An elderly Virginia couple that has gone to McDonald's for decades was reportedly asked to leave a restaurant in Culpeper, Va. because, as the manager apparently told them, their “half hour [was] up.”

The McDonald’s manager is said to have approached Barbara and Carl Becker around 2:30 p.m.

The incident has not only sparked outrage, but has also given rise to the question of whether the store really does have a 30-minute sitting limit. No answers have been obtained from either management or from the store’s owner.

Barbara Becker said, “We’ve never, ever, ever been kicked out of a McDonald’s.” She and her husband, Carl, 87, a World War II veteran, have been going to McDonald’s since their six children, now ages 43 to 61, were young kids.

She recalls the manager coming up to them and saying, “You two are going to have to leave.”

“He said, ‘Your half hour is up and we need to clean this floor,’” the 81-year-old woman says, adding that the restaurant was not crowded at the time.

The stunned couple had never before been asked to leave a McDonald’s.

The Beckers are on a fixed income, and spend time at McDonald’s because it is affordable. Barbara has expressed that it’s a treat for her and her husband to be able to eat, talk, and enjoy each other’s company at the fast food restaurant.

“We were kicked out unnecessarily,” Barbara says.

Carl wrote a letter to the editor of the Star Exponent detailing the incident.

Bob Drumheller, the owner of the McDonald’s Culpeper franchise, issued a statement in which he explained that the customers’ claims are being investigated.

“I have also reached out to the customer to extend my apologies for this misunderstanding. Our focus will continue to be on serving our customers and providing them a welcoming experience,” Drumheller continued.

The couple has been back to a McDonald’s since the incident, although they have stayed away from the Culpeper location.

Sources: http://www.wtop.com, http://www.delish.com

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