A fast food-fanatic dad was so eager to get his hands on a Big Mac ahead he tried to camp in a McDonald's drive-thru - but had to leave empty handed when he discovered he was four days early.
McDonald's recently announced it would reopen its 975 drive-thrus from 2 June to 4 June, after closing in March to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Dad-of-five Rik Dove pitched his tent at the Kings Mill Road East restaurant in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on Sunday night (31 May) hoping to be first in line the following morning.
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He set up camp in the drive-thru lane with a tiny LOL Surprise pink tent and a plastic Little Tikes car as his 'vehicle'.
But before the 28-year-old could properly bed down for the night, a member of the public told him he had the wrong date - as that particular restaurant doesn't open again until Thursday (4 June).
Rik claimed he planned to beat the traffic when the fast food outlet reopened - seemingly unaware of McDonald's rules that only vehicles with an engine can use drive-thrus.
Its website states: "McDonald's drive-thru is for people in motor vehicles only - bicycles are not permitted on our drive thru due to the health and safety policies we have in place."
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Despite the official policy, Rik is set to try again tonight and hopes to be first in line for Big Mac on Thursday morning.
He said: "I got moved on not long after I got there. My local McDonald's doesn't open until the 4th. A member of the public who possibly had a family member who worked there told me.
"I was gutted. I'm a big lad and needed a Big Mac in my life. I thought it [opened on Monday] so I've not managed to get one as of yet.
"I was going to get my kids some nuggets but only a box of twenty as that's all I would fit in the car. It was kind of cramped due to the tent and chair in the back. I'll be back on June 3 [Wednesday] to try again."
On social media, Rik's sister Lisa Dove said: "Just dropped our Tubbys off at McDonald's. First in the drive thru ready for opening. Man's got needs. Return of the Fat Mac."
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Her post has attracted more than 1,250 shares and reactions from entertained Facebook users who joked that Rik was in for a cold night in his tiny tent - not realising he was actually tucked up in his own bed after discovering his error.
One person wrote: "This is f***ing brilliant," while another added: "This man is next level."
Someone else said: "[They'll] be slapping a parking ticket on the cosy coupe for staying over two hours."
Topics: Food, Community, McDonald's, Food, Community, McDonald's