Would You Like Fries with that Lawsuit?
Written: Mar 11 '03 (Updated Mar 17 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Decent food with inexpensive prices, great desserts and breakfast.
Cons: It will make you fat and eventually kill you.
The Bottom Line: New dollar menu, great desserts and an easy target for frivolous lawsuits.
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| stockholder's Full Review: McDonald's |
There are 427 different reviews written about McDonald’s, they have served billions and billions of burgers. So, I’m not going to insult your intelligence and describe a Big Mac or tell you that their French fries are delicious. At this point, if you have not eaten at McDonald’s, you most likely never will.
I want to write about the items that are relatively new on the menu that you might have missed and the lawsuits filed against McDonald’s.
McDonald’s
When I go to McDonald’s, I limit myself to whatever deals they have going-on. I will ask the workers if they have any sandwich specials.
Recently, I was able to buy a Big and Tasty for a dollar. While purchasing the sandwich, I over heard the young ladies working behind the counter calling the sandwich a Big and Nasty. But that did not stop me from giving it a try. I understand that the worst place in the world to work could possibly be McDonald’s. So, I don’t expect the big friendly smile that you see on the McDonald’s commercials. What I normally see working at McDonald’s are gap toothed women with jailhouse tattoos on their hands that are forced by their parole officers to work there.
The Big and Tasty is a great deal for a buck. It is basically the same as the quarter pounder but it has mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. It is not as good as the Big Mac but it is as filling. I’m able to finish two without a problem.
Of all of the fast food joints McDonald’s is my favorite place to eat breakfast. I have always loved their Egg McMuffins, I normally order two ham and one sausage and I remain satisfied all morning.
McDonald’s is also the best for desserts. I’m in love with their Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. It is made with a scrumptious vanilla yogurt with berries and strawberries in the middle topped with granola.
The Hot Fudge Sundae and apple pies are also delicious.
The New Dollar Menu:
McChicken Sandwich, McValue Fries, Soft Drink, Snack Size Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, Hot Fudge Sundae, 2 pies and a Side Salad.
McFrivolous Lawsuits?
When people talk about frivolous lawsuits, they always mentioned the lady that spilled hot McDonald’s coffee on herself and sued for $2.8 million dollars.
People enjoy making themselves feel smarter by talking about the lady that is so dumb that she dumped scorching hot coffee on her crotch and then wondered what the strange burning sensation was around her holiest of holies. The conversation always ends with some young whippersnapper laughing out loud about how stupid the rest of the world is and mentioning that the lady got what she deserved for blindly dumping coffee on herself while attempting to drive. I heard one guy say that he would have no problem dumping a cup of McDonald’s scorching hot coffee on his package for $2.8 million dollars.
Well, you could not pay me a billion dollars to dump one drop of that stuff on my Frank and Beans. The normal cup of coffee that you make at home or buy at Dunkin Donuts is between 135 to 140 degrees. McDonald’s keeps their coffee brewing between 180 and 190 degrees (water boils at 212 degrees). They claim their customers enjoy their coffee this hot, but in reality a human being could not swallow anything at 180 degrees without burning their throat. The reason they keep the coffee at these extreme temperatures is to save money. Coffee loses its flavor as it cools; so keeping it brewing at around 180 degrees allows McDonald’s to keep the same pot of coffee brewing longer and less need to dump the pot and make fresh coffee. That’s why McDonald’s coffee sometimes tastes burnt.
The facts about Mrs. Liebeck, the elderly woman that spilled the coffee, are clearly on her side. Mrs. Liebeck was the passenger (not driving) in her grandson’s car on the morning they went to McDonald’s for breakfast. She received the coffee through the drive-through window and as her grandson pulled over so she could mix the cream and sugar, the coffee split all over her. Mrs. Liebeck suffered third degree burns on her thighs, buttocks and genital. She had to spend eight days in the hospital and receive several skin grafts. After all of that pain and suffering she offered to settle for $20,000, which is chump change for McDonald's, but they refused to pay.
Taking in consideration the previous 700 lawsuits McDonald's has faced from their coffee alone, the judge found McDonald's conduct reckless and callous, she received almost $2.8 million dollars.
In my opinion McDonald’s was not liable, I think every person over the age of six-years-old should be able to handle the responsibility of not dumping their food and beverage on themselves. But considering this woman went through extreme pain and was willing to settle for $20,000 with a billion dollar company proves this was a not frivolous lawsuit. The only thing that makes this story unbelievable is McDonald's’ many levels of greed.
But what is a frivolous lawsuit is suing McDonald’s for making people fat. I have first hand experience with being overweight and it has nothing to do with McDonald’s. I eat at McDonald’s about 6 times a year and my weight is out of control. But when I do eat at McDonald’s, feeling like a big fat blimp is constantly on my mind. After all of these lawsuits were reported on the news, eating at McDonald’s is now looked down upon almost as much as smoking cigarettes.
After being brainwashed, I cannot order a Big Mac and fries without feeling like my heart is going to stop after taking the first bite. Yet, I can inhale three egg roles with my large Beef Chop Suey and feel just fine.
The frivolous lawsuit against McDonald’s basically said that Americans are too stupid to understand that burgers and fries are bad for us. The suit against McDonald’s also stated that parents are too busy to teach their kids how to eat healthy and kids should not suffer because of it (but McDonald’s should).
As you most likely know, all the people that claimed McDonald’s ruined their lives by making them fat came up empty when the judge threw the case out of court. He basically let all these professional eaters and scumbag lawyers know that you need to take a certain amount of responsibility for yourself. You can’t walk around like a brainless idiot and expect the rest of the world to think for you and take care of you.
But the damage from the bad publicity was done. During the time of the lawsuits, for numerous reasons McDonald’s stock price dropped around 40 percent and at one point dropped 17 percent in just three days.
The bottom line:
McDonald’s has decent food with inexpensive prices, but that does not mean you should consider them one of the basic food groups. You are almost guaranteed to be a big fat slob if you eat this stuff everyday.
As for the lawsuits, I have one pending against McDonald’s myself. After all, someone should pay, it can't be my fault that I have this large set of man boobs!
McStockholder
From what I understand... (Reply to this comment)
by Penguinlady
The scalding-coffee suit was brought because McDonald's refused to take the complaint seriously. The victim initially just tried to alert them that their coffee was too hot, but they blew her off again and again until she filed the lawsuit to make them pay attention. Sort of like hitting a donkey over the head with a 2 x 4.
The only edible food at McDonald's is the fries which I love but which I eat maybe once a year. The rest of it is smashed-flat pre-fab and doesn't qualify as food in my book.
Nice review!
Margaret Mar 15 '03
10:29 am PST
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Recommended:
Yes
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Location: Chicago
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