On March 27th, Easter Sunday afternoon, I pulled into Taco Bell on North Cedar Street in Holt and parked in a parking spot toward the end of the building. During this time, the news was on the radio and it was very nice weather-wise outside so I decided to sit and listen to "NPR" and relax before ordering. About 45 minutes to an hour later I realized that quite a bit of time had passed while I had been sitting there, listening to the radio, doing a crossword puzzle and enjoying the warm weather. I hadn't been paying attention to the time, but little did I know someone else was. A worker at the neighboring McDonald's.
I decided that I didn't want to eat tacos and drove over to the McDonalds next door at 2400 North Cedar Street. I proceeded to the drive through and placed my order; got my food and drove back around and parked 4 spots after the doors along- side the building. At this time , a radio program I enjoy was on the radio. It was 4:00 PM. After listening to the show for about ten minutes, I started to eat my meal. Shortly after finishing my first item, I saw who appeared to be a McDonald's manager in my rear view mirror with her phone out pointed toward the back of my truck. I didn't think anything of it because I wasn't doing anything wrong. I thought she was watching something on her phone and had it up to deflect the sun.
Shortly after, to my surprise, two Ingham County Sheriff officers knocked on my window. One approached my window while the other officer stayed behind him. I rolled down my window and acknowledged him. The officer asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was relaxing in my truck, enjoying the weather and eating my food. I then showed him my bag of food. He then responded with, "You aren't here watching people walk by?" I told him "no". The officer then said, "That's what parks are for".
He asked if I had been parked at the Taco Bell next door before coming to McDonald's and I told him I had been. I explained to the officer that I was eating in my truck because I suffer from social anxiety . The officer asked for my driver's license and took it to his car. Even though I had done nothing wrong, I gave it to him. When he returned to my truck, I asked if I needed to leave and the officer said yes. The officers were polite and I realized, doing their job, but I still felt shaken and unsettled that I had to leave, because I was doing nothing wrong and I hadn't even finished my meal. Many restaurant patrons eat their meals purchased in the drive through in the parking lots of the restaurant without issue.
I thought about the manager and her phone and the fact that she most likely saw me parked at Taco Bell. Before driving away, I mentioned to the officer that if "she" (meaning the manager) felt I was doing something wrong or posing some type of threat, then she should have spoken to me personally. The officer responded with , "I know."
This entire incident has been very upsetting to me. I had been having a peaceful day. I had been enjoying the weather. Due to my social anxiety, I don't go into restaurants to eat and daily eat in my truck. Just as people sit in the park or at the mall and watch their surroundings, I do this in my truck. I enjoy listening to my radio, being outside, watching traffic and eating my meal while doing so. I don't feel I should have to go to a park to do this. If one drives down past fast food restaurants, I am sure that many people can be found eating food in parking spaces outside of the restaurant.
This incident still upsets today. If I had been a young teen texting on their phone and not a middle aged, graying Hispanic man, I wonder if she would have still called the police. She ruined my Easter Sunday and I will never patronize that McDonald's ever again.
I didn't break any laws but in this case, it was decided that I had no right to be there. This is wrong on so many levels. I only hope that my story can help prevent future issues for others. read more
