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Police say James Summers cooked up a storm of trouble at a Denny's in Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis. – America’s diner is always open, but police say a 52-year-old man toting a briefcase and packing a stun gun took the slogan too far when he walked into a Denny’s restaurant, claimed to be the new manager and cooked himself a cheeseburger and fries.
A Madison police report gives a flavorful description of the bizarre Tuesday afternoon incident at a Denny’s on Thierer Road:
He never announced he was one of the pros from Dover, but the briefcase toting gentleman wearing a maroon tie and long black trench coat was quite clear: he had been sent by corporate. He claimed he was the new general manager, that he had worked for the restaurant chain for 30-years and was starting his new job - right now.
Police say the gray-haired man with a goatee proceeded to walk into the office of the 38-year-old restaurant manager, and the two got into a “nose to nose … as the man asserted his new role as she told him she thought not.”
While the manager began making calls up the corporate chain, the man walked into the restaurant's kitchen and proceeded to cook himself a cheeseburger and fries.
The manager then called 911.
Officers confronted the man and found a stun gun on his belt beneath his trench coat and suit jacket, along with what appeared to be two crack pipes.
“He was cooperative with the officer, but as he was about to be led from the restaurant, he yelled out to those eating: “This is why you don’t dine and dash kiddies,” according to the police report.
Madison police arrested James B. Summers, of Madison, on charges of fraud, possession of an electric weapon, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.
"He only got to eat about three-quarters of the cheeseburger," Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain told msnbc.com.
"I don’t know if he had 30 years with Denny’s, but he probably has had experience cooking a cheeseburger in the past."
You can read the police report here.
Msnbc.com's James Eng and NBCPhiladelphia.com contributed to this story.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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James Summers....... 'Employee of the month'
LMAO!!! That's Awesome!!! :)
New style of Management Take Over!
Musta been sent by Bain Capital.
This guy has to be in the running for the dumbest criminal of the year award. Sounds to me as if he had no other place to go, so he decided to eat a good hamburger before going to jail.
Did he put on a hair net before approaching the grill?
As a manager the least he could do is iron his prison shirt! lol
Madison WI, 40 square miles surrounded by reality
If he had been a woman, they would have accepted him on the spot! He would have replaced the tyrannical male manager...and continued the grand American tradition of the angry female manager. Do men manage anything any more? Yet, all we hear about is how women are discriminated against...BS.
Dear Misogynist,
I am sorry your mother didn't treat you well but that does not mean you can be hateful to all women. The reason women are picked over men is because they pay women less money. It is a fact that in this day and age women make 38% less in salary than a man. So you men still have it over us.....NOW QUIT COMPLAINING until we are making just as much as a man and taking your jobs.
Also, the reason why we are angry, rightfully so, is because we know we are being paid 38% less than our male counterparts.
All through history, including today, no other race nor religion have been more discriminated against than women. We have to fight for the rights to our own bodies. We have to pay for birth control but insurance companies are more than happy to pay for Viagra. We are paid less and appreciated the least. There was a time we couldn't own property. We couldn't get a job. You know why prostitution is the oldest profession because it was the only profession women were allowed to have.
So if you have a problem with women taking your job then fight for us. Maybe if they have to pay us as much as men it would level the playing field.
AmericanPauper,
Your comment reminds me of a conversation that God had with Adam.
Adam: "God, how come you made women the way you did?"
God: "Well, so you'd like them."
Adam: "God, how come you gave them those neet parts?"
God: "Well, so you'd like them."
Adam: "God, how come you made them so dumb?"
God: "Well, so they'd like you.:
Brent...guess that dialogue would include you in it too...so guess we're both stupid. Michelle...nice try, but at least they give women jobs...also, in America, the women just leech off the men...so why do they need so much? Show me an American woman who isn't a deadbeat living off her husband/bf...and I'll give you a million dollars.
AmericanPauper,
You sir are a moron. There are a lot of women out there that support their family including their husband. My wife for example. She is a doctor, I was an engineer. I quit to take care of the children. She supports us and works damn hard. I guarantee she works circles around the likes of you.
American Pauper: What woman took your job, pissed in your Wheaties and kicked your dog? Back in the insulated 1960's my mom did the unthinkable and divorced my unreliable hothead of a father. My father routinely bounced $40.00 per month child support checks. After my parents divorce, was my mom forced to go on welfare? No, due to the fact that my mom was reasonable, college educated woman that managed her meager salary well, we were able to keep a roof over our heads, a roof that she purchased before she married. While my father drifted from job to job, my mom had the same employer for 30 yrs. The point is Pauper, that people who truly desire to rise above their circumstances often do, while those that choose to wallow in self-pity look for scapegoats. I wish you well in changing your situation.
