Posted on 08/09/2007 4:42:35 AM PDT by Wolfie
Police warn of prank on drive-through workers
Police are urging people who work in drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants to be wary of a fast-growing, Internet-fueled prank that involves customers who yell "Fire in the hole," then throw drinks into the faces of workers before driving off hooting and laughing.
In many cases, the stunts appear to be recorded -- usually on cell phone cameras -- so they can be posted at video-sharing sites like YouTube and Ebaumsworld, where hundreds of such clips are can be viewed.
The prank appeared to be occurring in other parts of the country until Friday night, when a liquid was thrown into the face of a young man working the drive-through window at a Subway sandwich shop on Route 30 on Jacktown Hill in North Huntingdon. It was caught on one of the restaurant's surveillance cameras and police are taking it very seriously.
"This is a big thing," said Patrolman First Class William Sombo, who is investigating the incident, which occurred at 10:33 p.m. "This is an assault."
In most of the videos posted on the Internet, drivers throw drinks they have just purchased -- colas, milk shakes, etc. -- back into the employee's face. In the incident in North Huntingdon, however, the liquid that was tossed had been brought to the window by the driver.
"The deal with the 'fire in the hole,' just throwing a drink back at them, that's disorderly conduct and harassment," Officer Sombo said. "But this was right into his face, and it was a substance that burned his eyes. [The victim] feels, because of the smell and the taste, that it may been jalapeno juice, hot sauce and some other kind of drink mixed with it. It was not the drink [the driver] ordered. He brought something."
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Idiots. Maybe these kids can play their little jokes when they are in a hole of a different kind.....jail
You just know that some idiots are going to have to ruin it for everybody by pushing the limit. Throwing burning substances is somebody’s face is just NOT COOL!
Don’t have an open window. Use a drawer to take the money. Put the food and the change in the drawer and slide it out.
Are you suggesting that throwing anything back through the window is OK?
And, if there is booze in the drink, add an open container violation to the list (most states.)
I forgot the first rule of FReeping. Never, never, never forget the < /joke> tag...
When these punks are sitting in a jail cell with a guy twice their size, I’m sure they’ll have an instant attitude adjustment.
no, just a little smileycon will do .... : )
It’s all fun and games till somebody takes whips out a 9mm and someone gets hurt.
First time I saw the Subway ad where customers throw their drinks in the air, and all over the other customers, because they win something with the peel off coupon, I knew it was a BAD idea.
Somebody should get fired for it.
"Hello! We have a video of your license plate. May we take your order?"
In the old days these kids would get an a## kicking at home if they were ever outed. Now they probably won’t.
I like pranks as well as the next person, but this isn’t a prank. These kids are working in these restaurants and these little idiots with nothing better to do, throw drinks in their faces.
They should be thankful someone like me isn’t in charge. They would be slinging burgers for the poor kid they did that to, for a month. That is after their a$$es cooled off from their caning on the courthouse lawn. The pranking would then end.
(Imitating the big dude in jail with Eddie Murphy on "Trading Places") YEAH!
“simple solution is to put camera in drive thru positioned to take picture of license plate”
No. The simple solution is to install one of those crossing gates like you see at railroad crossings and if some kid is still stupid enough to pull something like this, then the entire staff should be allowed to come outside and beat the crap out of him.
They'll put their eye out!
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