Rendering, not Facebook Live:)
I posted this on PingWi-Fi after giving Starbucks time to respond and hopefully to remedy the situation.
In Starbucks across the entire United States I have seen many a satisfied customer fall asleep over a good book. I think most people find that funny but somewhat sociably acceptable. Ha … I refer to it as “the fine art of public sleeping” — or the FAOPS.
That’s quite a different story than a homeless person nestling under a covering of yesterday’s newspapers in a comfortable chair, dressed in soiled, sweaty clothes, escaping the light of day … with his worldly belongings parked all around him on dirty little carts.
No doubt I could be more sensitive to the plight of the homeless, even though I have worked at shelters and given away many a cold drink or cash at a busy, cosmopolitan intersection. Lord knows, everyone could be more sensitive to these people! But I also think we can logically agree that there are places designated to assist and protect people who have been cast into or have chosen a life on the streets.
So … Is it wrong of me to prefer to enjoy a beverage while I work at Starbucks without sharing space with or even being accosted by a homeless person?
It might appear so, at least at one Starbucks. Recently, in Houston, at the Starbucks located at 1151 Uptown Park Blvd, there was an unkept gentleman asleep for more than an hour, hiding his upper torso under a newspaper. Who knows what might have be going on under there? As I sat across from him, I saw several customers first consider sitting nearby, assess the situation and leave. I was not comfortable with the situation either, and I discussed it with the barista at the bar, discretely, after the man finally awoke and went to sit outside — leaving his grimy little carts parked strategically to maintain his place in the comfortable chairs, by the way. Squatting, I suppose you would say.
I got the impression the barista felt sympathy for the man, which is admirable … and she went as far as to defend him, telling me he was not asleep. (I had just watched him sleep and snort and give me angry looks for my making noise … for about an hour … ) So … it was also upsetting that she chose to defend a person who was scaring away customers, and to insult a paying customer … a customer who happens to be a travel journalist who has written in and favorably about hundreds of Starbucks, dating back to my Wi-Fi Guy Blog in 2003 (Best of The Web, Forbes). I digress …
I am an expert on snoring, and this dude was sawing a mighty log.
But oh well … I forgot about the incident, until my next visit to the store.
Not only had the ill-advised barista been somewhat dismissive to my concerns, she apparently shared my comments with the man who had been camping out in the store. It would seem she may have embellished as well … On this latter visit, as I sat in a chair, writing a blog, the guy walked in and stood over me for a minute to get my attention, towering over me until I pulled out my earbuds. (I hate it when anyone makes me pull out the plugs that are kicking out the jams …) Then, for the next 10 minutes “the dude” insulted me, challenged me, ridiculed me, accused me and tried to get me angry … presumably angry enough to fight. He said he was told by the barista that I “didn’t like the way he looked.” He in turn, said he was not keen on my appearance.
On he pressed, so I told him straight out that, yes, I had complained that he was sleeping in the chair and driving away other customers.
He continued to harp on his notion that I was singling him out unjustly for his appearance. I continued to hear him out, the more belligerent he got. It was slightly comical, slightly alarming in these violent times. One of us could have a gun … or maybe both of us. Who knows what his mental state might be and what might have caused him to reject polite society? I avoided a more harsh confrontation (or at least attempted to) with humor as he told me I looked like “a neo-Nazi.” (I assure you that I do not.)
I attempted to “disarm” him by telling him that I was just jealous of his gray pontytail, since I had cut mine off a couple of years ago. Ha … he stated that he clearly remembered not wearing a ponytail on the day of the incident. (I should take better notes on the fashion trends of hobos.)
Like I said, he berated me for about 10 minutes and finally he tired of it when he saw I wouldn’t take the bait. (By the way, I am more than capable of and well prepared to defend myself in such a situation … see foreshadowing above … This incident could have been much worse, if I’d allowed.)
So … regardless of my insensitivity … THERE IS NO excuse for a barista disclosing information — shared in confidence — and provoking a third party … potentially causing a fight between “customers” in the coffee shop. I understand the barista is young and inexperienced in many situations … Again, I salute her for caring about the needy … But, there was no excuse for this blunder. I trust Starbucks will address this type of situation — with all its employees, in addition to the barista who made the mistake — to better equip its employees … providing a clearcut policy regarding transients … and training employees to defuse situations rather than add to the volatility.
Thank you in advance for your time, consideration and attention given to this matter and the potential ramifications regarding customer safety.
In summary, it took me a while but I found a better Starbucks in Houston anyway. And I never visited the one on Upton Park Blvd., again … ever.
Know what I sayin?
