A California woman says she refused to pay McDonald’s 10-cent bag fee, opting to leave with a tray instead. The unusual protest quickly split the internet, with some cheering her response to what they saw as corporate greed while others argued there was no excuse for stealing over a dime.
Posted to TikTok by @malonsanaii, the brief video opens with the creator expressing disbelief over the added charge. “Why are they talking about 10 cents for a bag?” she asks.
Rather than paying the fee, the creator appears to leave with one of the restaurant’s trays instead. “Now you’ll have to pay for a new tray,” she says before the video ends.
The bag fee stems from a California law requiring retailers to charge at least 10 cents for recycled paper bags at checkout. The measure was originally intended to reduce plastic waste by encouraging shoppers to bring reusable bags.
Commenters Pick the Villain
Many viewers thought the California woman’s response was a fitting way to push back against what they saw as unnecessary fees from a multibillion-dollar company. “This is the appropriate behavior. I don’t care what anyone tells you,” one commenter wrote.One viewer even applauded the move, joking, “And there you go teachin’ ’em a McLesson.“
Others were less focused on the tray itself and more frustrated that McDonald’s charges for paper bags at all. “Nah because why is a multimillion dollar corporation nickel and diming us for paper bags and extra sauce while they don’t even pay their employees right or bring back the food items we do want,” one person wrote.
Another commenter questioned why the fee exists in the first place, writing, “10¢ for something they’re supposed to provide????“
However, not everyone supported the California creator’s decision. Some argued that frustration over a 10-cent fee didn’t justify taking restaurant property. “People just love finding an excuse to steal,” one commenter wrote. One user even warned, “Stealing a tray is a felony in some states.“
Primarily, though, viewers were frustrated by what they saw as wealthy corporations charging extra for everyday items while the cost of living continues to climb. For many, the 10-cent bag fee represented a much larger issue than the tray itself.
