“You want your tacos? HERE’S what you can do with your #@!$%&@ tacos…!”
On February 24, a Taco Bell in Philadelphia was having trouble living up to the definition of “fast food.” The store was filled with angry people loudly wondering where their orders were. Some had been waiting as long as 45 minutes. So the resourceful Taco Bell employees finally did what you might expect—if you were a psychopath. Several of them jumped over the counter and began beating up customers.
This is unethical.
A 32-second cell phone clip shows customer Bryan Reese and his friend getting attacked by multiple employees outside of a Taco Bell in the Center City District of Philly. One employee is seen repeatedly punching Reese in the ribs while another holds him down.
Taco Bell released the following statement:
“We’re shocked and disappointed to see this situation; we and our franchisees do not tolerate this behavior. The franchisee who owns and operates this location is retraining its staff, and all team members involved have been terminated.”
Terminated! Wow, Taco Bell is tough! Oh, right, that means fired.
Gee, it sure is reassuring to know that Taco Bell doesn’t like its employees beating up people. However, here’s a pro tip: if you have to train a new employee not to attack customers, you probably shouldn’t hire him at all. The franchisee who owns and operates this location is the one who needs training. But then, I wonder what kind of culture Taco Bell nourishes with this message: to show its concern for its customers and its sincere regret that this abomination occurred, the company has offered the beating victim—-wait for it! Wait for iiiiiiiiit!
…a $20 gift certificate.
And, of course, a chance to get beaten up again. See, guys, everyone in the store who had to wait so long that night should get a $20 gift certificate. The customers who got beaten up should get a $500 gift certificate…to a decent restaurant that isn’t Taco Bell.
Ethics Alarms 
Wow. I just… What? I mean… What?
Guys, where are we going, and why are we in a handbasket?
Ann Althouse had an amusing post about that expression:
althouse.blogspot.com/search?q=Hand+basket
Blue City, far gone into progressive utopia thinking.
In Texas, Taco Bell employees understand that we might be armed, and less inclined to attack one of their customers.
Philadelphia? Color me surprised…
”Color me surprised…”
You mean the same town where Iggles fans, at the old Veteran’s Stadium no less, booed Santa Claus AND 13 year-old Punt, Pass, & Kick kids…that town?
This is your city for the next 13 years, Bryce Harper!
The City of Brotherly Love? Say it ain’t so, Joe.
Welp, going to a Taco Bell in a town that boasts Pat’s King of Steaks, Dalessandro’s, Jim’s, Sonny’s, et al, should NOT be without consequence.
Ouch
I think your suggestion of $500 is a bit low. After all, the goal is to get someone to sign away the right to sue before they have a chance to take it to a lawyer. If you get an agreement to not sue for $5K in this example, you’re money ahead.
Yeah, it’s low. But it’s better than a 20 dollar certificate!
“Sir, This is has all been a misunderstanding. This is Taco Bellator.”
Taco Bellicose?
Didn’t we have a post or comment thread about Falling Down recently? Because that would be totally appropriate for this occurrence.
On the other hand, the company gave a free year of (alleged) food to someone who got them a bit of free good publicity:
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/taco-bell-gives-year-of-free-food-to-oregon-man-who-survived-on-sauce-packets-while-vehicle-was-trapped-in-snow
To be fair, that was from corporate. I imagine the $20 offer is from the Philly local who hired the thug employees.
A Democratic candidate for president should use this case as proof that Donald Trump is destroying America by creating too many jobs.
A $20 gift certificate is adding insult to injury. Although a suit against the thug employees would probably only result in an uncollectable judgment, they should sue Taco Bell and refuse to accept any settlement, just like the guy who got the crap beaten out of him by one of the airlines should have. To this day we don’t know what they offered him to settle, but settle he did.