Grandmother arrested at McDonald's drive-thru for not pulling car forward

Police in Clearwater, Florida arrested 75-year-old Jean Merola because she wouldn't pull her car forward at a McDonald's drive-thru, despite being ordered to do so by an officer. She had ordered coffee and french fries and was waiting for them.

Merola said 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 said she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted.

Link (Via Tacky Fabulous)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

JG

#18 ” got what she deserved”
Arrest and public humiliation for a small mix-up at a fast food outlet?
Is your brown shirt too tight?
What a waste of everyones’ time.

I am sorry but no one deserves to be arrested for such a minor situation.

Thinking that every minor mix-up is deserving of arrest is the sort of approach that has America in a quasi-police state today.

Land of the Brave,Home of the Not So Free.

Compassion, understanding and yes, the occasional admission that some situations just aren’t worth the bad publicity would go further than the “Arrest them if they talk back or ask too many questions,” policy we have today.

With that in mind it’s sad to still say, NEVER argue with cop.
The guy with the gun makes the rules.
Spoon

So what is a reasonable amount of time someone should be allowed to purposefully trap a police officer and his car before being arrested?

I can see how he would be aggravated with the situation, it’s not like the old hag (definitely not a woman or a lady) would have said ‘oh theres a 911 call from three blocks away, and you’re the closest? well I’ll move my car then’ if she wouldn’t move it up a few feet so he could get out, or move it at all after receiving her order.

I feel sorry for the officer.
Blackbird

I’ve read both reports…I don’t know who to believe any more. Suffice it to say, both are likely lying somewhat. However, if the Officer asked her to move her car a few feet (versus honking, which apparenlty started this…but NOT in the police report, only independant eyewitnesses) I doubt there would have been any problem.

#12 hit it perfect. It’s about maintaining control. But, that is WAY to much of a slippery slope to go down. Arrest everyone and let the courts figure it out is … stupid.
jphilby

Hey! I remember that little old lady! She used to drag the main strip in Pasadena in her super-stock 426 Dodge!
Antinous

JG,

Haven’t you heard? Blame the Victim is the new compassion.
Cpt. Tim

#5… donuts, cops AND tasers?

my man you covered all the bases. *chuckle* how is that writers strike going? cant’ wait till you’re back on the colbert report.
Antinous

Well somebody has to make the obvious joke and get it over with.
Cowicide

#30 posted by registradus:

I just like the fact that there’s people in the world that see McDonald’s supervisors as a higher authority than THE POLICE.

LOL
obeyken

I think I might be able to shed some light on this. That’s actually *my* grandmother, and she’s a very sweet, kind lady… unless she’s been drinking.
Cowicide

#32 posted by Brian Carnell:

Some idiot blocking the exit of McDonald’s for 20 minutes while hurling insults at the cop trying to persuade her just to move her car…sounds like the cop is in the right here.

I don’t think you goddam understand. This very possibly irrational response to this incident by the blogosphere is “blow back” for all the rights destroyed under American citizen’s noses thus far.

This angst is coming from citizens who have put up with this same kind of shit way TOO long already (when it all too often really happens at McDonald’s all over the country).

We are losing rights almost every year now that would make our founding fathers grab their guns and conspire an overthrow.

At the rate we are going, if our citizens are worth a shit… we are going to live in a country where the citizens are downright fucking paranoid of authority because of all the rights that we’ve already lost…. in real time, right in our faces… as if we don’t matter for shit anymore.

Unfortunately, part of this “blow back” will make a lot of authority figures suspect. You know, “guilty until proven innocent” like average American citizens are being treated by “their” govt. right now? (especially at McDonalds)

I’m not saying it’s right… but, you can only push a strong people so far… before they push back.

Expect more of these hyper-reactions till things cool down. (i.e., regime change, etc.). Or, expect… much, much worse reactions if we don’t get proper regime change and soon.

Some shitheads in America may be “shocked” to know that there is still a deep, seething resentment about Katrina… it’s not forgotten.. and all the other things like stripping our rights “for our own good” is just become a thicker and thicker icing on the heaving shit cake of loathing and serious resentments.

The bewildered herd has become quite restless and downright spooked in some quarters. Our govt. needs to back the fuck off and back off NOW… for the sake of everyone… including the elite themselves. They have already stepped too far, even for them.

Oh, behold! The pendulum is a swingin’ back..!!!… and hard… very hard… like a throbbing meatpuppet of hate.

Beware, govt. … you keep stepping on us and we’ll keep bitching about shit on the internets and maybe even post tons of rants on blogs.

Then you’ll be sorry.
Nick15

#36: You’re making a big fucking deal over a petty situation between a senile old lady and a ~~macho~~ bored-ass cop in Bugfart, Florida. At a single McDonalds location out of the hundreds of thousands out there, no less. As much as you want to believe it, this is not the Amerikkkan Police State you are looking for. When this exact situation instigates a mere Kent State Massacre-level event, then we’ll talk.
Cowicide

#37 posted by Nick15:

… When this exact situation instigates a mere Kent State Massacre-level event, then we’ll talk. …

Don’t even get me started about Kent State, motherfucker. If I was at Kent State when that happened I would’ve mounted my long horse and charged those cops with all the conviction of the convincing reality of a really real reality television show.

Then you’ll be sorry.
Moon

They are finally cracking down on the crazy Florida senior drivers? I’m all for it.
Takuan

The utterly amazing thing is that no $cientologist of the hordes infesting Clearwater was immediately on the scene and doing a magical Assist.
Steve

#38: Why don’t you go ahead and stay home today. You can make up your homework on Monday.

Seriously – this went on for 20 minutes. What should the cop have done? It’s easy to say that the cops overreacted – but what’s the alternative? Give her an hour? Let her continue to block the drivethru, which, incidentally, interferes with the rights of other people and the business owner.
Cowicide

MOVE BITCH! NOW EAT YOUR GREASY SLOP.

O beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
O beautiful, for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw;
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!
O beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
‘Til all success be nobleness, and ev’ry gain divine!
O beautiful, for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

: \
zuzu

Tasing senile old women is the price of Freedom (Fries) in this post-9/11 world.
registradus

I just like the fact that there’s people in the world that see McDonald’s supervisors as a higher authority than THE POLICE.
h3llc4t

If you were a customer at that establishment and saw that someone was disregarding posted parking regulations for an extended period of time, and the police officer directly observing it did absolutely nothing, what would you say?
Wouldn’t that be cause for yet another hyper-reactionary post from those proclaiming that law enforcement ignores things right under their nose?
Seriously, there is no pleasing people when cops are involved. From what I’ve gleaned from both stories, this old bat wouldn’t move her car, the officer did the best he could peacefully, got torqued up and arrested her. Good for him. And maybe next time she’ll move the damn car.
Fat Chick

FINALLY!!! My tax dollars at work! It’s a relief that this menace to society – I mean, McDonalds – is off the streets.
Anaxaforminges

Officer: “Could you pull forward a foot so everybody can get by?”
Woman: “I’m not movin you bastard…McDonalds told me to wait here so I’m waiting here. Get back in your car pig”

(If you can’t pull forward a foot when a police asks you, should you be behind the wheel of an automobile?)
manicbassman

obviously she was interfering with “official” Police business… the officers wanted their burgers… the only other thing I can think of is that they were in the queue and got tasked and couldn’t get past her cos she was waiting for her order…
poopdog

Could there be any less information in the article?

Clearly there is something being left out.

I dislike ego-driven cops as much as the next guy, but even L.A. cops wouldn’t do something like this without provocation.
Antinous

Had it been a doughnut shop, she would have been tased out of the way.
Crunchbird

She wasn’t sitting at the window.

If you watch the video clip, it becomes clear that the drive through worker had told her to pull up out of the way to wait for her special order (fries without salt). She was directed to (or thought she was directed to) wait in a curbside area where fairly obvious yellow no-parking lines are painted on the ground. It was that area the police officer was telling her to move away from.

The fact that while reporting the incident he expressed his opinion that the woman might have mental health issues (according to her account), makes you wonder just how calm and rational she was being in response to his request. The fact that he ended up arresting her and hauling her in to jail over this minor incident, but then apologizing at the instruction of his boss, makes you wonder how calm and rational he was in dealing with her
meanie

Biggest issue here, she was on private property. This is a blatant and flagrant abuse of power by an a**hole with a gun having a big mac attack.

