An 18-year-old boy said he was fined $580 for opening a McDonald’s app at a drive-thru in Canada, but police denied his claim.
Mason Prima pulled out his phone at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Saskatoon on Monday and tried to use points to redeem a free meal through the fast food chain’s app, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CTV News reported. Soon after, a police officer on a motorcycle came to his window.
“I can barely move. When I open the app and look in my rearview mirror, there’s a motorcycle police officer behind me,” Prima told CTV News. “I thought he would let me go because he was just trying to get a free meal, but instead it turned out to be a very expensive lunch.”
Prima has only received one speeding ticket in two and a half years of driving, the station reported. He added that he keeps his cell phone out of reach while driving to avoid distractions.
“I was a little shocked to be honest. I’ve never had anything like that before. Whenever I go to the drive-thru, I open the app and I’ve never had that problem,” he said.
Police say they broke the law before driving through the drive-thru
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan disputes Prima’s report that the boy broke the law before arriving at the drive-thru.
“The individual was observed driving on a public roadway while using a cell phone, i.e. not in a drive-through lane,” spokeswoman Keely Glasser told USA TODAY Friday.
The driver stopped in a McDonald’s parking lot and received a traffic ticket for allegedly using a cell phone on a public road, Glasser said.
Prima strongly disputed the ticket and said he was prepared to fight it in court, which is set for July 31, CTV News reported.
Canada vs. USA Distracted Driving Fines
Saskatchewan drivers who are caught driving while distracted can be fined $580 and receive four demerit points for a first offense. For the second and his third offenses, the fine increases to $1,400 and $2,100 each, and if convicted, he will immediately be subject to a seven-day vehicle impoundment.
In the United States, fines for texting while driving can range from $25 for a first violation to more than $1,000 for subsequent violations, depending on severity.
