Just when you think things might have calmed down some in the common sense world of society… you get slapped in the face with the reality that common sense is all too uncommon and society, or at least some parts of it, still seem to be a bit… disconnected from reality. In Tempe, Arizona on the Fourth of July no less, six police officers who were waiting on their coffees were asked to leave by a barista because (paraphrased), "their presence was making another customer uncomfortable." Well, pardon my unprofessional response, but WTF?
That’s the response of almost every officer out there. WTF? And the next one is usually, “Well then I hope they don’t need to call the police for anything.” There are two HUGE problems with that second response that I’d like to discuss, but before I do, I think it’s important to look at how Starbucks corporate has addressed this. In the past, Starbucks executives haven’t always been very appreciative of or sympathetic toward law enforcement. In fact, if you combine the Starbucks executive level response toward police with that of their attitude toward gun owners/carriers, it can seem like they’d be perfectly happy not to ever have either in their shops. That said, let’s take a look at this particular event and the response to it.
First, the barista IS put in a bad spot. Now I’m not agreeing with what they did, but here they are, probably a college student just trying to make a buck and they even know at least one officer by name because he’s a regular. This customer comes up and says, “Hey… those cops are making me feel uncomfortable. Can you ask them to leave?” Of course, that’s assuming the customer is even polite (which may be a stretch). What MAY have been said was, “Those cops are making me feel threatened. They gotta go or I’m going to file a complaint.” Either way, the barista is now in the position of having to tell an already irrational customer to piss off (politely) OR to go ask the officers, who can be assumed to be far more clear headed, to leave the store because they’re making someone uncomfortable.
NONE of us understands how our simple presence can make someone THAT uncomfortable but if you think about it, it’s really not that surprising. For the past 35+ years I’ve listened to parents threaten their young children with the police. “If you don’t behave, that policeman over there is going to lock you up.” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve gotten down on one knee, eye to eye with some three or four year old and SERIOUSLY pissed off their parents when I said, “No I won’t, young man. You’re too cool to lock up. You just behave and never be afraid of the police. We’re here to help you.” Oops… took all the threat away from mom’s words and now she has to find another way to discipline her child; a way that SHE is responsible for instead of pawning it off on the police.
But we DO have an entire generation of folks who have been raised to be afraid of the police. We have a mainstream media that constantly sensationalizes singular incidents in such a way as to demonize law enforcement and elevate “the poor innocents” (who usually have pages long criminal histories and are exceedingly violent). As a result, is it any surprise that some people simply get nervous when the police are around? Now, my particular perspective is that unless you’re a criminal, you have no need to be nervous about the police being around. In fact, I kind like having lots of folks in uniform around. But I might be prejudice.
So, yes, we can be upset with Starbucks in general with regard to this particular incident but I’m not sure we’re justified as much as we have been in the past. This barista might have made a bad choice but life’s experience and some more confidence in their employer might have tilted the action the other way. I personally just wish we could read about a barista that throws a customer out for disrespecting the police. Of course, that would require the entire corporate structure to put their financial plan behind supporting law enforcement rather than every customer that comes in with a gripe about something.
Wait… they’re never going to get away from the griping customers. Let’s not add to it. Tell the barista you completely understand in your best command voice. Let them know that you fully appreciate their position and you feel bad for them that some customer is afraid of the police. I’d even go so far as to ask the barista to convey my apologies to the appropriate customer. I feel bad that someone is so emotionally weak that the mere sight of me is enough to make them uncomfortable. Unless they’re a criminal of course… then I take great delight in the fact that I make them nervous.
Seriously… another day at Starbucks. I like some of their coffee. I don’t like all the people that go in there and many of them don’t like me. I think if the barista asked me to leave I’d respond that I’d be absolutely happy to, just as soon as I have my coffee. Want me out sooner? Prioritize my order. Otherwise, refund my money and then I’m out and if THAT’S the case, then yeah… I won’t be back. I’ll work with you, but I won’t let you outright insult me.
