Newburgh Fast Food Workers Accused of ‘Time Fishing’ With Bucket
A video of fast food workers in Newburgh, New York, appears to show them cheating the system using a metal bucket. So, what exactly are they doing?
An Instagram video posted by dlive7891 on September 3 shows workers at the Wendy's on Route 300 in Newburgh involved in a strange activity involving a bucket and a string. Upon further investigation, the activity appears to be linked to a common practice that fast food workers use to cheat the system.
A restaurant employee can be seen in the video lowering a metal bucket on a string out of the drive-through window to the curb below. The bucket is raised and lowered several times in a row.
Fast food workers say the employee appears to be "time fishing", a practice used to fool sensors located under the drive-thru window into thinking that a car has appeared and left. By raising and lowering a metal object in front of the sensor several times in a row, a fast food worker can make it appear to the computer that they are quickly serving many cars. This boosts service times that are monitored by management.
If you've ever ordered food in a drive-thru and have been asked to pull your car into a parking spot, it's for the same reason.
While employees who use tactics like this to fudge service times aren't necessarily ripping off customers, they are avoiding consequences for slow and inconsistent service. This could lead to longer waits at the drive-thru.
Some who have seen the video say they are suspicious of restaurants that participate in "time fishing" because it could be a sign that employees are also cutting corners elsewhere.
We want to know what you think. Do you believe "time fishing" is wrong, or do you salute employees who "work smarter and not harder"? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page or by sending us a text on our free app.
