If your house was on fire or a loved one was experiencing chest pains and you tried calling 9-1-1 in St. Lucie County Saturday afternoon but were put on hold,  it’s because operators were busy dealing with a fast food emergency.

A woman identified as Latreasa Goodman entered a McDonald’s on North Highway 1 in Fort Pierce Saturday and ordered a 10-piece McNuggets and paid for same. After receiving her change she was told by the cashier that there were no McNuggets left and she could order something else. 

She didn’t want anything else; she wanted her McNuggets.

The cashier attempted to assuage Goodman with a McDouble, a food item that does not contain any McNuggets, nor any other part of a chicken (though I can’t swear to the fact that McNuggets do either). When Goodman refused the replacement item, the clerk tried to sweeten the deal with a small order of fries.

Goodman said she didn’t care for a McDouble with a small order of fries, thank you very much (I’m paraphrasing here) and she would prefer to have her money back.

But the cashier said she couldn’t do that because McDonald’s has a no-money-back policy. This apparently is true even if the clown takes your money with no intention of giving you what you’ve ordered and paid for.

So Goodman did the only thing she could: she phoned 9-1-1.

Three times.

Goodman was cited for Misuse of 911 (Florida State Statute 356.172). Goodman maintained that the situation called for use of the system usually reserved for fire, medical and public safety issues. “This is an emergency; my McNuggets are an emergency,” she cried.

Expect to see that phrase on a CNN t-shirt before sundown.

Ronald McDonald was not arrested for taking money under false pretenses.

Here’s a copy of the police report: