By Carlos Miller
And in today’s story out of the Twilight Zone, that state the rest of the country calls Utah, a group of teens were cited for disorderly conduct for rapping their order through a McDonald’s drive-thru microphone.
It was part of a nationwide phenomenon among teens. Even Taco Bell has caught on to the trend in one of its commercials.
But people are a little bit more sheltered in Utah. The McDonald’s employee couldn’t understand what they were ordering and told them to talk normal, but they kept rapping.
This prompted the manager to walk outside and order them to leave, but not before he took note of their license plate.
This is where the Twilight Zone music begins.
Rather than laugh in the face of the manager after being told what the teens did, the officers set out on a mission to track them down. They eventually found them at a high school parking lot watching a volleyball game.
The teens were each cited for disorderly conduct right there in front of their peers.
McDonald’s said it had no choice but to refuse them service because there is no telling what would they want to do next. Perhaps an armed robbery while rapping?
The owner-operator of the McDonald’s said in a statement that the issue was about employees’ safety at the restaurant in American Fork, about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City.
“The employee in question felt that her safety was at risk as a result of the alleged actions of these individuals in the drive-thru, not as a result of them rapping their order,” franchisee Conny Kramer said in the statement. “As such, she contacted the local authorities.”
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27 responses so far ↓
1 Jessica Deal // Oct 31, 2009 at 1:45 AM
Suppose they should try country next time.
2 Charles U. Farley // Oct 31, 2009 at 3:02 AM
This is how it starts. Disrespect for authority by rapping and then watching volleyball. The next thing you know they become thought criminals.
Apparently word of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment hasn’t reached this part of the country yet.
An interesting side note, is that the movie Footloose, where dancing was forbidden was filmed very near American Fork, Ut.
3 mepsipax // Oct 31, 2009 at 9:27 AM
Yeah, they are a little special there. I can’t believe they wasted police resources for this.
4 Rob Molecule // Oct 31, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Is there anything that can’t be a disorderly conduct charge?
5 EdinMiami // Oct 31, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Rob, having asked that question…I must cite you for disorderly conduct. Please pay the lady as you leave.
6 Carlos Miller // Oct 31, 2009 at 10:20 AM
I just watched the video again and if it wasn’t for the CNN logo, I would swear it was from The Onion.
7 the bulldog // Oct 31, 2009 at 10:39 AM
boycott mcdonalds, dunkin shitty donuts AND utah for that matter!
8 Rich Demanowski // Oct 31, 2009 at 10:53 AM
We call ‘em “Utahrds” for a reason.
9 Lorraine Sumrall // Oct 31, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Right. It’s a proven fact that rapping while at a drive-through leads to serial killing. This is probably the most inane thing I’ve read since the VA corrections officers masturbated their K9 on video.
10 Tom Jankowski // Oct 31, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I’m sure the ACLU would love to be involved.
If they don’t want people rapping their order in a drive thru, they shouldn’t have one.
Hmmm, tempted to do something similar at a different fast food establishment…
11 NYCPhotorights // Oct 31, 2009 at 1:06 PM
If they moved on once the manager told them to leave then there was no disorderly conduct. I hope they sue McDonalds for MILLIONS!!
12 the bulldog // Oct 31, 2009 at 1:51 PM
of course the manager will lie! especially if the manager is a honduran rafter! disorderly conduct sticks!
13 genewitch // Oct 31, 2009 at 1:53 PM
i can only imagine how the police tracked them down… going to their houses, their parents answer the door “oh my god, what happened to jimmy?” “calm down ma’am, we’re looking for your son to cite him for disorderly conduct”
“what, no, not my jimmy, what did he do?”
“allegedly he was rapping at a mcdonald’s drive through window”
“… am i on tv? like candid camera?”
I thought the police weren’t allowed to give citations unless they actually witnessed the action? what’s to stop any $13 an hour manager from giving the license plate of people he doesn’t like saying they were causing a disturbance at his establishment?
This is BS.
14 Jay // Oct 31, 2009 at 2:03 PM
The people of American Fork, Utah should be incensed that their tax dollars were used this way. The police should be embarrassed that they didn’t tell the McDonald’s manager to go pound sand.
