AIDS Patient Wins in McDonald's Case

Milla said:

IIRC the HIV survives a tremendously short time outside the body, which is why you don't hear about people, say, getting infected after stepping on a piece of glass. I'd be interested to see any documentation of someone being infected via food.

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This is correct. The reason people can get it from the dentist or doctor is because of needles, which hold the blood in a sterile environment. If a dirty needle is used, you may get it. If someone bleeds on an unsterile environment (like food) and then gets to you, nothing will happen. Maybe if the guy cuts himself getting tomatoes, and directly after, cuts a customer, bleeding himself a little into the customer's cut, the customer will get HIV.

Sorry, this is not grounds for firing. We could play the "what-if" game all day, but this guy was still fired illegally and needed medical insurance to survive. He got his money, and we should let McDonalds pay by giving them less business and not working there (I would never go so low as to work there).

Good to know I was paying attention in biology class.

How much am I going to have to pay for aBig Mac now? $6? I'd fire the guy the same way. Ridden with a disease with no CURE and transmitable by even a slight amount of blood, he would be dead in a few years anyway, better to get rid of him before his physical states disables him from working.

Meh, we already pay $6 for a big mac down here, or we would if we didn't refuse to eat that cardboard flavoured rubbish they sell.

It is good the man won the case. As for the issue of the proper amount of money - it is not my position to say.

one love said:

How much am I going to have to pay for aBig Mac now? $6? I'd fire the guy the same way. Ridden with a disease with no CURE and transmitable by even a slight amount of blood, he would be dead in a few years anyway, better to get rid of him before his physical states disables him from working.

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Yeah, you can transmit via a small amount of blood, but not through anything you would do at a fast food restaraunt. The blood would have to go DIRECTLY from one person to another or through a needle. Your way of thinking is the reason why you'll have to pay more for a Big Mac. Not this guy's disease. And with the medicines they have out now, the guy will probably stay pretty healthy, if he doesn't eat the food he prepares.

I think the large corporation I work for should be able to fire me whenever they please, for whatever reason.

one love said:

How much am I going to have to pay for a Big Mac now? $6?

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Far better to pay a few cents less for a burger than for the sick to have freedom from arbitrary life-threatening layoffs, eh?

I'd fire the guy the same way... he would be dead in a few years anyway, better to get rid of him before his physical states disables him from working.

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I'm sad to say this, but atheists like you make me weep for humanity far more, as you don't have the excuse of just following religiously-motivated firebrands, or beliefs you grew up with, but actually have to come up with such views on your own. We're very fortunate that only a minority think like you do.

I dunno, after reading the statistics from the Penn. Study on those on Christian Abstinance Programs (that those who don't abstain are far less likely to use a condomn and thus statistically higher in chances of getting STDS or causing pregnancies) - I just wouldn't feel good if I knew a Christian kid was in MacDonalds serving me food, I mean, I wouldn't know for sure that he had an STD and I don't know anything about transfer rates but just seeing a cross on a chain on the guy making up the burgers would make me uneasy.


AIDS on the other hand...two different studies have had partners where one has AIDS and the other doesn't and in both studies if condoms were used regularly, the partner didn't get AIDS. You know, they cooked together, they maybe used the same toothbrush - they lived together and they didn't get AIDS. But I am suppose to be worried about a MANAGER, who won't be making burgers exactly because.....what? He might run through the glass door while trying to give me a free burger for bad service and then impale me with the shards of glass sticking out of him and the blood travelling down it will infect me?

But I used to be a little wary about AIDS, until I got to know some people that have it. It is funny how the more I knew them, the less afraid I was of something I KNEW wans't going to infect me (kinda like the fear was all in my mind, instead of in the situation).

theeyesoftammyfaye said:

the man put in 21 years working for the same company. he was fired, AGAINST the law mind you, by mcdonald's, causing him not only to lose his pay, but also his health insurance, leaving him unable to afford the medication he needed to take to maintain his health. if YOU were fired, illegaly, and lost the medical insurance YOU relied on to take care of a deadly illness YOU had (one that almost killed you, by the way, when you lost your insurance)....would $300,000 dollars make it all okay for you?

you say the sad part about all this is that the consumer will have to shoulder the cost. i'd have to say, the sad part about all this is that people think that huge companies can go around and violate employment law and treat their workers in an immoral fashion and then gripe because their chicken nuggets go up 5 cents a pack. why AREN'T you angry at mcdonald's for doing something illegal, and ARE angry at the man who was done wrong, and was only seeking money which i feel he rightfully deserves?

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You misunderstand my point. I am not angry at the man. I am dissapointed in the court system in the States and also dissapointed in the political system which puts a band-aid on problems like these rather than getting to the root of it all. I am angry at Mcdonalds for thinking that they are above the law and angry at a criminal justice system that seems to confirm that Mcdonalds is indeed above the law.

How about a court order to hire this man back and if Mcdonalds continues to offend in these issues, then the court orders Mcdonald's to be shut down?

Milla said:

IIRC the HIV survives a tremendously short time outside the body, which is why you don't hear about people, say, getting infected after stepping on a piece of glass. I'd be interested to see any documentation of someone being infected via food.

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I believe that outside the body, it can only survive for a matter of a few minutes at the most. It dies very quickly.