Tim Horton’s client says employees mocked his Tourette Syndrome

A customer of Tim Hortons with Tourette Syndrome accused staff at a store of discriminating against him and said they ran from the counter after seeing signs of his condition.

The man posted the clip to the @myfamily_withtourettes TikTok account, which shows him calling out workers in the store, while a lone clerk comes forward to help him while he records.

@myfamily_withtourettes Seeing employees run away and point at you and laugh at you is a horrible feeling. I hope none of you have to feel that kind of hate. Really messes you up over time. @Tim Hortons ♬ Original sound – My family with Tourette

“They all ran away and sent a young man instead. Before my child,” he wrote in the overlay text. The TikTok user confronts Tim Horton’s workers by saying, “Hey guys, hey guys, that’s not cool,” the man then yelps, presumably due to his condition, before continuing, “That’s not cool, I have Tourette.” and she doesn’t want to serve me does she want to send you? Like that’s crazy, man.”

He then moves the camera around the store while a child speaks in the background; The employee sounds like he is asking the TikToker what can he get for him. “An apology,” he replies before screaming twice more.

The dad with Tourettes added in a caption to the video: “It’s a horrible feeling to see the staff running away and pointing at you and laughing at you. I hope none of you have to feel that kind of hate. Really messes you up over time. @Tim Hortons please do better.”

The Centers for Disease Control defines Tourette syndrome as “a disorder of the nervous system. TS causes people to have ‘tics.’” The government agency explains that these tics often come in two forms: ‘motor’ and ‘vocal’ and can sometimes develop into specific patterns of uncontrollable, repetitive behavior. These tics are usually first noticed in children between the ages of 5 and 10, and the CDC states that when a person becomes agitated, anxious, or agitated, the likelihood of them occurring increases. Conversely, when a person is quiet or focused on a specific task, the tics subside.

The Daily Dot has emailed @myfamily_withtourettes’ and Tim Horton’s TikTok accounts for more information.

Other users of the application had a variety of responses to TikToker’s post, some of which he replied to. One person joked that the father “has a demon in him.”

@myfamily_withtourette’s response to @TrvpVee ♬ O-Ton – My family with Tourette

The creator also called out another TikToker, @xobane, in a follow-up video, who said it was unfair for the dad with Tourette to expect staff to react calmly and collected after he entered the store and yelled started. @Xobane noted that he is not on the father’s side and explained that he needs to see other videos of him entering the premises and announcing that he has Tourette.

@Xobane eventually deleted his videos, which @myfamily_withtourettes also pointed out in another video.

However, other commenters sympathized with the father and tagged Tim Hortons as a way of getting the coffee-and-donut chain to address the issue and apologize to TikToker.

“Don’t stop haters, don’t give up, keep going even if you’re different than others,” one wrote.

Another commenter, who said they were an associate of Tim Horton’s, wrote, “I would have served you, I work at Tim Hortons and have Tourettes.”

However, some viewers said the whole situation seemed like a misunderstanding, and while they sympathized with TikToker, they also acknowledged that interacting with someone who has Tourette for the first time without knowing their condition could be upsetting.

“Sorry you had to experience that,” said one user. “Although some people are unfamiliar with Tourettes and may find them alarming/scary at first.”

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