In our modern digital world of ordering, where convenience reigns supreme and mobile payments have become woven into the fabric of our daily lives, an incident at a local McDonald’s drive-thru, created by TikToker Aliyya Sakina Sadberry (@aliyyasakina), exposed a growing tension between the allure of technology and the value of human connection. With over 27,000 views, Sadberry’s video captured a moment of realization: What happens when the very systems designed to streamline our lives fail?
“OK, so I placed some mobile order, it went through, and I think they’re closed. I’m at the drive-thru and they’re ignoring me, so I don’t know what to do, but I’m definitely gonna send this,” Sadberry narrated her ordeal. Her frustration was palpable as she waited, expecting service, only to be met with silence. The twist in her story comes when a security guard, not the restaurant staff, stepped in to assist her. “You know who decided to help me? The security guard. Not the workers. They all ignored me, but the security guard helped me…And this is food for my daughter. I’m just trying to keep a cool head,” she reflected, alleging a breakdown not just in service, but in human decency.
As they often are, the online community was quick to respond. One user commented, “They can’t control the app and they probably was irritated because why you pulling up while they closing to pick up a order?” offering a potential explanation from the staff’s perspective. Yet, another user, bringing an insider opinion, disagreed, “as someone who works in fast food we ALWAYS get mobile orders out no matter what time we closed.” Further illuminating the issue, another user shared, “The McDonald’s in my town does this too. They are supposed to close at midnight but they like to ‘close’ at 10p,” pointing out a systemic issue of disregarding posted hours. The grievances culminated directly, “@McDonald’s this is unacceptable,” calling for corporate accountability.
Sadberry’s experience is a microcosm of a larger dialogue about our dependency on digital conveniences and the sometimes overlooked human element that remains critical in times of technological failure. “This is terrible,” Sadberry laments, contacting the franchise owner or manager for action. Her story resonated not just as a plea for service but as a reminder of the importance of empathy and the humane expectation of acknowledgment.
Sadberry’s encounter at the drive-thru is a sharp reminder of the cultural shift toward a digital-first approach that often marginalizes face-to-face correspondence. While technology promises efficiency and convenience, it often falls short of the critical need for human touch, a seemingly irreplaceable component of the customer service experience. This is especially important surrounding the current conversation about how AI is replacing the need for human workers in a host of fields.
As we all forge ahead deeper into the digital realm, the story of Sadberry’s drive-thru experience challenges all of us to reconsider the narrative that equates convenience with progress. It invites us to advocate for systems that value efficiency without compromising on the quality of human interaction. On the other end of every online order, every digital tap, is a person—and it is high time we all remember that while these services are convenient, they do leave a vacuum for connection that is every human’s responsibility to fill in day-to-day interaction.
@aliyyasakina What would you do in this situation? #mcdonalds #boston #bostontiktok #fyp ♬ original sound – Aliyya Sakina Sadberry
In this era increasingly defined by algorithms and automation, incidents like these are wake-up calls. They remind us to demand more—not just from the technologies we adopt but the institutions that implement them. They provoke a fundamental question: When faced with the failure of convenience, can we count on humanity to prevail?
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s via email and Sadberry via TikTok comment for further information.