McDonald’s customers in Los Angeles (and other cities) are up in arms after discovering a sneaky new bag charge that’s left them calling for a boycott of the fast-food giant. A recent segment on NBCLA brought attention to a hidden fee that’s riling up consumers: a mandatory 10-cent charge for every bag used to carry food orders. Learn more about this new policy that’s hitting certain cities across the nation below.
Bag Charges at McDonald’s
The outrage stems from a city ordinance in Los Angeles (and similar policies across several other cities), originally applied to grocery stores, that has now been extended to include restaurants. Businesses are allowed to charge customers for bags as a way to encourage the use of reusable options and reduce waste. However, many McDonald’s patrons feel blindsided by the charge.
Consumer Dr. KT Shakur raised a pressing concern: “There’s a mandatory charge of ten cents per bag. What if someone came through the drive-thru and could not afford any extra fees?” The issue, according to critics, is not just about the small fee but about the principle of being charged for something that used to be included in the price of their meal.
A news anchor reporting from a McDonald’s location in Los Angeles decided to test the system. After ordering his food with the option of zero bags selected, he found that the restaurant still handed him his meal in a bag. However, this may not always be the case.
Regardless, many customers feel that the restaurant is exploiting the ordinance to make extra money. Comments on the YouTube video of the segment show just how frustrated customers are. One user wrote, "This is ridiculous. 100% greed." Another echoed the sentiment, saying, “Time to BOYCOTT.” The general consensus among the comments is that the bag fees are unreasonable and unfair. "The bag fees are getting insane. Something that is already built into the price and now gouging. There is no reason for bags to have a fee," said another angry viewer.
A similar policy has been implemented at Chick-fil-A locations.
As more people become aware of these hidden bag charges on top of "shrinkflation," the calls for a boycott of McDonald's and other fast food giants are growing louder. For now, McDonald's customers in Los Angeles will have to decide whether they’re willing to pay extra for the convenience of carrying their food in a bag—or whether it’s time to take a stand against what they see as an unnecessary and greedy charge.
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