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Drive-Thru Employees Share The Wildest Things They’ve Seen In Customer Cars

Samantha Wachs

Published July 24, 2019

Everyone has their own special fast-food hack; from insisting you don’t want salted fries (to ensure yourself a piping hot fresh batch) to being well-versed in elusive secret menus. But if you’ve ever wondered what drive-thru employees think of all that, you might be surprised.

Working the drive-thru window is no picnic. From being bombarded with orders from everyone in the vehicle, to dealing with complaints, to managing long wait times, these fast food workers tend to be under more pressure than the guys working inside the restaurant. Most spots have a system in place that runs on strict timers. But the wrong move from a customer can easily mess that all up.

If you love hacks and short-cuts, the drive-thru is definitely the right place for you. Please, though, keep your antics out of it. Drive-thru workers, as efficient as they are, have seen some weird stuff. And they all go to one place to clear their conscience: Reddit.

1. A Vegetarian Reptile

And his feline friend.

There’s nothing wrong with having a pet in the car, but when your furry friend is a little more scaley it’s bound to cause a commotion. This drive-thru worker wasn’t only shocked to see a lizard lounging on this customer’s dashboard. But it turns out, the little guy had a penchant for vegetables. And he was also accompanied by a fuzzy cat. Talk about a dynamic duo! But maybe that’s not so weird after all because another user responded with a photo of their lizard who accompanied them on a road trip right on the dashboard.

2. A Falcon That Runs On Dunkin’

Falcons are a bird of prey.

But this feathery friend was keen on a deep-fried treat. The Dunkin’ worker was a little shocked when this majestic creature came by the humble drive-thru, but they got the low-down on why. Apparently, all of the other employees got to pet the bird and the owner “worked with all types of birds and helped foster them when they were injured and then re-released them back into the wild.”

3. A Tortoise Living His Best Life

Did you know that some tortoises can grow to be almost 200 pounds?

We’re not sure just how big this tortoise was but it did take up an entire car seat. This drive-thru worker couldn’t contain their curiosity and found out why this big guy was shelling out at the restaurant. Turns out he was just making a stop on the way to an appointment. “He was just taking him to the vet,” the Reddit user wrote. “Didn’t even know you could own a tortoise like that in Michigan.” Neither did we!

4. This Cockatoo Had A Permanent Spot In The Car

How far would you go for your pet?

This drive-thru worker saw a woman make the ultimate sacrifice with her car. Making the decision to rip out her passenger seat for her cockatoo, it makes sense that this woman would bring her bird everywhere! But this cockatoo wasn’t feeling the drive-thru and had no problem expressing discontent.

5. Some People Forgot Their Clothes

Of course, they weren’t opaque.

When you’re working at the drive-thru, the last thing you expect to do is enforce a dress code. However, this user’s mother spent her teenage years dealing with a man who forgot all his clothes before going out for a burger. And, no, a full-body stocking doesn’t count as clothes.

6. Dominatrixes Get Hungry Too

You read that right.

The last thing you’re expecting to see when a car pulls up to the window is a full-blown BDSM situation being played out before your eyes. For what it’s worth, though everything besides the PVC seemed above board. But apparently, PVC and KFC are a girl’s best friend. And whether you’re on the job or in the middle of an intense situation, there is always time for a snack.

7. Fulfilling A Dying Wish

So the family had no choice.

Sometimes honoring the dead requires the most interesting of gestures. And even though drive-thru workers see the wildest things, a hearse in the backseat is always going to be a little shocking. The man really loved McDonald’s, though. Consequently, visiting the fast-food chain one last time was his final wish.

8. Polly Want A Nugget

Fast-food workers are (unfortunately) used to rude and angry customers.

But rarely are those customers parrots. However, this Reddit user had a regular who, depending on their mood would squawk and demand either french fries or chicken nuggets at the speaker. Somehow, though, the employee wasn’t fazed. Growing fond of the “pretty bird,” this worker ended up looking forward to seeing the duo.

9. Emergency Plant Surgery

What’s the one thing you don’t expect anyone to order at a fast-food drive-thru?

If you answered water, then this is the story for you. The drive-thru worker admits, that ordering a bottle of water at the drive-thru is weird. But what happened next definitely warranted a Reddit post. This woman must have really loved her basil plant because immediately after buying the water, she gave the potentially dehydrated herb a big gulp of H2O.

10. Bartering At The Drive-Thru Window

We certainly don’t condone this.

But apparently, there are a bunch of ways to get free food. Flashing the kid at the Burger King drive-thru doesn’t seem like a bulletproof plan. This time, though, it worked. And while most Reddit users thought this was a “fair trade” one user was worried about management. They commented, “I assumed something like that wouldn’t be sustainable as management could catch on.” But the original poster quelled their worries and shared, “I just wrote everything off.”

11. This Passenger Wasn’t Interested In Ordering

Most trips to the drive-thru involve everyone shouting their orders over the top of one another.

But this worker witnessed a passenger relieving their sweet tooth straight from the source. Seeing a passenger scarf down sugar straight from a big bag was probably shocking. But other Reddit users arrived with logical answers. The mother could have been diabetic or practicing an old wives tale to get rid of hiccups. We’ll never know!

12. Picking Up A Few Burgers Before Giving Birth

Can you imagine going into labor and thinking about anything but going to the hospital?

Well, this woman couldn’t get her mind off fries. So she turned up to the drive-thru while having contractions. Pregnancy cravings are notoriously intense, though. And we’re truly in awe of this mother-to-be. She prioritized her hunger before what could be an incredibly long labor.

13. Mega Fan Or Secret Shopper

What if your boss went through the drive-thru to check on your work?

It would be pretty weird. But the bigger question is, does Ronald McDonald have hiring and firing power? This worker felt more creeped out than startled by the undercover boss making an unannounced visit. We want to know, though, if he worked at McDonald’s or another fast food chain. In any case, one thing was for sure. The moment was probably unforgettable.

14. Don’t Drink And Drive-Thru

There are lots of stories about drive-thru employees dealing with more inebriated customers.

This instance, however, takes the cake. Most drunk customers are belligerent and annoying. But one customer went backward right down the drive-thru while he was drunk as a skunk. Next time, we recommend that he do the responsible thing and have an Uber drive him. Better yet, order Postmates.

15. Some Drive-Thru Workers Enjoy A Little Role Reversal

These fast food angels hand drivers food all the time.

But have you ever considered that occasionally they might like to be on the receiving end? This Reddit user experienced just that. And, sometimes, giving is better than receiving. A customer handed this employee a cookie through the drive-thru window, and it seemed to make his day.