This is one incident sure to make Ronald cringe -- and quite possibly reach for his checkbook.
After unwrapping a McDonald's cheeseburger, Jackie Wollenberg, 37, of Largo, Fla., noticed a brownish-red stain on the bottom of the bun. Thinking it was juice from the beef, she tore that part of the bread away and finished the burger.
Here's where it gets interesting.
According to the St. Petersburg Times , when Wollenberg unwrapped her second cheeseburger, she saw what appeared to be a bloody fingerprint on the wrapper. Then she looked at the bun and saw two drops of something that resembled blood on the top.
When Wollenberg asked a counter employee whether anyone had recently been cut, an employee who identified himself as a manager admitted as much.
“I just had a blood test last week, and I'm clean,” Wollenberg reported that the manager told her, according to the St. Petersburg Times. “He asked me if I wanted more burgers and I said no, I don't want any more burgers, I want the number for corporate.”
Since the March 4 incident, Wollenberg has tried to get McDonald's to retest that manager's blood, fearing the food she ate could have been tainted by hepatitis or HIV.
But not only did McDonald's stall in getting the manager a blood test, Wollenberg said the restaurant is now refusing, citing an infringement of privacy.
Stu Brown, who owns the Largo McDonald's, offered a written statement:
“As a 12-year owner-operator, I take the concerns of my customers very seriously. Cleanliness and safety are top priorities in my restaurants. I am working to address the customer's concerns. This is still a pending matter. We're doing our best to work with the customer's attorney to get the facts and to try to resolve this in the fairest way. We understand the customer has been tested. This isolated incident caused no illness or injury to anyone. Nevertheless, we are mindful of all of our customer's concerns and we are trying to resolve this matter with all parties involved.”
Wollenberg has tested negative for both hepatitis and HIV. She is scheduling another HIV test in June. She said McDonald's offered to pay for her to get blood tests, but she describes the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company's response as slow and uncaring.
“They haven't done anything to console her,” Hans Wollenberg told the St. Petersburg Times. “They need to find this kid and have him tested. That's just bad business. I just don't understand McDonald's at all. They've got trillions of dollars.”
Wollenberg said that she initially didn't think about a lawsuit; however, she has recently retained a lawyer and is now considering suing.
“I would have let this go if they had done the right thing,” she said. “I don't want $4.5 million. I'm not that type of person. But this little incident is going to disrupt my husband, my kids and me for four or five months -- if not longer. It's not a monetary thing. It's a right-from-wrong thing.” |
