The modest community of Aldergrove has been thrust into the limelight after a truck driver was denied walk-up service at one of its Tim Horton鈥檚 drive-thrus.
In a video taken Friday morning, on April 17, a man identified as a truck driver, paces in front of the kiosk restaurant鈥檚 service window, arms crossed.
鈥淭hey won鈥檛 serve this truck driver so he鈥檚 blocking it,鈥� captioned 91原创 truck driver Andy Bessem 鈥� who recorded the act of protest.
鈥淗e wanted a coffee,鈥� Bessem told the Aldergrove Star, after a brief conversation with the trucker.
91原创 RCMP were called in after the trucker held up the drive-thru for what Bessem estimates was a half-hour.
After conversing with police, the truck driver 鈥渓eft peacefully. But he never did get his coffee.鈥�
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Multiple motorists offered to purchase the beverage for him, but Bessem said blocking the restaurant鈥檚 queue was about much more than getting his morning coffee:
鈥淚鈥檝e been a truck driver for 40 years and I鈥檓 very disappointed with Tim Horton鈥檚 that they won鈥檛 do this for drivers 鈥� essential workers.鈥�
The truck driver 鈥� who asked to remain anonymous 鈥� corroborated his reasoning for the demonstration.
The video has since went viral, striking a chord with people all over the country who want to ensure truckers can find places to eat on their routes in the face of widespread restaurant closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The footage has had more than 100,000 views and 8,300 shares in less than a week鈥檚 time.
[Story continues below video]
The franchise at 26474 56 Ave. shuttered in-store service mid-March to comply with a provincial health order to limit the spread of COVID-19.
鈥淚t is simply not safe to allow guests to walk through the drive-thru lane,鈥� Tim Horton鈥檚 spokesperson Meghan Giffin told the Aldergrove Star on Tuesday.
Changes made
Giffin added that, in solidarity with the trucker, the restaurant owner has implemented a carry-out system for truckers to get fed.
In Aldergrove, 鈥渟ignage has been posted, asking truck drivers to call a phone number so our team members can take their order and hand it off to them in a safe manner,鈥� Giffin confirmed.
According to the company, more than 400 of its Canadian locations have introduced similar ordering options for truck drivers whose rigs are too large to navigate its drive-thrus.
The Aldergrove Tim Horton鈥檚 is located just off of the Trans-Canada Highway鈥檚 264th Street exit.
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