Probably, as usual, liability insurance issues.

This is exactly it, a walker/biker can easily be run over.

But where it’s common the workers often look the other way.

You need a certain amount of revenue to be able to afford a car. Easy way to get rid of indesirables at night

Undesirable what? Undesirable paying customers?

Pedestrians are not served at drive-through windows at least in part because they are more dangerous to the workers. A driver at a drive-through window can't open their door, the window is very close to the drive-through kiosk but the kiosk is usually much higher (in a sedan) making it hard to climb out through the car window...they've also got a license plate.

During the pandemic most fast food places locked their lobbies and only did drive-through, which meant truckers couldn't get food because workers wouldn't serve them due to policies the companies refused to adjust.

I remember some police departments were volunteering to go through the drive-throughs for truckers.

This kafkesque nightmare sounds like it came from soviet-union style central planning

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The nightmare is being shot through a drive-through window and not even being able get a license plate. I've never had a car driver's license (only motorcycle) and I completely get it.

They're not staffed the same way at night as they are during the day.