By now, we've all heard about the incident at the coffee shop in Philadelphia where two African American men had the audacity to set up a meeting with a friend/colleague in Starbucks. Imagine that, a meeting in Starbucks? You know how the story unfolded. They ended up in handcuffs being escorted out of the cafe just as the friend they were meeting showed up.
What pains me more than the sight of these good looking black men being "shackled" and kicked out of the establishment was the look of resignation on their faces. They were smart to know that resisting arrest could lead to being shot by the police.
During the last recession, white men and women all over America pretty much hung up their shingles and made Starbucks their personal "offices." Heck, they still do it to this day.
I can walk into any Starbucks in this town during open hours and find at the very least six people who are "conducting business" inside Starbucks. They "might" purchase something. And if they do, trust me, they nurse that cup for hours. Just having a "messy" table is enough for them to "squat" as long as they please.
If I'm being totally honest, I too, have stopped in a Starbucks to use the restroom or wait for someone and purchased nothing. I believe that most Americans have done the same. Why not? We know that we've all given Starbucks a good sum of money over time while working, traveling, shopping, in airports, office buildings, you name it.
It's sort of like stopping at a gas station while traveling and using the restroom. Starbucks stores just like gas stations are everywhere.
And maybe that's the problem.
Maybe they've gotten too big for their own good.
Starbucks is so convenient for me.
There's one in my building and I go there at least once a day for coffee or a snack.
Boycotting Starbucks means that I would have to leave my building and take the extra time and effort to visit an independent coffee shop or another chain. There are coffee shops on every corner.
And that is why I think I need to boycott Starbucks (at least until I see some true commitment and change). Because boycotting Starbucks is easier than tossing and turning in my sleep because I was just too lazy to be inconvenienced.
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While I am certainly opposed to just looking at someone and throwing them out of an establishment that welcomes what I call "professional loitering". Personally, I think Starbucks needs to remove the tables - especially the Wi-Fi tables. In the San Francisco bay area, there have been a lot of snatch and run laptop robberies. In my favorite Starbucks in Berkeley, I always see the same people EVERY MORNING, occupying the same table, busy on their laptops using the free Wi-Fi, and nursing the same cup of coffee. Or, sitting in the comfy chairs, very leisurely reading a newspaper that they're "borrowing" from Starbucks newspapers. These are all non-Black people with the exception of one older Black man who is always sitting with a non-Black man. They occupy the tables for no less than 90 minutes each day. Many days I would like to have a seat and enjoy my mocha, but all of the seats are occupied by the one-cup-per-2-hour regulars. Starbucks has gotten to be like the local bar - only cater to regulars who are not the ones who are supporting the revenue. It is people, like me, who want to come and get a beverage and a bite and dash off to the office. No doubt, the 2 young men were not regulars. These young men thought it was a perfect place to meet. Only to find out the manager viewed the place as "Cheers" with reserved seating for regular professional loiters. I will start drinking more tea - at home - and keep my Starbucks mocha money in my pocket.
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