Author Topic: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am  (Read 2025 times)

Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« on: 12 June, 2022, 06:08:35 pm »
Big shout out to the organiser - Grant for his pre ride liasion with the manager of the McDs at Barton Mills.
He agreed to open up just for us so we could order and eat inside.  he then closed the indoor section when we all left.
It was open for drive in takeaway but as you know cyclist don't count in this category.

Alex B

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #1 on: 13 June, 2022, 04:40:03 am »
Is this the MO for all McDonald's nationwide now? I.e. at night they default to drive-thru only?

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #2 on: 13 June, 2022, 10:37:32 am »
it seems a bit random - but safe to assume you're not welcome unless you're driving through (and not on a bike)

αdαmsκι

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #3 on: 13 June, 2022, 11:55:24 am »
Indeed, the staff at McDonald's were amazing! It's great being able to get a bit of hot food and coffee at 3am, esp knowing there'll be nothing open at Burnham at 6:30am.

Could have done without the headwind for the 150 km section back to Manningtree!

It was a novelty doing this ride in June rather than late April / early May when it's a cold overnight ride up to the coast and there are fields of yellow. This year it was fields of red poppies!
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

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Wycombewheeler

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #4 on: 15 June, 2022, 11:57:41 am »
Is this the MO for all McDonald's nationwide now? I.e. at night they default to drive-thru only?

certainly seems to be the norm, whether there is 100% compliance with this I'm not sure. They like to look the doors and close the inside, maybe to save them doing any cleaning, maybe for security. This would all be fine except they refuse to sell to cyclists or pedestrians at the window due to safety concerns.

How it's safer to try to hitch a lift through the drive through with strangers, in order to buy food, is beyond me. If their argument was that you can't cycle and carry food/drink, then I might have some sympathy for that view, but motorcycles are not banned. So they clearly have some idea that it isn't safe for bikes to mix with motor vehicles, despite the entire road network in this country being set up that way.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Bernster

  • ACME (Herts Branch)
Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #5 on: 15 June, 2022, 03:03:07 pm »
I've been caught out by this before, and they definitely refuse to budge - made for quite a grim, caffeine deprived overnight leg of a 400k DIY a few years back until I found an early opening garage with a coffee machine. The safest bet is to route to McDonald's (other eating establishments are available) that are listed as open 24h and that are located in service areas (motorway or otherwise), as I'm pretty sure these allow you to walk in and sit down at any time.

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #6 on: 15 June, 2022, 03:53:05 pm »
I have used McDonalds in the small hours recently and they were open as before. This was at Goole Glews Services.

arabella

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #7 on: 16 June, 2022, 03:58:18 pm »
I've been caught out by this before, and they definitely refuse to budge - made for quite a grim, caffeine deprived overnight leg of a 400k DIY a few years back until I found an early opening garage with a coffee machine. The safest bet is to route to McDonald's (other eating establishments are available) that are listed as open 24h and that are located in service areas (motorway or otherwise), as I'm pretty sure these allow you to walk in and sit down at any time.
and I.  I should have refused to budge and backed up the queue of cars until they caved?  I've heard you can't take an HGV through a drive through either. 
I followed up on their contact us site, to which they replied with a few reasons that might just about apply to pedestrians.  So I said as much and asked whether they really (in my specific instance*) thought that forcing me to cycle 45 mins to the next available option was a good idea, and why their site didn't mention that the "open 24 hours" only applied to people in cars.  I'm still awaiting a reply, it's probably been a decade by now   ::-)
*Thetford: "open 24 hours" it says proudly at the A11 roundabout where it's located.  I had to keep going along the A11 to Barton Mills, which in those days was only a garage.  Luckily I knew this!

