Filipino President Paralyzes Haight with McDonald's-Bound Motorcade

Proving that a Big Mac attack knows no borders, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the leader of the Philippines, chose none other than the Haight and Stanyan McDonald's for his lunch today—and brought along a massive entourage of SFPD officers, security SUVs, and diplomatic vans to join him in the quest. As Hoodline reports, the motorcade brought traffic to a halt in the Haight, with dozens of SFPD motorcycles and other vehicles parked outside as Aquino tucked into the Dollar Value Menu, then browsed jazz CDs down the street at Amoeba Music. It was the Filipino leader's final meal in the U.S. after a trip to the UN Climate Summit in NYC and some business meetings in SF; he's headed back to Manila this evening.

Though there are numerous outposts of America's gift to the world in the Philippines (they even deliver), Aquino must have found the SF dining scene too pedestrian in comparison with an opportunity to try McD's at the source. This is clearly insane, because the Philippines' McDonald's outlets have curly fries, spaghetti, and fried chicken. We can only speculate what might have been if Jollibee had managed to hack it a little longer on Fourth Street.