And what would have happened if the kids said they weren’t at that McDonald’s and there was no evidence other than the manager’s word?
We. Are. Doomed.
15 lobster // Oct 31, 2009 at 9:45 PM
I’m a Minnesotan who lived in Utah for a while. This totally doesn’t surprise me, especially coming out of American Fork. Utah is an awesome state, minus the majority of momos. There is a reason that the State Legislature is referred to as the “churchislature”.
16 Workingindust // Oct 31, 2009 at 11:28 PM
I read articles like this and wonder – Where the hell did my country go?
17 JoyLeaf // Nov 1, 2009 at 2:56 AM
Maybe next they will have the nerve to take pictures of women! In parking lots! Where will their villainy end?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/chi-deerfield-blotter-nzone-30oct30,0,4605022.story
18 Robert // Nov 1, 2009 at 3:23 AM
Local utahn here, and I’ll be letting my friends know that next time they have the urge to release there phat vocals, that they’ll get cited for using there 1st rights.
19 Tom Jankowski // Nov 1, 2009 at 1:03 PM
One more thing: The manager said what the teens were doing was childish. This from the manager of a restaurant who has a CLOWN for a mascot!
Maybe they should have asked the cops to go after the Hamburgler while they were at it! LOL!
20 Arthur Dent // Nov 1, 2009 at 3:17 PM
It sounds like another blowhard from the Chamber of Commerce throwing around his “power.” I really hate these business people who think they can get whatever they want because they have money.
21 AngryHateMusic // Nov 1, 2009 at 8:25 PM
I live in Utah, I live in SLC. I drove past the location of this food franchise today. I kept driving. WTF were they doing at McDonalds! Don’t they know McDonalds food is poisonous?
22 Kol. Klink // Nov 1, 2009 at 9:42 PM
Ghetto is as ghetto does.
23 Jon Quimbly // Nov 1, 2009 at 11:30 PM
@Kol. Klink – These were hardly ghetto kids, you’d know that if you even watched the video. Rap and hip-hop is part of the national culture now, especially with white suburban high school kids.
People in middle age and beyond generally don’t get that. Beyond high school, many people still listen to the same old music they grew up listening to.
It might be that the MickeyD’s workers were just as ignorant, and like many suburbanites associate rap and hip-hop with gangs and thugs. Hearing that sound coming through the drive-through intercom probably terrified them.
That the cops cited them is ludicrous but not surprising – “disorderly conduct” is a vague charge that can be used to slap people for 1st amendment-protected behaviors, including rapping an order at the drive-through. I mean, c’mon, if people called the police every time they decided to become “annoyed” at another person’s legal speech or behavior, we’d all be facing charges, now, wouldn’t we?
24 James // Nov 2, 2009 at 12:25 PM
I live in AF Utah and find it pretty amusing. We must maintain order. It first starts with rapping, then leads to threatening, then to assault it is statistically proven that rapping leads to violence. These employees were simply protecting their rights and property, and making our quant little city safe. Thank you for your courage McDonald’s employees. I personally would have locked down the restaurant and waited for the police to come. Such bravery on the part of the manager to walk outside. Did you see the picture of these teenage thugs? Frightening! There should be an award for such bravery!
25 James // Nov 2, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Truthfully, I think the most condemning part of this story is that these young men were so bored in AF that they prepared an McD’s rap, delivered it, and then followed it up with a Vball game.
The citation was probably a great occurrence for them because at least it will give them a good story for the future and provided some excitement to the VBall game. WHo watches VBall anyway? oh also… my previous comment about rapping leading to violence was a joke.
26 Holly // Nov 15, 2009 at 10:50 PM
This is funny.
27 Rail Car Fan // Apr 15, 2010 at 9:19 PM
I know what I would do if I was the parents of these kids. I’d get them all together, make signs, call the local newspaper and T.V. stations and picket “MD” out on the public sidewalk. In addition I would make sure the Corp office heard of the situation.
I can’t believe “MD” have managers that are that dumb.. on second thought, I can!!
Rail Car Fan
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