Many “vagrants” have been spending the night inside the McDonald’s on Siping Road in Shanghai, emitting a strong foot odor that makes customers uncomfortable. The staff at the store responded that there have always been uncivilized overnight stays, with most of them being vagrants.
Recently, a netizen in Shanghai posted online that when they pushed open the door of a McDonald’s at night, a strong foot odor hit them in the face. The video showed many people spending the night in the McDonald’s, with some taking off their shoes and lying on benches.
The person who recorded the video stated that there is a large row of seating in the middle of the restaurant, but real customers have to dine in the corner to avoid the resting crowd. While it’s nice for the restaurant to accommodate people overnight, these individuals should not disturb other customers.
In response, the staff at McDonald’s (Siping Road store) stated that they have reported to the police, who said they could only advise the individuals but not forcefully remove them. The staff inside the store have been continuously communicating with them, hoping to maintain order and hygiene in the store and will think of further ways to persuade them.
According to reports by “Density Finance,” store employees mentioned that they have been managing the situation of uncivilized overnight stays, mostly by vagrants. There is always someone on duty 24 hours a day, and air conditioning is on all the time. To ensure cleanliness, the seating area is disinfected daily.
The topic has become a hot search trend, sparking discussions among netizens.
Some netizens expressed their opinions, “Operating 24 hours a day, it’s convenient to order food and rest for a while, but lying down without ordering is excessive. The restaurant should refuse such behavior for the sake of dining customers.”
Others expressed concerns about the hygiene of the restaurant, saying, “It’s not just other customers who are unfortunate, even the staff working there can’t do their job properly with the smell of stinky feet. If there’s no sense of boundaries, the 24-hour operation will no longer be viable, as customers will be driven away, and there won’t be a need to keep the store open late at night.”
Some felt sorry for the businesses, “McDonald’s is at a loss.” “Even if they’re driven away, they come back. What can the restaurant do?”
In addition to homeless individuals spending the night at McDonald’s, there are also many elderly people in a different McDonald’s in Shanghai occupying tables without making purchases, sitting and playing cards.
On July 17th, a netizen revealed that a McDonald’s in Shanghai was filled with elderly people occupying five tables without making purchases. Initially thought to be seeking shade, they were openly playing cards.
Subsequently, the staff at the store mentioned that this kind of situation has been happening almost every day for the past few months. Many customers who come to the store don’t find available seating. Some customers with children are driven away by the noise caused by these individuals. This card-playing behavior seriously affects the store’s business. The store had to seek help from the media.
Chinese media reported that the store manager helplessly stated that such behavior is definitely not encouraged. However, they can only advise and can’t expel them; it ultimately depends on the self-control of these elderly people. This behavior has indeed been unfavorable for customers, as the elderly cannot stop playing cards and have been occupying five tables for a long period.
These elderly people have regarded this place as a refuge, coming to the store for warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Despite the store manager’s repeated advice, it hasn’t been effective.