushing out a child in its Pune outlet.  Facebook and other media were ripe with reports that a child was literally pushed out by the employees as it stood in a line along with a woman when the child came to buy a drink. The woman incidentally seeing the child on the street offered to buy him a softdrink; the boy was pushed out, though the woman contended that she had brought him in.  The FB news circulating stated the employee as stating “such people are not allowed in the restaurant”  and adds that  the woman purchased a drink and gave it to the child outside. She uploaded a picture of the child and the bill item on her Facebook account.

After being roundly criticised for its actions and blatant discrimination, McDonalds India said that appropriate action would be taken in case of any act of breach.  To them destitute street children are strictly ‘no’ even if somebody else is prepared to spend on them ! – people were asking - "What was the problem in Pune? No one asked for a free meal. The lady who took the child in was going to pay for the food. So why did McDonald's evict the child ?"

Now there is another storm in a tea cup !!  MailOnline reports that a man was outraged with McDonald's after claiming they refused to serve him a cup of tea - because he was buying it for a homeless woman.

Anil Barber, 38, took pity on the shivering lady after seeing her hunched up inside the fast food restaurant in Bolton in the early hours of the morning. He is reported as saying that staff at the counter told him he wasn't allowed to buy the beverage because the woman was homeless, and it would encourage her to beg.

The woman was described as aged in her 20s, very thin, around 5ft 5in tall and wearing a green anorak to shelter against the rain. An outraged Mr Barber said: 'I am a carer for my disabled brother and he wanted some food so I went to McDonald's where I knew I could get a quick meal.'I felt sorry for the girl as soon as I saw her. She's only young and she was sat with her arms round her knees, shaking because she was wet through from the weather.'I asked her if she wanted anything and she asked me to buy her a cup of tea. It was the least I could do for her.'I had already ordered my food but when I went back to the counter, I was told by the manager that I wasn't allowed to buy her anything as she's homeless and I was encouraging her to beg.'It was outrageous, I couldn't believe what a jobsworth he was being.'

McDonald's said the woman was banned for safety reasons and they have no policy against the homeless.  Mr Barber, who had tried to buy the woman a cheeseburger as well, but when he failed, he handed her a ten-pound note so she could try being served.'She went up to the counter and again they point blank refused to serve her,' he said. 'It was cruel.'I tried to offer her some of my food but she didn't want it. All she wanted was a cup of tea.'They should be ashamed of themselves. They were more than happy for her to sit inside the restaurant but they wouldn't take my money to give her a meal, there was no logic to it.'I left her with the tenner so I hope she managed to get something to eat. I've seen her around a few times and I always try and give her something if I can.'

McDonald's said the woman has been banned from the restaurant in China Gardens, Bolton, but denied it had anything to do with her being homeless.They said she was banned in the interests of customer and staff safety.A McDonald's spokesman said: 'There is no policy of banning homeless people at McDonald's.'The circumstances surrounding this individual's ban have no link to her being homeless and our restaurant team acted in the interests of the safety of our customers and employees.'We apologise if this was not made clear at the time.'

Strange are the ways of people !!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

25^th Nov. 2o15.