The Busboy With The Table Scraper Is Strangely Absent
The lack of white tablecloths should be these people's first clue that they are not in a fine French restaurant with staff hovering to clear the plate immediately after the amuse bouche, and to trot around with those little table scrapers to swipe away the crumbs.
Yes, it seems this is actually a Starbucks, where the staff is sometimes slow to act as your mommy, collect your garbage, and clean up your food leavings (perhaps you thought they were a little present for the next customer?) Is it too much to ask that you maybe pick up after yourself, Princess?
On your way out, do glance up at the green lettering over the awning. See how it says "Starbucks," not "Taco Bell" or "indeterminate natural foods store"? They sell food and drink in this place, they don't just provide you with a nice little table to eat and drink stuff you've bought at other places.
Gee... Long time reader, first time commenter.. (Wanted to try how it sounds on talk radio, just for the heck of it.
Most people today are slobs. Harsh? Yes, it is and I am. I see it everywhere in so many ways. It is laziness brought on by innumerable things in our society that people have just absorbed. Is there a cure other than random violence? I don't think so. It's a shame but pointing it out to the very young seems to me to be the best hope that someday the trend will reverse.
Carl P at January 1, 2008 9:34 AM
Here's a story of a 3-year-old who wasn't -- same Starbucks -- but she was British:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2007/12/
Amy Alkon at January 1, 2008 9:41 AM
And P.S. bratty children and what to do about them are part of a book I'm writing.
Of course, the parents are usually to blame -- as I wrote here:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/ag-column-archives/2007/12/look_before_you.html
Amy Alkon at January 1, 2008 9:42 AM
I could write for days on this subject.
A couple of weeks ago I took my youngest daughter to see Alvin. When the movie was over and the bright lights came on (seemed brighter than usual, possibly because of high number of young children), I noticed that very few picked up their drink cups and popcorn containers as they left. Large barrels are provided so they only have a few feet to go to do something so simple. But no, it is left at their seat. These kids are with their parents. All the way to dinner I was ranting to my daughter about how awful those parents were. Finally, she reached over and touched my arm and said "I know dad." I realized I was sounding just like my father who would rant and rave, very loudly, about how terrible those parents were.
Last Saturday, I took my daughter to see National Treasure, and as we were leaving I noticed an attractive older couple (not as old as me and much more attractive) picking up there area. It was the retired govenor and his wife. I pointed this out to my daughter and said there must be a profound meaning in what we were witnessing.
Dave B at January 1, 2008 11:33 AM
I noticed that very few picked up their drink cups and popcorn containers as they left. Large barrels are provided so they only have a few feet to go to do something so simple. But no, it is left at their seat.
Pet peeve of mine, too.
Amy Alkon at January 1, 2008 12:01 PM
I just came back from the Starbucks licensee store that's in our local Safeway (the closest REAL Starbucks is 120 miles away in Tucson). I found myself throwing away all the stirrers, napkins, sugar and fake sweetener packets that were left by previous patrons on the condiments bar. There is a trash receptacle RIGHT NEXT to the bar. We have a whole bunch of tourists in town, and I'm hoping they were the culprits, because it's not usually like that at all. It's the start of tourist season here, and we just got the Starbucks a few months ago. This is a small town, and though the city counts on the tourist trade and we love their money, most of us are real happy when they're gone. Oh, and the buskers are showing up now, too. You can smell them before you see them.
Maggie45 at January 1, 2008 1:52 PM
Ever try to park in a space that's blocked by an abandoned cart? That's a pet peeve of mine, especially when--a few steps away--are cart corrals.
Doobie at January 1, 2008 1:54 PM
Maybe they're from Los Angeles, Maggie. Here's the Santa Monica Starbucks from another day:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2007/03/its_starbucks_n_1.html
And yes, Doobie. I'm with you on that.
Amy Alkon at January 1, 2008 2:38 PM
Ha, Amy, that's exactly what the bar looked like this afternoon! And there were a lot of California license plate in the parking lot. lol
On another note, the mention of Cathy in the linked thread brought tears to my eyes. I miss her posts dreadfully, and can just imagine how YOU miss HER.
Maggie45 at January 1, 2008 6:21 PM
bet they left a shitty tip too. Strike that, bet they left no tip.
smurfy at January 2, 2008 9:21 AM
I'm reading about the Starbucks mess leavers, and I'm nodding and saying to myself, "Thank you! It's not just me! People should take care of their trash. Mmm-HM!" Then I read further down about the movie theatre mess leavers. Oops! I'm tragically guilty of leaving my garbage behind in the movies. But that's not as bad, right? They clean up in between movies, don't they? I'm trying to convince myself, someone back me up here.
JonnyT at January 2, 2008 4:14 PM
I just don't get it either. When you're buying cheap food served by minimum wage workers with a crappy job, just like making it even less worth their while or what? And the theater thing is even less easy to understand. Every theater I've been in anyway has the barrels by the doors on the way out so all you have to do is pick your trash up and dump it on the way. Is that so difficult?
Donna at January 3, 2008 10:55 AM
I'm hanging my head in shame now. New Year's Resolution: I will make a conscious effort to throw out my trash in the movie theatres.
JonnyT at January 9, 2008 6:41 PM
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