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Deaf New Jersey woman sues Taco Bell over drive-thru orders

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K

Krakn3Dfx

Member
Link

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A deaf New Jersey woman who primarily communicates in sign language is suing Taco Bell, saying the company and its restaurants failed to accommodate her at drive-thru windows.
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Cirrincione wants Taco Bell to develop a policy to consider the needs of deaf customers. She's also seeking damages.
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Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order.
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I can understand wanting to push places like Taco Bell with drive-thru options to better facilitate the hearing impaired, but I have a problem with the part where you try to pile on thousands of dollars or more in "damages".

This strikes me as something that should be limited to a lawsuit for policy change, and shouldn't be allowed to use for financial gain.
 
T

TheCochese

Banned
Isn't there also another lawsuit about someone blind who couldn't walk up and place an order?

Also, what happens when inside closes down? Isn't drive-thru the only choice?
 
U

ultron87

Member
ultron87 said:
Do they not just have you pull up to the window and have a menu you can point at or something like that?
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Ah. She did that and various employees were difficult. Way to read, me.

Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order.
Click to expand...
 
G

GreekWolf

Member
I want to sue Taco Bell because their employees can't understand Swahili. My uncle wants to sue Taco Bell because they don't have special accomodations for quadriplegics.

America is great, let's sue everyone for everything.
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Hollywood Duo said:
Seems excessive. Just go inside to order. Drive thru kiosks aren't some inalienable right.
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ultron87 said:
Do they not just have you pull up to the window and have a menu you can point at or something like that?
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Per the article:
Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order.
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Sounds like she tried to handle things as efficiently as she could in the drive thru.
 
O

oxidax

Member
Isn't being deaf an impediment as in being handicapped? Was there a handicap parking spot at that taco bell? Shouldnt she had parked at the handicapped spot, walked in and ordered instead of taking the non handicapped approach?

I'm not a lawyer and I'm not Laws savvy but I think she just figured out how to start some trouble.
 
S

Sanjuro

Member
Sir, legally we can't serve you quantities such as this.

O9p7Eii.jpg


I can't hear you.
 
C

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
I have no problem with this case, and I hope she wins some money. That will encourage other companies to provide reasonable accommodations.
 
Straight Edge

Straight Edge

Member
Since it bears repeating: This is why Taco Bell is getting sued. The employees gave her a hard time rather than simply accommodate a written order for a deaf person.

Per the article:


"Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order."
 
S

SecretMoblin

Member
lenovox1 said:
Taco Bell's drive thru may go against Title III in the American's with Disabilities Act, the reasonable accommodations rule.
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Are drive-thru windows subject to those rules? If the main doors of the restaurant are open, is it unreasonable to request that those unable to order through the drive-thru window order to go from the main kiosks?

Iirc there's a current lawsuit involving a legally blind man who attempted to walk up to the drive-thru at McDonald's (during the drive-thru only hours) to order and was turned away; the man filed suit due to the fact they didn't make reasonable accommodations for those unable to drive due to disability.

I went to a Subway drive-thru once that had a touch screen ordering system... I think that's probably the best and easiest way to resolve this kind of issue.
 
A

AtomskEater

Member
With the knowledge that employees gave her a hard time when she tried to place her order via note, I can understand better her case for suing. The app or a touch screen ordering system, as noted in posts above, would likely be better. These places should strive to better accommodate people with the drive-thru, especially since during certain times that's the only way you can order and pick up food.
 
K

Knuckle Sandwich

Member
Straight Edge said:
Since it bears repeating: This is why Taco Bell is getting sued. The employees gave her a hard time rather than simply accommodate a written order for a deaf person.

Per the article:


"Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order."
Click to expand...

I don't see anything wrong with that. You order at the thingy so they have time to start making or heating it up, no? I don't want to be stuck behind someone that orders at the fucking window. Now there totally should be touch screens to order at for drive thru for people like her and like me who hates talking at drive thrus.
 
L

Lord Fagan

Junior Member
Tricky. I mean, I guess I understand that this is mildly inconvenient for the people working there, as it probably comes into conflict with their efficiency monitoring and they may catch hell for it, but surely this is something that demands neither a shitty reaction from those Taco Bell employees nor a lawsuit from a person who obviously has other choices for food available to her, even if it's another Taco Bell.

That being said, I'm of the opinion that a decent society should be willing to make light accommodation for disabled to enjoy everything their fully abled counterparts may take for granted. And not just in formal statutes, fellow citizens should be doing their part to foster a culture of inclusion. I mean, this probably took all of sixty extra seconds, and anybody working there or waiting in line getting all self-righteously butthurt about a deaf woman just trying to buy some tacos on the go needs a goddamn reality check.

I'm inclined to agree with the woman, but again, a lawsuit? You'd think a competent manager would be able to politely diffuse this situation at the time.
 
