Lake Elsinore man jumps in to protect In-N-Out employees from irate customer
A Lake Elsinore man jumped in between In-N-Out workers and an irate customer swinging around a stick in the restaurant.
"She started going into the kitchen where some of the employees were, and that was where I was like, 'No, I'm not going to tolerate that,'" 20-year-old Luca Opperman said.
After seeing the woman become more and more angry, Opperman slithered through the drive-thru window and picked up a spatula.
"I should've grabbed a frying basket or something, but it is what it is," Opperman said. "It's too late now. I'm wielding a spatula, and I'm just yelling at her, 'You need to leave. Get out of here.'"
Opperman said the cashier called her order number several times, and when she finally came inside to pick it up, she was mad that it wasn't hot enough. He said she came back with a stick because workers didn't remake her order.
"Two fully grown, capable men sitting right there watching this whole thing happen," Opperman said.
He said the other men sitting inside just watching created the perfect distraction for him.
"She turns to them, and that's when you see that split second where I put the spatula down on the counter, and I go in for the shoulder drop," Opperman said.
He said he learned the move after playing rugby when he was younger.
"We got pretty good at it, and I have a younger sibling who's bigger than me, so that also leads to a lot of fighting sometimes," Opperman said.
The viral video of Opperman's actions gained 2.1 million views on Instagram. He said he stepped in to keep everyone safe and not for internet fame or free food.
"The comments section is saying, 'Give this kid In-N-Out for life,'" Opperman said. "You know how sick it would be to have an In-N-Out gold car or something?"
In-N-Out thanked him for stepping in to help their employees.
"We are thankful that one of our customers bravely intervened to ensure the safety of everyone nearby," the restaurant wrote in a statement. "We applaud his selflessness and quick thinking, and we've been able to share our gratitude with him."