One thing is for sure, the women in this thread dont understand statistics.
Travelfreak...you make a lot of assumptions...seems a common American trait. You also live in a fantasy world...most people born into poverty remain there...not because of a lack of skills or talents, but because of the simple fact that when you have families with $100 million in the bank inherited from their families controlling government and every aspect of our culture, there is no avenue for one to rise. Those Horatio Alger tales are mostly BS, unless you win the lottery and those are often rigged.
As for the manginas....keep male bashing...because there is no talking to you people.
It turns out he IS the new manager, just not at that particular Denny's.
He is smiling in his mug shot because he got what he was aiming for....a cot and 3 hots. It reminds me of the man that robbed a bank so he could get medical care. It is high time we start charging inmates for their stay and medical care. As part of their parole they must give a percentage of their pay to the state to compensate for the cost of their stay at the Inn.
Or better yet.....put them to work while they are staying at the Inn instead of allowing them to sit around and watch cable TV. In my opinion, jail should not have TV at all. I remember when I was grounded as a child. Not only was I grounded but no phone, no TV, and no Atari....I am dating myself now. Also, I was given additional chores.
The justice system should adopt my Mom's punishment regiment. Believe me I avoided trouble more times then not because of her punshiments.
This is actually very funny considering all we read is about are Dad's murdering their children, the Middle East, and pending global economic meltdown apparently 100% due to the debt in Greece!
A refreshing story, nobody was hurt and a guy stoned out of his mind got to eat some good grub. John Belushi would be proud of this cheeseburger story.
Why the H*ll did he go to a Denny's to find good grub. He must have been WAAAAYYYYYYY out of it.
Good for you Michelle. I like your style, girl. As a guy who works in a company with about 75% women (we've grown 10-15% per year over the last 10) I can appreciate your comments to the neanderthal who previously posted. I'd take many of my female co-workers into battle any day of the week and put them up against the best MEN in corporate America. Our VP, Customer Service Manager, hell even one of our best shippers, are female! At my company, however, we are paid on performance and not based on gender, so the women who excel here are well taken care of...just so you know there may not be a lot of companies like mine, but they do exist.
Yeah?
Isn't it something like what Kramer did? He just showed up to a job and started working.
#13.1 - Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:58 PM CST
ha ha very funny article. Actually, Kramer was coming off like a 15 year strike and they were short handed at the bagel shop. When he decided he like Fesitvus and needed the 23rd off the mgr got mad. He storms out and screams! "The strike is back on!!! Festivus for the rest of us!" "No bagel no bagel no bagel."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS7-jcsB_WQ
The guy was just hungry and he just brought alone his own glass to fill up on coke, you know to wash down the cheeseburger! Give the guy a break, in this economy everyone needs one. lol
Try Burger King next time, there you can always have it your way.
Haven't been to Denny's in years. Began the boycott after the racial incident. Will never eat there again, even if they let me do the cooking. I read somewhere that if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Might have heard that on Fox (that' a joke son).
How does that affect the rather large number of black people that work for Dennys? Ever think of that?
How does that affect the rather large number of black people that work for Dennys? Ever think of that?
I need him to teach my wife how to cook! Ladies, this is how you take charge in the kitchen where you belong!
He would have had a lot more success had he walked into a Wisconsin government office and claiming he was a union official. The dynamic union staff would have been more than happy to let him do whatever work he felt like doing.
Government offices usually have cafeterias because they are union. So yes they have hamburgers.
Why....Why the ugly institutional pull-over shirt ?
With the money we waste on jails the inmates should be furnished with clothing and assorries from Armani or Prada at a minumum even Gucci would do in a pinch.
If I went to jail and they gave me a shirt like that.....I would leave.
Poor guy........if he had gone to Burger King they would have made it his way!
John Wayne was correct....................Life is hard, Life is harder when your stupid.
Heheh! Is this story made-up??
Only in Madison. I live here and a friend and I just ate at that restaurant last night, not knowing this had happened 24 hours earlier.
This kind of stuff goes on all the time here. I have never see so many characters in my life!
Kay, Madison sounds like a fun place to live, apparently never a dull moment.
What? The cops don't know if they were crack pipes?
this is such a random move, probably the funniest thing i have heard about all day...this dude should have told me he was going to denny's i had a 20% off your entire check coupon he could have got cashback on his meal....lol
I'm sory but... LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!