so deffo hats off to org for ensuring they did actually let us all in
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #8 on: 17 June, 2022, 08:28:29 pm »
I've been caught out by this before, and they definitely refuse to budge - made for quite a grim, caffeine deprived overnight leg of a 400k DIY a few years back until I found an early opening garage with a coffee machine. The safest bet is to route to McDonald's (other eating establishments are available) that are listed as open 24h and that are located in service areas (motorway or otherwise), as I'm pretty sure these allow you to walk in and sit down at any time.
and I.  I should have refused to budge and backed up the queue of cars until they caved?  I've heard you can't take an HGV through a drive through either. 
I followed up on their contact us site, to which they replied with a few reasons that might just about apply to pedestrians.  So I said as much and asked whether they really (in my specific instance*) thought that forcing me to cycle 45 mins to the next available option was a good idea, and why their site didn't mention that the "open 24 hours" only applied to people in cars.  I'm still awaiting a reply, it's probably been a decade by now   ::-)
*Thetford: "open 24 hours" it says proudly at the A11 roundabout where it's located.  I had to keep going along the A11 to Barton Mills, which in those days was only a garage.  Luckily I knew this!

so deffo hats off to org for ensuring they did actually let us all in
These days I've had a few successes with drive thrus. The trick is to order online  ;D
I mean, they kind of have to give you your food then, because otherwise they're wasting food and issuing refunds.

mmmmartin

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #9 on: 18 June, 2022, 09:49:42 pm »
With McD's i think it might have something to do with planning permission: must be a motorised vehicle for drive through service. A bloody nuisance.
Besides, it wouldn't be audacious if success were guaranteed.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #10 on: 18 June, 2022, 10:01:11 pm »

Is it a Mcd's UK thing? I cycled through a drive through in Limburg last weekend...

J
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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #11 on: 19 June, 2022, 07:26:19 am »
Quote
These days I've had a few successes with drive thrus. The trick is to order online  ;D
That's a good idea..is there any box ticking to confirm you are intending to collect in a motor vehicle?  Does 'a few' mean100% success rate?

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #12 on: 20 June, 2022, 03:09:39 pm »
Quote
These days I've had a few successes with drive thrus. The trick is to order online  ;D
That's a good idea..is there any box ticking to confirm you are intending to collect in a motor vehicle?  Does 'a few' mean100% success rate?
100% success rate, although in one instance I was told to come in the side door for the Deliveroos.

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #13 on: 25 June, 2022, 10:12:44 pm »
Just to add another data point, I used the app to order food from the drive thru at Barton Mills McD’s on my Asparagus and Strawberries perm at 04:30 this morning with no problems. Having said that, no-one said anything about me being on my bike (other than to comment that my ‘bent was cool  ;D) so I probably could’ve just ordered as I went through.

mattc

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #14 on: 26 June, 2022, 06:46:26 pm »
https://twitter.com/faffing/status/1540770926945570816?t=TUuKIGvbdNm2kQYbVqvQ6g&s=19
relates.

A rare triumph (at a Scottish Costa, but all the same issues).

P.s well done Grant, clearly a switched on Org 👍
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #15 on: 26 June, 2022, 07:05:25 pm »
Excellent, the you must be in a car rule is stupid. If the rule is vehicle, well my recumbent is a vehicle.

huggy

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Re: Green & Yellow Fields 11/6/22 - McD control at 3.00am
« Reply #16 on: 27 June, 2022, 06:22:31 pm »
Thanks for the acknowledgements of 'savvy' organisership, in my opinion, nothing more than my event entrants should deserve!
In reality, all it took were a couple of phone calls and a drop in to the Barton Mills McD's to ask them. The first conversation for the A&S in May went something like this...
Me on the phnoe: "May I speak to a duty manager, please?"
McD: "Sure, no problem, one moment"
McD manager: "How may I help?"
Me: "I'm organising a mad cycling event that means cyclists will be passing thru Barton Mills between midnight and 3am, after your normal opening hours. I was wondering if you'd mind me advising them they can (or cannot) use the 24 hour drive through or click & collect"
McD: "Oh, I'm sure we can do better than that, can I take a few more details...?"
A couple of minutes later we had arranged for them to stay open until 3am on 8th May for the A&S. Similar for the G&YF until 4am on 11th June.

So sometimes all it takes is to ask and for there to be helpful staff to whom I am grateful  :)
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