The Importance Of Thinking It Through

It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. I bet this kind of thing does not happen to heroin addicts. I bet that when serious heroin addicts go to purchase their heroin, they do not tolerate waiting in line while some dilettante in front of them orders a hazelnut smack-a-cino with cinnamon sprinkles. ~Dave Barry

Exactly.

Saw this quotation on Kettle and Cup and completely identified with it. Do you know, I was fidgeting restlessly in the queue at Starbucks the other week behind some girl who asked the question “What’s an Americano?” – she actually said those words.

It’s worse when it’s the staff. I was at a particular Caffeine Supply Stop yesterday morning buying some coffee beans for work (in a moment of sympathy and appreciation for He Who Brings The Coffee), and decided on a whim to purchase one of their “Heat and Eat” baguette things for my lunch.

The guy behind the counter put my coffee beans into a bag, then began to tear open the baguette’s wrapping to put it into the microwave. “Oh, excuse me,” I said politely, “could I just take that away and heat it myself?”

“Sure,” he said. He continued to remove the packaging as if I had never spoken, and I stared at him in confusion. Perhaps he was trying to get fired or something. Never do what the customer wants would probably be the right attitude to adopt, in that case.

His colleague also stared at him. “Umm, she asked if she could take it away and heat it herself,” she said, confirming – to my relief – that I had in fact said this. “Oh,” said the guy, shrugging, as he re-wrapped my lunch, “I understand. I thought you asked if you could take it way and eat it yourself.”

?    ?     ?   

I mean, why would I have asked that? Would he have eaten it for me if I hadn’t specifically requested to eat it myself?

I am not sure that I understand the world around me any more.