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Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Printable Version

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Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Redrum - 05-23-2014

and Kal kringes.  First the Chron trumpeted an obviously benign man-kicks-dog story involving a Kal football player.  Now, he sets up the Bears to take the fall for lawsuit abuse.  Of course, immediately you think: "Hot coffee must be involved".  And you'd be right.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Cal-graduate-sues-In-N-Out-over-spilled-coffee-5500194.php

You know, it's one thing to sue the Jupiter-sized Planet McDonalds for too-hot coffee-related mayhem,  but when the weenies take off after In-N-Out burgers,  they're walking on the fightin' side of me.

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Farm93 - 05-23-2014

3 days of treatment?!!?

How hot was this cup?  How did the employee manage to hold the cup if it was so hot that she decided to drop it in her lap instead of putting it into a cupholder?  Ugh!

In the end, I see an out of court settlement and ultimately a decision by some companies to stop distributing hot beverages to drive thru customers.

FWIW - I actually find it amazing that airlines serve coffee on planes.  That seems like an EASY lawsuit. A hot cup of coffee ... a shaky poorly maintained tray table ... $$$$.

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - PrinceLightfoot - 05-23-2014

Ordering coffee at In-N-Out is the real crime here. The shakes are clearly the choice beverage option.



Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - teejers1 - 05-23-2014

The myth of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit continues to amaze.

Somebody showed me an article explaining the facts of that case, and they were pretty horrific.  Spilling that cauldron on a lap could do (and evidently did) ridiculous damage.  A significant settlement was warranted, in my recollection (of course, that aspect of story never gets the run).

And about 2 years after reading the article, I actually got a cup of coffee from Mickey D's while driving on I-5, and I could not believe how scalding it was.  My reaction:  (a) this is a dangerously hot cup of coffee, and (b) don't those guys learn?



Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - yvonne - 05-23-2014

Yep.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association: McDonalds Case Facts
https://www.ttla.com/index.cfm?pg=McDonaldsCoffeeCaseFacts

From the 'Lectric Law Library's Stacks
The Actual Facts About - The Mcdonalds' Coffee Case
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm



Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - FarmBoy - 05-23-2014

Why is McDonald's specify that its coffee be served at 180+ degrees? Can anyone actually drink coffee of that temperature?

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Mick - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 10:08 AM)teejers1 link Wrote:The myth of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit continues to amaze.

Somebody showed me an article explaining the facts of that case, and they were pretty horrific.  Spilling that cauldron on a lap could do (and evidently did) ridiculous damage.  A significant settlement was warranted, in my recollection (of course, that aspect of story never gets the run).

And about 2 years after reading the article, I actually got a cup of coffee from Mickey D's while driving on I-5, and I could not believe how scalding it was.  My reaction:  (a) this is a dangerously hot cup of coffee, and (b) don't those guys learn?

If memory serves, didn't it involve the plaintiff having to get skin grafts?

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - washingtonismoney - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 10:54 AM)Mick link Wrote:If memory serves, didn't it involve the plaintiff having to get skin grafts?

That's my memory as well.

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - yvonne - 05-23-2014

I removed the video above because it turned out to be about more than just the coffee case, and I don't have corroborating information for those other cases.

This Daily Mail article includes one picture that was shown to the jury.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2470792/Stella-Liebecks-hot-coffee-McDonalds-lawsuit-The-truth.html

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Kathy - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 10:22 AM)FarmBoy link Wrote:Why is McDonald's specify that its coffee be served at 180+ degrees? Can anyone actually drink coffee of that temperature?

Coffee is supposed to taste better if brewed at a very high temperature. (McDonald's lowered the brew temp after that lawsuit and slapped on warnings.) I don't suppose McDonald's wants to cool the coffee after brewing, nor does anyone want to buy cool coffee. When I get coffee at Mickey D's, I let it sit on the table with the lid off (if dining in). I more often get it at the drive-thru and have to let it sit for several more exits on the highway with the sip spout open to vent some of the heat before it is drinkable.

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Mick - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 11:25 AM)garvin link Wrote:And, frankly, some of the jurors were morons. One made much of the fact that McDonald's had a few hundred letters of complaint about the coffee being too hot. When a reporter said, yeah, but a few hundred out of approximately a billion cups brewed. The juror replied that they should have changed it in response to even one complaint. Trying running even a business by that standard, much less a worldwide conglomerate.

Man, I hope I never have to rely upon the "wisdom of the common man."

My occupation of choice involves professional services marketing, and as a courtesy to a friend who teaches graduate school-level marketing classes, I administered a test case over the course of a couple of classes.  The students were to create a new service, perform market research around it and recommend a go/no-go strategy.  One specific service (amounting to very proactive discounting in a student buyer market) was proposed and tested out at a 92% positive rate.  46 of 50 students polled strongly desired such a service.  The conclusion of the head of the product team?  In his mind, a 92% approval rating was a clear signal to not start such a service, because the consumer positive rate was "only" 92% and not 100%!

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Farm93 - 05-23-2014

BTW - Apparently UCB is getting another class act next year.  He probably won't kick a dog or punch a local citizen, but he was willing to pour salt into a wound.

http://blog.sfgate.com/soccer/2014/05/23/usmnt-coachs-son-to-landon-donvan-hhahahahahahah/

To kick the dead dog one last time - Redrum - 05-23-2014

In my opening post, I never said anything about the underlying facts or appropriateness of the McDonald's coffee case.  I just noted there are several scales of magnitude difference in: the size/resources of the company sued  and   the quality of burgers each produces.  But I will cop to being an In-N-Out fan since my teens and accept without further debate the superiority of the In-N-Out product.



Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - FarmBoy - 05-23-2014

Quote:But how much of that is McDonald's fault? Who told her to place the cup between her thighs to open it, for instance? Her testimony was that she had to because there were no flat surfaces in her car. How is that McDonald's fault? Why not sue Chevy or whoever made the car, too?

Caveat, I'm not a lawyer. When McDonald's sells something via drive thru, they should anticipate that the product will be used in the care while it's in motion and consider the likely range of outcomes associated. Chevy could reasonably assume that people will drink in their vehicles, but the decision to put scalding liquid in the car is on the car passenger and agent who brought the liquid.

Anti-Kal rabble rousing and negative respect. - Redrum - 05-23-2014

And, because some of you think I'm gratuitously hostile to Kal without redeeming restraint,  my whole framework for this post/thread actually came from Bare Insider, which is where the whole Stanford-mole-at-the-Chronicle idea came to life.  This latest thread just seemed an amusing opportunity to play with that silly passing paranoid notion.  And, voila!  The Chronicle obliged by making the Cal reference in the headline and lead paragraph.  The "mole" in question is Vlae Kershner, a Stanford Daily alum who has risen in the editorial ranks of the Chron.  I worked with him back in the Jurassic  when we were both in the biz.  Great guy but never, ever, ever play poker with him.  He was scary good and -- in card games at least-- merciless. 

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Nan3cy - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 11:55 AM)Farm93 link Wrote:BTW - Apparently UCB is getting another class act next year.  He probably won't kick a dog or punch a local citizen, but he was willing to pour salt into a wound.

http://blog.sfgate.com/soccer/2014/05/23/usmnt-coachs-son-to-landon-donvan-hhahahahahahah/

I will give the kid credit for one thing - he apologizes "to everyone I offended" rather than "to anyone I may have offended." He actually acknowledges that what he said was offensive, not that people might be way too sensitive about his cleverness...


I am taking this thread to Cuba. Remain calm; no one should be hurt. - jacketree - 05-23-2014

Sure if you compare In-N-Out to McDonald's, it is superior; but sitting there on its own, in one's stomach.....just OK for me.  Give me a Sonic Shake and some taters any day.

Now the hijack; but totally on topic vis a vis In-N-Out.

I've been informed that with his promotion to Midshipmen Second Class and the need to eventually "Lug shit to Quantico", coupled with a full training schedule next summer, a no interest loan from his friends at USAA (or maybe it was Navy Fed), Jacketree Jr. needs (not wants - needs) a truck with 5-speed manual transmission and camper shell or Tonneau cover and he will use this summer's leave after he returns from Coronado to 1) acquire said truck and 2) drive said truck to Crab Town with his Dad, because he knows his Dad loves a good roady.  Good....I say let's make this epic.

So my requests are:

1. Anyone want to dump a mid-sized (Tacoma, Ranger, Frontier) truck with decently low mileage and a clean Car Fax?

2. What can we eat besides In-N-Out, particularly once we leave the friendly confines of the Golden State?

3. We have a lot of folks spread out who have seen some things. What are the can't miss stops along the way?

4. Need a good list of road trip tunes!

Our map is as follows:

1. Time is not of the essence, unless it is to waste some.

2. We are not afraid of roads that are not part of the Interstate Highway System....but, time is of some essence.

3. I told him this new used truck better have a working A/C, so Routes Unlimited!  (Early August time frame.)

4. Probably starting in the Bay Area, but Seattle is a possibility.

5. Must stop in Columbia, MO (his aunt and uncle)

6. Must stop in Charleston, SC (giving another Mid a ride)

7. Must end in Annapolis, MD 'cause he signed his life away.

Preliminary route (until it changes, perhaps per suggestion here):

San Mateo
Sonora or Tioga Pass
Death Valley (if this truck sucks, better to know now I say)
Viva Las Vegas
North Rim Grand Canyon (bucket list - I've never been - unbelievable)
Route 66 - Gallup, NM; Amarillo, TX; OKC (with a side pilgrimage to visit my grandmother's grave in Gotebo, OK); Tulsa; Joplin, MO
Columbia, MO
St. Louis (pilgrimage to Arch because my dad stabilized it back in the day)
Memphis (Highway 61 Revisited)
Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
ATL
Charleston
Annapolis

Before his buddy needed the ride, we were toying with actually going through Canada.

TIA!!

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - CTcard - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 11:25 AM)garvin link Wrote:  No question that the woman's injuries were quiet serious. 

Because she burned her tongue?

Re: Our mole at the Chron strikes again... - Bruce Wang - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 11:25 AM)garvin link Wrote:The McDonald's case is a good example. No question that the woman's injuries were quiet serious. But how much of that is McDonald's fault?

You don't sue who's at fault.  You sue who's got money.  And Ronald McDonald has plenty of cheese.

Re: I am taking this thread to Cuba. Remain calm; no one should be hurt. - TreeWeird - 05-23-2014

(05-23-2014, 05:38 PM)Publius link Wrote:Five Guys - which I find vastly superior to In-N-Out - is my favorite chain burger. 

East Coast bias.