McDonald's fans are mortified after realising their photo gets taken at drive-thrus
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: yaoinlove/Getty Images
McDonald's fans have had their worlds turned upside down after realising there's a drive-thru secret they never knew about.
If you’re a drive-thru regular, then you should be aware that staff can’t just hear you through the speaker, but they can also see you.
“That is so ugly, delete that off the system please!” TikToker @domenichila said in a recent video after being horrified to see a picture of him sat in his car on a nearby monitor.
"THEY TAKE PICTURES?" someone commented in disbelief.
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"Tell me this isn’t true," another begged.
It turns out it is, indeed true - but these cameras aren’t just being used for security purposes, according to a McDonald’s staff member.
The Mirror reported that the employee said in a now-deleted video that the photographic equipment is engineered to take a photo of you and the car that you are driving.
These snaps are allegedly linked to what burgers, fries, and drinks you’re after, so that staff members can be aware of exactly what you’ve ordered.
As your car’s image is reportedly connected, staff are more likely to hand you the correct bag of goodies, even during hectic moments at two-lane drive-thru restaurants.
“So maybe don't pick your nose when you order…because we see it and we judge you,” a staff member claimed.
Upon learning that they have been papped, one McDonald’s customer wrote: "Wow really? I had no idea there were cameras,” the publication reported.
Another said: “I worked at McDonald's for three and a half years. Pictures are taken at the start of the order, the moment something is clicked on."
Someone else commented: "It's fast-food if it's taking longer than a minute to get to the speaker get more staff or deal with me not being happy.”
McDonald’s confirmed in 2024 that the cameras do capture images of customers and their cars at the time orders are placed.
However, these pictures are reportedly deleted within 30 minutes of a sale being completed, the Express reported.
In a statement on its website, the chain added: “Some McDonald’s restaurants (including the drive-thru, indoor or outdoor dining areas) may be recording video for service improvement, technology development and security purposes.
“Please review the posted notices at the restaurant or communicate with a crew member for more details.”
One McDonald’s staffer has also claimed that the drive-thru can also pick up conversations you’re having in the car after you’ve placed your order.
“The fact people don’t know we can hear your convos even when we aren't speaking to you taking your order,” said one TikTok user, whose username is @privf1tz.
“And we have a camera and a speaker that takes a picture of you so we know whose order it is. Seeing the mugshot of random people makes my day.”
McDonald’s told The Express that the audio feed between customers and its staff is live and in real time.
It stressed that its studio system was designed to hear the driver and not the surrounding area, including passengers.
The company added that there was no system or capacity to record or playback audio received through the headset.
If you’re a big McDonald’s drive-thru spender, then why not take a pilgrimage to one of the most unique stop-offs in the world?
Nestled in the remote Swedish ski slopes is McSki, a ski-up drive-thru serving a full menu to hungry sportspeople.
The branch, which opened at the family-friendly Lindvallen resort in the 1990s, noted a few years ago that it had received an ‘80 percent increase in English visitors’.
“We’ve never had so many English guests. It’s an all-time high,” Linda Morell, head of public relations at SkiStar, who own the Lindvallen resort, told Metro.
If you’re closer to home, then you can head to your local restaurant to pick up a plethora of new menu items, including two permanent McCrispy burgers.
Joining the classic original are the Spicy McCrispy and the Cheese & Bacon McCrispy.
Additionally, McDonald’s has shared a brand-new breakfast menu, featuring McMuffins and a breakfast wrap with Frank’s RedHot Ketchup.