ENTITLEMENT PROBLEMS: MAN INCENSED OVER STARBUCKS DISCRIMINATION

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

He claims that it wasn't busy and that there were other seats available. Frankly, based on location and reviews, I don't believe him. And, on top of that, I would guess that this is part of a pattern of behavior for him; that he was approached about it because he consistently occupies their space for many hours on end without making an additional purchase.

[Triple Zero]

I didn't read the article yet, but isn't it part of the point of Starbucks that you get to go there, buy a coffee and work on your laptop?

That's what I did in NY, the coffee places were like the only places where you could comfortably chill for a while without bleeding money.

(except that I always gave them 15-20% tip which I later learned is not necessary in coffee places, so maybe they liked me extra much for that. I felt really bad even that one time in Boston (just before we lunched w LMNO) when they processed my credit card like really quickly and he already punched in the price before I realized I could have written a tip on the receipt ... Suu conditioned me well, I completely felt like I was totally robbing the coffee place guy out of being able to buy bread this week--do they really get paid more than regular waiters? Because waiters DO much more? SO ... CONFUSING)

You should read the article. The guy bought coffee and a bagel, and then sat there for almost three hours. The district manager very politely asked him if he would like to order anything else, and let him know that they prefer to reserve their seating for customers who are currently enjoying their beverage.

It's totally cool pretty much everywhere to hang out in a cafe and use your laptop. It's also, at least in my experience, considered pretty rude/simply not done to assume that buying a cup of coffee entitles you to use the space as an office for the rest of the day. A couple of hours? Sure. But if you want to keep hanging out after that, buy something.

... and now I want a bagel. We don't have real bagels here. We got torus-shaped breads that are called bagels, but they're not really real. They need some sort of boiling thing to make the skin chewy? Perhaps even in lye? I dunno don't think they do that here so it's just torus breads, not bagels. (with cream cheese, of course) (we do have that, it's pretty much the same)

About the story it depends IMO, if it was really busy then I think they have a really good point. If there were seats free I think they don't. Not because that's normal, or proper, but as Alty says because StarBucks actively tries to radiate an atmosphere like that. But if he's occupying seats, I can understand.

Also StarBucks is like a really big chain, so I'm always rooting for the little guy even if he's being an entitled prick.

... I'm going to read the article now, honest!

[Salty]

JJ:

Was it the combination of flip-flops, jeans, a t-shirt with an iron-on "Kubuntu" logo complimented by the  blue Wal-Mart hoodie that had dog fur on it that instigated all this?

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA...hoo hoo.......PLTHKAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

God damn it I love this country.

[Cain]

I've always worked on the assumption that you were buying your seat with your drinks in a coffee shop, and had to keep on buying to keep them (and this was in a small town).

I suppose financial analysts are being recruited from poorer educational backgrounds nowadays, if he's a native New Yorker and yet hadn't figured this out.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The fact that he's a financial analyst makes the whole thing oodles more funny!

It also gives a bad name to financial analysts. Both my best friend and Mr. Language are financial analysts by trade.

[East Coast Hustle]

No offense to your friend, Nigel, but being a financial analyst gives financial analysts a bad name.

[Luna]

I see he doesn't mention the possibility that the fact that he apparently does this several times a week could be the reason they pitched his sorry ass out.

[Phox]

I see he doesn't mention the possibility that the fact that he apparently does this several times a week could be the reason they pitched his sorry ass out.

That's the best part! 

[Jenne]

Panera just has a timed wifi thing that makes you 1) create an account and 2) sign in and then get timed before it goes off.  So you get your business done within that timeframe, extra food or no, or you lose your wifi.

Go to a fucking diner, I say--better people and the coffee is like $.95, you get free refills.  Or maybe I've watched too much "Twin Peaks" in my lifetime...

[Cain]

I thought the best part was he thought sitting in a coffee shop working on a laptop was a form of social interaction

[Phox]

I thought the best part was he thought sitting in a coffee shop working on a laptop was a form of social interaction

OHSHI-! I didn't even think of that, Cain. 

[Triple Zero]

Ok, having read the article, I do think they could have been nicer to him. However his blog reaction is WAY over the top

If he was a regular and they knew him, they could have cut him some slack IMO. He said he usually buys more there, after all.

Mostly because it's a Star Bucks, of all things. I can imagine if it's next to your apartment, it's nice to have a second living room like that.

I can imagine it's a crappy experience, personally I'd have bought another coffee, the time he was there is just on the edge of where I think they could have kicked him out, I'd be a bit upset about such a scene too, but I wouldn't have written a blog about it like that

[Jenne]

He should research a really much more "living room" kind of place near where he lives that's mom-n-pop that tends to ACTUALLY cater to the kind of schtick he thinks he's engaging in.  Instead of expecting corporations to fucking give a shit about his "experience" as a consumer.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

No offense to your friend, Nigel, but being a financial analyst gives financial analysts a bad name.

Well, she has a masters in Public Health, and she works for hospitals. Doing stuff too obscure for me to even understand, but somehow or other it's supposed to decrease people's chances of dying.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

He should research a really much more "living room" kind of place near where he lives that's mom-n-pop that tends to ACTUALLY cater to the kind of schtick he thinks he's engaging in.  Instead of expecting corporations to fucking give a shit about his "experience" as a consumer.

Except that he's clearly socially completely inept, and would never think about that.