Man, my muse must be occupying Wall Street with the other lazy arses. No blogging whatsoever since I have been off the road. And then, lo and behold, a story of interest, brewing right under my nose.
Yesterday my friend on Facebook broke the story that Starbuck’s is allowing no more smoking on their ash pad … I mean patio. What did they say, “25 feet or further”?
First question: Who is going to sit out there in a hazmat suit at Starbutts — among the coughing dead — and monitor the poison, its proximity to the fresh aroma of coffee and enforce the rule? I digress …
It makes so much sense though. I mean, who wants a person with a persistent cough mixing their drinks. After all, is it not the baristas who will be most directly affected by the new rule? (Now, will someone kindly explain to me why Starbucks requires that the baristas clean up the nasty things displayed in their bathrooms daily … If there were ever a case for outsourcing …)
Less caffeine … stay on point …
After my friend — who happens to be a barista, broke the story – I saw the Web was all ablaze with the news … So, smoking was not only a nasty habit, it was trending.
Ha … can you imagine the potential headline for The Times of London “No More Fags On Patios At Starbucks” …? (Look up slang Brit terms for cigarettes if you are having problems with that … my buddies and I always called them “snipes” … the smokes that is. Ha … “smokes” there’s another dubious term.) I’m just sayin …
Hmmm … I don’t see a hint of the story on the www.starbucks.com site though, nor an explanation of why the Wi-Fi has performed so poorly at this store for months, for that matter.
(I solved that second issue by my own self … they have been monkeying around with the hotspot and/or splash page to support ads. So, not only do we have to breathe cleaner air now at Starbucks, we are force-fed marketing messages on the Wi-Fi. What is this world coming to?)
You know, this smoky patio thing has bothered me for years, yet, uncharacteristically I can assure you, I have remained tight-lipped … However, I have been to probably 300 Starbucks around the country, and a few overseas. BUTT, I have never sat on their patio to check the Wi-Fi. Why? It stinks so bad! The cloud on their patio is NOT the Internet.
Yes … smokers have rights and probably a somewhat air-tight car out in the parking lot. Lock your door and knock yourself out. If I were still a smoker I think I would see this as a sign. People are fed up with breathing other’s smoke. It may be time to start exercising the right in a manner that doesn’t adversely affect others. Again, just sayin …
At “My Bux” — same thing. The outdoors are not so great … not suitable for healthy consumption. I mean … even if you don’t care about my lungs, what about the children … ha … or even the “sacred cows” of this messed up society … the dogs also on the patio? (No don’t get me started on how people treat dogs better than children …)
Yes, if you have heard about those self-righteous, vindictive or extremely allergic ex-smokers … well … I’m am like a nicotine fiend’s worse nightmare … Pretty ironic, since I learned to write my name by looking at my daddy’s package … uh … his cigarette package which he carried in the chest pocket of his pearl snap western shirt … thank you.
So about my friend the barista. I need to check to see if she de-friended me on FB. She posted the story with an ambiguous comment. And I LIKED it immediately. She may have been upset by the news and my glee may have been perceived as a snub. It was not. She is a favorite!
And for the record, I have suggested a couple of times that she should quit. For her own wellbeing … she is a wonderful person … the kind we would all like to keep around as long as possible.
As a matter of fact. She has been a favorite for the 9-10 years I have been a fixture in the shop. Ha … I call that Starbucks home (and they probably call me homeless). I digress … Hell … I’m there so much, if my blog were any good, I think Starbucks would claim part ownership.
Anywho, she has been sportin the green apron, smiling and taking over-caffeinated crap from people like me for years, and never copped an attitude. Ha … unless it was on smoke break. I can’t say. She has been there … almost every day …
So this barista posted it – you know come to think of it she has been here forever while other baristas and managers just disappear. What is she doing, killing them and eating them? Ooh no, I bet she is disposing of the evidence with a bean grinder and serving them in skinny lattes … I digress … and I bet you didn’t see that coming … LOL!
So I am here, in a slightly more smoke-free Fort Worth. It has been more than two months since I have been out on the road. My Dirty Gig for now is in a warehouse, cleaning and preserving old railroad maps. Kind of interesting … meanwhile, my buddies are spread around, working on cruise ships in exotic locations, cleaning up tornados just about everywhere and fixing chemical explosions just up the road.
And I am here, breathing a little easier. For the time being, Bux, I guess you’re stuck with me.
Know what I sayin?
