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Teen hit with £334 traffic fine after opening McDonald's app in drive thru

18 May 2024 , 13:45
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Mason Prima was fined over £330 (Image: CTV NETWORK)
Mason Prima was fined over £330 (Image: CTV NETWORK)

An unfortunate teen was slapped with a £334 traffic ticket while trying to claim himself a free meal from a McDonald’s.

Mason Prima was pulled up by a motorcycle cop at a McDonald’s in Saskatoon, Canada. He was there to redeem a free meal on his phone and get his food from the McDonald’s drive thru.

“I’m barely even moving. I pull up my app and look at the rear-view mirror and there’s a motorcycle cop behind me,” Prima said to CTV News.

“I just go like this and show him I’m on my McDonald’s app loading up the code to get a free meal,” Prima said. “I’m just trying to get a free meal, but no, turns out to be a very expensive lunch.”

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Teen hit with £334 traffic fine after opening McDonald's app in drive thru'I’m just trying to get a free meal,' Prima said (CTV NETWORK)

Prima insists he has always used his phone app when he ordered from McDonald’s and has never been pulled over by police for it. The car, a BMW, was “only “rolling” along,” according to Prima. Prima hopes to fight the issue in court.

“I was kind of shocked to be honest. I’ve never had that before — I open up my app every time I go over to the drive thru and I’ve never had that issue,” Prima said. Under Saskatchewan law, “Holding, viewing or manipulating a hand-held cellphone or mobile device is prohibited.”

Experienced drivers “can use hands-free cellphones if they're activated with voice commands or one-touch, and are dashboard, visor or cradle mounted.”

Violation of the law comes with the vehicle being impounded for seven days if the driver has a previous conviction for the same offence in the last 12 months.

Teen hit with £334 traffic fine after opening McDonald's app in drive thruWhere the teen was pulled over (CTV NETWORK)

“I didn’t have my foot on the gas or brake. It was just rolling. Barely moving,” Prima said.

But the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Prima was observed on May 13 “driving a vehicle on a public roadway while using a cellphone.”

In a statement seen by CTV, the police force said: “A Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan RCMP officer initiated a traffic stop with the individual. The individual then pulled in the McDonald’s parking lot, where the traffic violation was issued.”

Local lawyer told Brian Pfefferle told CTV: "I feel for the individual that was charged here. If he was literally in the drive-thru area and not on a public roadway.

"I would venture to guess that a great majority of people would utilise their cellphones in lineups such as that and it shouldn’t be considered illegal, but it’s obviously debatable."

Benjamin Lynch

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