Police said a man in Hamilton, Ont., whose Uber Eats McDonald’s order turned out to be an unhappy meal on Canada Day, called 911 to report an allegedly cold burger and fries.
Hamilton police said the “irate” man decided to take his complaint to the nearby McDonald’s location, where the order originated. A dispute then erupted over who was to blame – the restaurant’s staff or the driver for the Uber Eats delivery service.
“He was extremely upset,” Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman told CTVNews.ca on Thursday. “There was a communication between the officers and the individual. They brought him to an understanding that it wasn’t a police matter.”
She added that the fast food fracas serves as a reminder to the public that 911 is for emergencies, and not a means to lodge meal-related complaints.
“911 isn’t a customer service or general information line,” Penman said. “The system is certainly meant for life and death emergencies. A cold hamburger and fries certainly does not constitute that.”
She said no charges were brought against the man, but warned that improper use of 911 could result in charges of public mischief.
“These types of calls are more common than you think,” Penman said. “Nuisance calls can tie up the lines and make it harder for people to get in touch with our dispatchers in the case of an emergency.”
