Customer Outraged As McDonald's Worker Dries Floor Mop Under Fries' Heat Lamp: 'The McMop Is Back!'
A McDonald's customer was left furious and shocked after witnessing an employee drying a mop under a heat lamp.
An incident at a McDonald's branch in Booval, Brisbane, Australia, sparked disgust among customers when an employee was discovered drying a seemingly wet mop under a food heating lamp over french fries. Debbie Barakat, accompanied by her four-year-old son at the restaurant, recorded the scene in a video.
"I was just standing waiting for my order when I looked over and heard a staff member say, 'I don't think you should be doing that as it could be a safety issue as it can catch on fire," Barakat shared with Yahoo! News Australia.
Barakat recounted her shock as she observed the incident, noting that other staff members proceeded to take fries from the vicinity of the mop to fulfill customer orders. "I was totally shocked at what I witnessed and she just laughed it off," Barakat remembered.
The fast food patron observed that the staff member had finished mopping the floor and proceeded to dry the microfiber mop head under the heat lamp, typically used to maintain the warmth of fries and other menu items.
After witnessing the incident, Barakat emailed the branch manager to express her dismay. However, she found the response unsatisfactory, as it was reportedly vague in nature. The email assured her that corrective action would be taken to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
"Be assured that we're taking corrective action so a similar action will not reoccur," the reply said.
The company spokesperson confirmed that the employee involved will retain their job but will undergo retraining. "We have addressed this issue directly with the restaurant and provided comprehensive retraining to all employees on McDonald's sanitation, hygiene, and food safety protocols," they stated.
Meanwhile, numerous social media users expressed horror at the video, which was posted on Facebook.
"The old McMop is back! Must be limited time only get in while [they're] hot," one person joked. Another person commented: "May as well just sweep the fries around on the floor for flavor."
