A newspaper photographer reporting on a TGI Friday’s flying “Mobile Mistletoe” drone had her face sliced open by the 23″ drone’s six bare rotors, and Friday’s blamed her for the injury, saying she flinched when the restaurant’s drone pilot landed a smaller copter on her outstretched hand.
Several Friday’s restaurants are hosting their own mobile mistletoe gimmicks, and the restaurant says that this is the first instance of an injury. A restaurant spokesperson said that normally “We do not let consumers touch it.” This person is apparently unaware that people eating at restaurants are commonly called “diners,” “patrons,” or “customers.” “Consumer” — an always-odious term — is especially on-the-nose in a restaurant context.
The photographer said that the copter “cut off the tip of [her] nose.”
The two remote-controlled helicopters dangling sprigs of mistletoe were intended to spread holiday romance, but one of them flew out of control and clipped Courier photographer Georgine Benvenuto in the nose with one of its spinning, uncovered blades.
“It literally chipped off a tip of my nose,” said Benvenuto, using tissues to stanch the blood. “It took off part of my nose and cut me here, right under my chin.”
Benvenuto said she’s just thankful she wasn’t blinded in the name of love.
“Thank god it didn’t go anywhere under my eye — that is my livelihood.”
Drone operator David Quiones said an accident like this had never happened before, and even blamed our reporter for the bloodshed.
Drone strike! Our photographer injured by TGI Friday’s mistletoe copter [Vanessa Ogle/Brooklyn Daily]
(Photo: Vanessa Ogle)