V

Volimar

Member
Straight Edge said:
Since it bears repeating: This is why Taco Bell is getting sued. The employees gave her a hard time rather than simply accommodate a written order for a deaf person.

Per the article:


"Gina Cirrincione says she wrote her order and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville in January. A video shows an employee saying he would take the order "one time," but she would have to come inside in the future.

She also claims a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City returned a note for food without filling the order."
Click to expand...

It's pretty disgusting that she just assumed that they could read. Illiteracy is a disability too you know.
 
L

lenovox1

Member
SecretMoblin said:
Are drive-thru windows subject to those rules? If the main doors of the restaurant are open, is it unreasonable to request that those unable to order through the drive-thru window order to go from the main kiosks?
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By no means are drive thru windows explicitly exempt in the language of Title III. Seeing as the drive thru still apart of the structure of the restaurant, it is the responsibility of the franchise owner and the organization itself to have policies in place for these circumstances.

And this case as already been litigated in 1997, and that litigant won (Bunjer v. Edwards, 1997). I doubt Taco Bell can come up with better arguments.

Knuckle Sandwich said:
I don't see anything wrong with that. You order at the thingy so they have time to start making or heating it up, no? I don't want to be stuck behind someone that orders at the fucking window.
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That had no bearing on the legal justification of this case. No one cares that you're going to have to endure two whole minutes of discomfort.

Sanjuro said:
Extended wait time.
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ETA: Nor yours. Or, shall I say, the law doesn't give a shit. But it does care about accommodating her lifetime of discomfort.
 
J

JABEE

Member
commish said:
I have no problem with this case, and I hope she wins some money. That will encourage other companies to provide reasonable accommodations.
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Seriously. Sometimes companies need a kick in the ass and shaming to do the bare minimum for people with disabilities.
 
L

LUFTRAUSER

Banned
Straight Edge said:
No. Solving the situation would be Taco Bell fulfilling her written order. Why is this difficult to do?
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Because it fucks up the entire order rotation. You're supposed to say your order so that by the time you drive up to the window it is ready. With a paper she has to drive to the order window, give them the paper, wait at the same window, get food, then leave. If there is already someone ahead of her it fucks it up even more. Time is extremely important in a fast food restaurant.

She should go inside.
 
V

Volimar

Member
LUFTRAUSER said:
Because it fucks up the entire order rotation. You're supposed to say your order so that by the time you drive up to the window it is ready. With a paper she has to drive to the order window, give them the paper, wait at the same window, get food, then leave. If there is already someone ahead of her it fucks it up even more. Time is extremely important in a fast food restaurant.

She should go inside.
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So they have her pull up and wait. Are people really this protective of Taco Bell that they don't think something as simple as taking her order at the window is reasonable?
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
Most drive thru's have a digital ordering screen now. We have the technology to show the face of the person taking their order so the deaf can lip read. That would make drive thrus deaf friendly.
 
T

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Hollywood Duo said:
Seems excessive. Just go inside to order. Drive thru kiosks aren't some inalienable right.
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Eh, I can understand why she's pushing them to do it.

Saint Augustine has a Starbucks that does it. The problem is 1) not a lot of people know sign and 2) most probably aren't working at drive-throughs.

So, I mean... while you're also right about going in and asking for accommodations that way, it's not like she isn't be unreasonable on asking for drive-throughs to have better accessibility options. Especially since it's 2016 and most of them have computer screens to show your order already.

perfectchaos007 said:
Most drive thru's have a digital ordering screen now. We have the technology to show the face of the person taking their order so the deaf can lip read. That would make drive thrus deaf friendly.
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Exactly.
 
F

Faiz

Member
Knuckle Sandwich said:
I don't see anything wrong with that. You order at the thingy so they have time to start making or heating it up, no? I don't want to be stuck behind someone that orders at the fucking window. Now there totally should be touch screens to order at for drive thru for people like her and like me who hates talking at drive thrus.
Click to expand...

Have you never been in a drive through where they don't have something in your order ready when you get to the window? They ask you to pull up to the curb just ahead and then bring it out. No reason that can't be done for a deaf customers order.
 
S

Soroc

Member
I really don't get it. Go inside or use the app. There are plenty of options for ordering the food. Deaf or not, this feels like suing for suing sake. Murica!

Can deaf people actually drive? Serious question honestly...
 
J

Jenenser

Member
well....
honestly, i would just go in.

on an economic standpoint, it makes sense. the line has to wait because of her. the order from the guy behind her is already beeing made.
at the same time. you shouldn't make a big deal out of it. just serv the lady, ask her if she could pull to the parkingspot next to the drivethru, let the customer pay the meal and then bring it out when it is ready. you should be that accomodating to your customers and at thhe same time you wont fuck up the rotation to much.

but most people in this indutry cant wrap their head around changing something up.
 
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