Hell hath no fury like a person who is unhappy with a photo you shared of them on social media. We all have those friends, or maybe we’re that friend ourselves, who are very protective of our online imagery. And maybe it’s because every social media app has filters smoothing out our facial features and helping us look our best selves at all times online.
However, what happens when we come across a situation where we’re caught off guard? Where a photo’s being taken of us in not-so-glamorous lighting in a not-so-glamorous situation. Such as, when we’re waiting to order something we probably shouldn’t be eating in the McDonald’s drive-thru?
TikToker Aimee Wills (@aimeeeewills) says that’s exactly what goes down whenever a person pulls into a Mickey D’s. She says that according to a secondhand account, McDonald’s drive-thrus are outfitted with cameras.
She adds that these cameras are used to take pictures of customers, so store workers can help track their orders. And then, these pictures are attached to guests’ corresponding orders to minimize mix ups.
Several users are responding to Wills’ clip that this is indeed the truth.
McDonald’s alleged drive-thru cameras
“I have just found out how they know whose order is in the McDonald’s drive-thru,” Wills explains in the clip. She says she saw another video from a McDonald’s worker claiming that they take a picture of customers as they place an order in the drive-thru.
The TikToker expresses how stunned she was to learn McDonald’s was snapping pics of drive-thru guests. “Sorry?! They take—can you imagine what that picture looks like? Like if anyone catches you in any sort of like angle, or when you’re speaking. And you just stop the video. Like even if I’m speaking to you now and you just stop the video any second.”
Wills then can’t help but laugh in horror at all of the potentially unflattering pictures of her that’ve been taking at Mickey D’s.
“Somebody needs to confirm if this is true or not. Who works in McDonald’s?” she requests of viewers who see her video. After a few seconds of mulling the possibility over, she seems to believe that this could very well be the case. “It makes sense though. And then she said, like obviously when they’re taking your order they can see you in live time as well. Which makes sense [but] the picture thing,” she repeats again, aghast, and laughing into the camera.
Commenters say it’s true
“As an ex mcdonald’s employee i can confirm this is true,” a top-rated commenter wrote.
Another former McDonald’s employee gives a bit more context, adding that this practice has been implemented for quite some time. “When i worked there yearssss ago it was a camera that you could see the person the whole time,” they said. The TikToker added, “They were ordering (seen some dodgy things) and then it takes a photo for the cashier to recognise who is.”
The horror dawned on this other TikTok user. “The amount of time I’ve gone to McDonald’s looking BUSTED,” they penned.
Someone else proposes an interesting use for the McDonald’s drive-thru photos. “We should be able to view everyone’s waiting photos waiting for our food like at the end of a ride at a theme park.”
Others deny that cameras take photos of customers’ faces
One TikToker who says they’re a former employee of McDonald’s claimed pictures aren’t snapped of guests’ faces.
“Okay omg no, I used to work there, they simply have the food orders in order of the cars,” they said. “So when you order it just simply goes in a list (BUT they can see you and hear you so be careful),” they write.
Another said they’re a current employee of McDonald’s and they don’t have a full-on camera surveillance system. “I work at one and it’s a picture of the car not the face lol.”
So does McDonald’s take pictures of drive-thru customers?
It seems that many TikTokers have varying accounts of the drive-thru camera situation. Which could just mean that different locations have different set-ups for monitoring drive-thru orders. McDonald’s website notes that these practices vary at each location.
@aimeeeewills before i get sickkkkk hahahaha #mcdonalds #drivethru #aimeewills #aimeeeewills ♬ original sound – aimee wills
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s and Wills via email for further comment.
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