Customer shows knife at drive-through window, cops say
Jason A. Kahl
Reading Eagle
Reading Eagle: Tim Leedy
The Burger King in Tilden Township.
A New Jersey man displayed a knife at the Burger King drive-through window in Tilden Township after discovering employees put tomatoes on his hamburger, according to state police.
James Saydek, 21, of Phillipsburg, was arrested about noon Friday following the incident at the fast-food restaurant on Jetson Drive just off Interstate 78, Trooper William Spayd reported.
It was unclear if Saydek was still at the restaurant when he was stopped.
Saydek pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct before District Judge Kim Bagenstose in Hamburg, even though he told the judge he didn't pull the knife, but only had it on his lap, according to a court worker.
"I guess tomatoes can really tick you off," said the court employee, who declined to give her name. "I guess he wanted it his way."
She said Saydek told the judge he is a self-employed hunting and survival guide and was driving from New Jersey to Georgia to give a speech on survival when he stopped for lunch at the fast-food restaurant.
According to the clerk, Saydek was fined $150 plus $138.50 in court costs and agreed to go on a payment plan. Before leaving the court, Saydek asked the trooper if he could go back to Burger King to get his meal.
"The trooper told him, 'No, you have to go to Wendy's now,' " the clerk recalled.
The incident marked the second time this month that state police were summoned to the Burger King for patrons reportedly displaying bad behavior.
On April 1, Andrew Zakashefski, 49, Birdsboro, was cited after he started throwing food, shouting at a customer and using obscene language, according to state police.
The outburst caused several patrons to leave the restaurant.
Troopers cited Zakashefski for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, police said. He has not yet entered a plea.
No one at the Burger King in Tilden could be reached for comment Friday.
Contact Jason A. Kahl: 610-371-5024 or
jkahl@readingeagle.com.