Memo #20091
January 6th, 2009
Dear Fellow Starbucks Customer:
Thank you. You reminded me that the warm, fuzzy glow of the holidays has been washed away by days on end of rain.
You saw me walking into Starbucks with an infant in one arm and my wallet in the other hand. You then speed walked to beat me to the counter so that you and your 4 children, who each required her own specialty order of hot cocoa, wouldn’t have to wait. You could have spent the time it took for them to make my solitary latte discussing exactly what each child wanted to order so that I wouldn’t have to stand behind you through the Great Whipped Cream or No Whipped Cream Debate of 2009 – just a suggestion. I had the joy of juggling a squirming, increasingly irritated infant while waiting for the Starbucks trainee to figure out how to make each of the 4 different hot cocoas and your complicated macchiato (what the hell is a macchiato anyway?). Thank you for giving me that extra 15 minutes (I think this particular trainee might not make it through barista college) of strength training for my left arm and face time with my angry infant.
I hope your kids all spilled sticky, sugary, pepperminty, whipped cream covered cocoa in your mini van.
Signed,
The under-caffeinated momma with the over developed left arm
January 6th, 2009 at 11:53 am
OMG, people can be so rude. My one daughter can take forever deciding what she wants from Starbucks, that I actually tell people to go ahead of me so I can give her time looking at the case for what breakfast sandwich/muffin she wants if that’s what we’re there for. I don’t see any reason to hold up the quick orders just for my 8-year-old.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Oh yeah, baby. I’ve been there. Back in the day when my wallet and budget allowed the Starbucks BLESSED GOODNESS.
Let me guess. She didn’t even make eye contact with you the whole time either. **Or** my personal favorite – the STUNNED, IS THERE SOMEONE BEHIND ME routine…
Next time: Starbucks DRIVE-THRU all the way!
🙂
January 6th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I love when you vent like this.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I had an experience like that at starbucks this morning. You made me laugh at least. Sorry you had a rough experience and I hope your day gets better!!
Becky and Jack
January 6th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
You don’t know me, but I’m a Starbucks barista. And, if I had seen that, I would’ve made your drink first 🙂 Both because she sped to the counter ahead of you and because you were juggling an upset baby, and while I don’t have kids, I spend enough time with them to know to help you out 🙂
And, the difference between a macchiato and a latte is the order in which the ingredients are put in. Macchiato means “marked” in Italian. So it means the shots are poured through the milk, marking the foam on top, as opposed to a latte, where the shots are poured first, and then the milk put over top of it.
OK, I’m done geeking out over coffee types now…back to lurkdom 🙂
January 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
WOW. Sounds like you had a bad day. I hope things improve.
January 6th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Ohhh. That sucks. It’s like the Starbucks version of road rage: you know, when the little old lady pulls out in front of you and then goes 10 mph, but there’s nowhere to pass.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH I’ve missed your memos!! Though, this does not sound as though it was pleasant. I just love people who do this. I hope they got a HUGE sugar high—then CRASH
January 7th, 2009 at 6:47 am
This, my friend, is the reason I gave up on Starbucks a long time ago. The one closest to me isn’t a drive through and I will do anything not to have to stand in line with a cranky kid. The only way I do Starbucks now…I have to go to the one where one of good friend’s is the manager and I’ll only go when he’s working. As soon as I walk in, he starts making my drink (I’m a caramel white mochaholic) akong with the others in process and just wait for him to hand it to me. Even better, half the time…it’s free.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:22 am
thank you for this.
reason number 19283198237 Im too cheap for the ‘bucks.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:05 am
People suck. Plain and simple.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:04 am
LOL. You’re making me laugh a lot this week. And what I gained from this? So glad I’m not the only one who would drag my two young kids out in the rain for some Starbucks. 😀
January 7th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I am finding that people, in general, are not intentionally evil as much as they are totally self absorped. I had a similar experience and decided (I am practicing calm, assertive behavior) to interject a polite, “Excuse me, may I go first, my little one is having a tough time and I just need one drink.” The person and her tiny entourage said “oh, of course” in a flutstered but sympathetic tone.
Having said that… I do enjoy your memo’s and am encouraged to hear that you would attempt a trip inside a starbucks with an infant in the first place. We are working on a newborn domestic adoption and I am convinced that my life is going to STOP.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
I can’t tell you how many times people suck in how they treat a mommy with her hands full…. Like, um, letting a door slam in my face as I’m building that left arm holding an almost 3-year old. Happens at least once a week.
And I can’t remember where the heck I was recently when someone in front of me was taking their sweet time and knew I was struggling to hold my child and keep her from melting down while they tried to make a decision. Of course, they didn’t bother to let me go first…
Self-absorbed people suck.
January 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I am cracking up reading this because it happens to me so often (not at Starbucks, but everywhere else). People just don’t get outside themselves very often, do they? Hope your next Starbucks experience is better.
I read a few of your previous posts, and noticed the one where you said your 5 month old weighs only 12 pounds. I just had to tell you that my 8 month old hasn’t hit 15 yet and isn’t really even on the charts for his age. But, he’s happy and developing so the pediatrician isn’t worried at all. I think sometimes doctors worry too much about the growth charts-there are a lot of really big babies out there making our peanuts look bad for being small!
January 7th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
may the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Girl, you always crack me up! Sorry the laugh is at your bad experience, but still…lol!
January 8th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Ugg, some people are such jerks. I have had similar experiences. Rude!!
January 8th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Thought of another one … Don’t ya love when you’re trying to cross a parking lot IN the crosswalk holding an almost 30-lb toddler and people don’t even stop to let you cross???????