A police officer in Georgia has gone viral following her tear-filled video after she was forced to wait for her McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. Stacy Talbert, a sheriff’s deputy in McIntosh, Georgia, has now been dubbed “Officer Karen” online after she tearfully recounted her experience at a local McDonald’s restaurant. Hoping for a speedy drive-thru experience, Talbert placed her order via the McDonald’s app, though her Egg McMuffin wasn’t ready when she pulled up to the drive-thru.
Absolutely amazing..imagine feeling oppressed because you had to wait for a McMuffin.. pic.twitter.com/fCPadTOqQ4
— MEL Magazine (@WeAreMel) June 17, 2020
In the more than two-minute-long video, which was originally shared by a Twitter user going by the name of Ann, according to Market Watch, explains that she placed a mobile order for a McMuffin, hashbrowns, and coffee. After arriving at the locations, however, she was told to “pull up” as her order wasn’t yet ready. After waiting for a period of time, an employee came out with her coffee, prompting Talbert to tell them, “don’t bother with the food because right now I’m too nervous to take it.”
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A tearful Talbert went on to state that “it doesn’t matter how many hours I’ve been up” and “it doesn’t matter what I’ve done for anyone,” adding that “right now, I’m too nervous to take a meal from McDonald’s because I can’t see it being made!” She went on to plead with viewers to “please, just give us a break” and asked people to say “thank you” when they see police officers.
The video was quickly viewed millions of times, generating a fierce debate on Twitter between those who felt that Talbert was overreacting to an experience that most people have had and those who sympathized with Talbert given the current unrest in the country. Speaking to NBC News, Talbert said “everybody lost the whole point of the video,” which she said she decided to record to share her frustrations, rather than to express fear that her food may have been poisoned, as some social media users had suggested. Talbert added that she had spoken with the owners of the restaurant and assured them that she had not been mistreated, but rather that she had generally been suspicious as of late, leading her to be nervous to accept the meal.
In a statement, the restaurant’s owners, Gary and Jill Stanberry said they apologized to Talbert for her “unsatisfactory experience.” They added that Talbert “was never denied service and also shared positive feedback on the employee with whom she interacted.”