Bad Signs

McDonald’s Japan Store Very Sorry It Posted Sign Barring Homeless People

Truffle burgers for everyone.
Truffle burgers for everyone. Photo: Courtesy of McDonald’s Japan

Blame it on the truffled Bling-burger: A spokesperson for McDonald’s Japan was quick to condemn a western Tokyo store that had established a policy against letting homeless people partake in its novelty French-fry caddies, festive tortilla-chip-crusted hamburgers, and other assorted crap. Apparently management at the Hachioji store had put a sign out front, more than a year ago no less, reading, “Those whom we deem unfit to use our store, including the unclean and the homeless, are asked not to enter.”

The fast-food location in question is open 24/7, and claimed that it had been targeted by homeless rabble-rousers in the past. But as Japan Times reports, online commenters reacting to the story thought the sign was just a perfectly reasonable way to keep McDonald’s “free of bad smell,” which seems to be the real issue, because nothing ruins the subtleties of a McPumpkin burger or a McDonald’s V.I.P. area like faint whiffs of petrol-sweat and the stench of old raccoon pee.

Thankfully, the sign has now been replaced with one announcing that the store reserves the right to boot anyone “likely to cause trouble to others” by being loud, or sleeping, or just, you know, smelling foul.

McDonald’s store pulls, apologizes for homeless sign [Japan Times]
Earlier: McDonald’s Now Sells ‘Quarter Pounder Jewelry’ Burgers in Japan

McDonald’s Japan Store Very Sorry It Posted Sign Barring Homeless People