Alberta Man Calls 911 After Drive-Thru Denies Him a Burger, Ends Up Arrested

An Alberta man’s early morning quest for a burger ended in handcuffs.

According to an RCMP release, the man called 911 shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday from a fast-food restaurant in downtown Red Deer. He told police that staff were refusing to serve him and demanding that he leave, even though he claimed he had done nothing wrong. He also explained that he had driven from Sylvan Lake, about 35 minutes away, specifically to get a burger.

When Mounties arrived, restaurant staff had a slightly different version of events. They told officers they had already explained to the man that their systems were down, which meant they were unable to serve him.

Police say the man admitted to being intoxicated and told officers he was waiting for them to arrive because he still wanted his burger.

After observing signs of intoxication and determining that he had been the driver of a vehicle, RCMP demanded a breath sample. The man allegedly refused.

The 38-year-old Sylvan Lake man was issued an immediate roadside sanction, and his vehicle was seized.

In the release, Red Deer RCMP reminded drivers to plan ahead and arrange a designated driver if they have consumed alcohol or other intoxicating substances.

“There is no room on our roads for impaired drivers,” police said.

So in the end, the man did not get his burger. Instead, he got police attention, a roadside sanction, and a seized vehicle, which has to be one of the worst possible outcomes of a 4 a.m. craving.

This story is covered in this week’s Keep Canada Weird news roundup.