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Explain the illogic.
Milk is out there to be taken, ergo it must be taken, according to Elmo and a disturbing number of others. And I'm not talking about taking a half ounce...I'm talking about taking 19 ounces in a Venti cup.
Let me say that again: I'm not talking about taking a half ounce...I'm talking about taking 19 ounces in a Venti cup.
One more time, for the brain-dead: I'm not talking about taking a half ounce...I'm talking about taking 19 ounces in a Venti cup.
What's the difference between taking 19 ounces of "free" milk and 19 ounces of "free" mints?
Both are stepping outside the bounds of reasonable use.
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You just can't always assume "because A, then B must follow", you know that. I'm not advocating, just sayin', you know?
Besides - if Starbucks says they put the condiments out for free use, for the customer to customize their drink as they please, then I take them at their word (again, I prefer basically "plain" coffee myself). If someone's idea of a "customized" coffee drink is 19 ozs. of creamer, then Starbucks is approving that.
For a restaurant with mints out, taking as much you like isn't the stated policy - the mints are there to freshen our breath after a meal, which for most reasonable people only requires one or two mints, not the whole basket. I think we do all understand that. Older people seem to feel the need to take what they can sometimes, from what I've seen. I think it comes from many of them growing up during the depression.
Kathy
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I don't "always assume" because A then B.
I still think that the free milk/free mint analogy is apt. Nowhere on the mint basket does it say "one per customer". I've seen reasonable people take two. I've even seen reasonable people take FOUR, but they are usually the designated mint-person grabbing one for themselves, one for wifey and one each for little Timmy and Jane.
But dumping the whole basket into one's purse or doggie-bag? Sort of sleazy.
Again, taking advantage of a loophole is legal...but that doesn't mean it isn't sleazy. I have not seen any Starbucks statement saying they "approve" of such abuse, but I wouldn't be surprised if (in the name of superior customer service) they just shrug their shoulders and look the other way at the cheap bastards who DO make a condiment into a drink.
Or they might just raise the price for EVERYONE by a nickel per drink. Nahhh, probably not.
Another example? How about a new TV EVERY YEAR? Just buy the most expensive TV at Costco and return it before their 100% refund term expires. Keep doing that and you can be upgrading to a new TV every year for the initial cost of one TV. Illegal? Nope. Sleazy? You bet!
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[quote Baby Tats]Herbie goes to the all you can eat buffet, but only gets one plate- It's unethical.
Herbie goes to a fast food restaurant, but never refills his sodas- It's unethical.
Herbie goes to Starbucks, but never uses more than 0.5 oz milk- It's unethical.
Herbie goes to the public bathroom, but only uses one sheet to wipe- Which would account for the smell.
BT
Baby Tits,
I never said any of that. However, it DOES show your complete lack of understanding of this discussion.
1) Starbucks does not offer "all you can drink" lattés.
2) Starbucks does not offer free refills of their lattés.
3) Of course it's okay to use more than .5 oz of milk. Are you an idiot? Who said anything about .5 oz? Can YOU not see the difference between .5 oz and 19 ounces? No? Well, I finally found out where our differences of opinion lie.
4) You follow people into public toilets? And WATCH them? You sick fsck.
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Niagara Falls
Slowly I turned,
Step by step...
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19 ounces of creamer?!
Yikes. That's like asking for 38 (half ounce) creamers at McDonalds with your cofffee. I can't imagine anyone would ASK a McDonalds cashier for 38 creamers in those little plastic cuppies. The customer would need a whole separate bag to carry all those creamers. But if the creamers were just sitting out there in a big chilled serving bucket along with the straws and napkins. Those creamers would be gone before 8am in the ghetto or anywhere else for that matter.
Is it illegal? Nah..
Is it ghetto? Heck yeah. Even homeless people would look at you funny if you took 38 McDonald creamers (19 ounces) all at once.
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[quote chas_m]Man am I glad I don't patronise Starbucks!
As corporate citizens go (relatively speaking), Starbucks is probably worthy of your patronage don't you think?
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It is balanced out by those of us who like our coffee the way it was meant to be drunk.
Black.
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If Starbucks was really concerned, then they'd either adjust the price of an Americano, or serve them in a smaller cup.
But the practice of making a Ghetto Latte isn't quite the same as taking a handful of Equal packets and tossing them in a pocket or purse. Nor a customer pouring their own drinks at a fast food place where no refills are allowed, but they stand there, pour and drink, pour and drink, pour and drink, after purchasing a small drink.
It's more akin to watch somebody put a ton of mustard and ketchup on their french fries, several packets of sugar in their coffee, or seven or eight little creamer cups (along with that sugar).
A woman at a local Safeway took one of the 1qt. plastic salad containers, put it under her arm, and began shoveling in handfuls of cubed cheddar cheese samples. The toothpicks were inefficient for the task. Although Safeway didn't have a sign that said "SAMPLES- ONE/TWO TO A CUSTOMER", neither did they have one that said "ALL YOU CAN EAT/ALL YOU CAN TAKE".
There is no doubt a lot of "get over on Starbucks" with this twist, and it really may not have a single thing to do with "ghetto". The baristas are on the front line and see this, and feel that Starbucks is being ripped off, long before Corporate is aware of it, so they say something. Corporate says it's OK, so I imagine the word trickles down.
Starbucks can deal with it easily enough. If the Ghetto Latte becomes a widespread practice, I imagine they will revisit portion control. Easy enough to do.
Saying "We're cool with that" makes Starbucks look magnanimous and takes the pressure of baristas, and saves SB the trouble of printing up thousands of signs that say "NO MORE THAN 6oz OF CREAMER PER CUP" for those who live by The Rule of the Explicit.
And if shareholders are concerned about current Corporate policy, I'm sure they'll say something.
As a by-the-by, there are a LOT of silly-ass threads here. This isn't the worst, and even if it were, it wouldn't be for long.
Such is the way of a coffee klatch.
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Wow. What he said. Makes a lot of sense.
Thanks, RAM, for taking a logical and analytical approach.
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