This is whats broken in America.

Anything else in the conversation is a waste of time.
Cowicide

He should have shot her, correct?
gerta

I’m with #4. The article seems crafted to generate outrage at the actions of the police, but it’s so full of holes that it doesn’t even qualify as reporting. Grandmother of eight? Oh, those pigs!
OM

…This debacle is just another example of what’s wrong with our pitiful excuse for a police force these days. They’re too busy occupying themselves with turning minor incidents into big crimes, just so they don’t have to risk their lives hunting down the *real* crooks.
Haldor

The cops were looking for the Hamburglar when grandma impeded an investigation ordered by Mayor McCheese himself.

According to unidentified sources, the Hamburglar mugged Grimace and pushed him over. Grimice, who has terrible balance, landed on Mayor McCheese (I’ve fallen and I can’t get up). His honor is outraged and wants justice.
Merlin Silk

I have to admit that I like these kind of incidents. They are probably very bad for the person effected by them, but they certainly help – as they are getting more and more frequent – to raise the awareness in the population, that there is something really wrong with our ruling class – which is no longer the people. I just wrote a blog post at http://www.merlinsilk.com/2008/01/24/john-lennon-you-are-the-government/
about John Lennon and his views about power and government in comparison to my favorite anarchist who wrote a great book – How to be a Successful Tyrant – who pondered the idea how this would look like if we, the people, would do the same thing as our current rulers.
Brian Carnell

“Parco said Merola continued to yell after receiving her food, demanding that Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein respond to the scene. He pleaded with her to move for about 20 minutes, but she refused to budge, Parco said.

…

A McDonald’s manager backed Parco’s account, according to the report. Laura Nicholson said Merola refused to move her car, was rude to Parco and told the officer he could not arrest her.”

Some idiot blocking the exit of McDonald’s for 20 minutes while hurling insults at the cop trying to persuade her just to move her car…sounds like the cop is in the right here.
Dillenger69

Do NOT question authority in Amerika.
No matter what the authorities say, they are right and you are wrong.
Authority figures in Amerika are infallible.
Any questioning of authority will be treated as the terrorist attack on our glorious homeland that it is.
JG

The police knew what they did was wrong however, they never allow a bystander to disregard their instructions regardless of whether that directive is constitutional or not.
It’s a matter of maintaining control. Showing force.
Police do what they want, then let the courts straighten things out.
The courts are filled with suits involving police overstepping their roles.
If the police had LESS power the courts would be less full. It’s a simple A/B logic equation.
mellowknees

I agree with POOPDOG (#4) – there HAS to be more to the story than what’s here.

At least, I really, really HOPE there is more to the story.

And on a totally unrelated note, I just have to say: “POOPDOG! THE GANGSTER SPECTRE OF DEFEAT!”
wildcardbet

Aaahhh… coffee and fries, a good ole fashioned healthy American meal. They should have tased her too.
KlokWerk

This is what’s wrong with America today: really bad news reporting that leaves viewers with the wrong impression of events. The pen is mightier than the taser and the reporters are even more careless than the police are.
MadMadchen

My (I hope polite-sounding) question is why post it here?

Random stupid stuff like this happens more than is reported- it’s merely infotainment now, and an excuse for people to get shocked and appalled and righteous.
smash hit tom

The real story here is why the hell did they make this woman wait for fries and coffee? Ronald needs to take trip to the Sunshine State and kick some McAss.
mindnumbing

The St Pete Times has a much more balanced article which not only offers more to the story, but includes a link to the police report:

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/22/Northpinellas/Flip_side_is_told_in_.shtml
Coaster

Grandmother of 8 has nothing to do with the story. Apparently the woman was hard of hearing or slightly senile, to think that she was told to wait in a no parking zone rather than the assigned waiting area.

If a 16 year old driver can figure it out, I would expect someone who claims to have been driving for quite a number of years to get it. I think she was just being stubborn and got what she deserved. Age doesn’t give you any special rights in that respect. Either you can drive and follow directions or you can’t.

That aside, that was a very sketchy story in regard to content and fact.