New Jersey woman in busy McDonald’s drive-thru exits car twice to complain about wait time: ‘I’m on my way to work’

A TikTok video showing a customer leaving her vehicle twice to confront McDonald’s employees at a busy drive-thru has sparked debate about patience, restaurant etiquette, and long wait times. The viral video, posted by TikTok creator Dominique (@dominique_antonella_), shows Dominique and another woman sitting in a McDonald’s drive-thru line when a woman walks to the drive-thru window and knocks to get an employee’s attention.

When an employee opens the window, the woman says, “I’m on my way to work,” and tells the employee she cannot keep waiting. According to the video, she later returns to the window a second time to make the same complaint. A manager then comes to the window, apologizes for the delay, and tells the customer that there is a line of vehicles ahead of her and she will need to continue waiting.

The video’s text overlay reads, “Comes out of nowhere,” before later adding, “We feel so bad for the workers.” Dominique captioned the post, “Drive-thru etiquette has left the chat.”

McDonald’s employee weighs in, as drive-thru wait times get mixed reviews

One commenter, who identified themselves as a McDonald’s employee, wrote, “As a current worker we will not rush to do drive-thru if the inside is packed. Inside comes before drive-thru.” Others focused less on the customer’s behavior and more on wait times.

“McDonald’s do be taking soooo long these days tho does anyone else notice? Even if I order on the inside,” one viewer commented. Another disagreed, writing, “McDonald’s is faster than any other drive thru even if it’s packed.”

While McDonald’s does not publish a policy specifically addressing customers knocking on drive-thru windows to complain about delays, the company encourages customers to follow the normal pickup process for drive-thru orders. Through its Mobile Order & Pay guidance, McDonald’s instructs customers to arrive at their selected restaurant and follow the pickup instructions associated with their chosen method, including the drive-thru when applicable.

The company’s mobile ordering information also promotes ordering ahead through its app to reduce wait times at participating locations by allowing customers to choose options such as curbside pickup or counter service, depending on availability. The company also notes that pickup options can vary by restaurant and time of day.

The incident shown in the TikTok video has not been independently verified. It is also unclear what circumstances may have contributed to the wait at that restaurant. McDonald’s has not publicly commented on the video.