A Saint John woman is speaking out after being told she can no longer take her motorized scooter through the drive-thru at her favourite coffee shop.
Linda Fraser has mobility issues and says the scooter givers her freedom to do things on her own, like get a cup of coffee at her local Tim Hortons.
“Last Wednesday I came through, like always, to get my coffee … they took my order when I got to the order box,” explains Fraser. “I got to the window and a young fella told me that his boss told him to tell me that I couldn’t use the drive-thru anymore.”
Fraser says she has been taking her scooter through the same drive-thru for the past seven years and it’s never been a problem.
“There’s never been any issues or any incidents or episodes,” she says. “That’s what he said, that she didn’t want to have an incident.”
The store’s manager declined to comment, but Tim Hortons’ media relations team issued the following statement:
“The safety of our guests is our utmost priority. Therefore only vehicles licensed under the relevant motor vehicle legislation can be served at our drive-thru. This restaurant location is fully wheelchair accessible.”
But Fraser says it’s too difficult to navigate her scooter inside the restaurant, and parking her scooter and walking in isn’t an option because she needs a walker to get around.
“A lot of my friends come here for coffee and stuff and we all meet up here and we all get set up along the wall there and have our coffee,” she says. “We have a great time, chit-chat, and it’s just, it breaks my heart that I can’t go there, it really does. It’s not fair, not after seven years of doing it.”
Fraser’s brother, Peter Alward, says it’s taking away her independence. He now has to go inside for her to get her a coffee.
“Personally, I was devastated because I know when she first got her scooter seven years ago she’s been coming here on a weekly basis, like she’s here three to four times a week, every week, from spring right up until late fall, until the snow starts,” says Alward.
Fraser parks her scooter once the snow starts to fly. Until then, she’s hoping the company will reconsider the policy so she can maintain her freedom for the rest of fall.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
