Clash
A friend with a migraine is sleeping it off in my Santa Barbara hotel room, so I went down to a Starbucks at the corner of State and Cota to do some filing. I saw an empty table with a cup of latte-or-whatever sitting on top of it, but no one in either chair. I figured the person who’d ordered was in the bathroom. The general rule, of course, is that single customers can save a chair but not a whole table, which are frequently shared. So I sat down in one of the chairs and plugged in the computer, etc.
Knock-knock. Some tall guy outside who was talking on his cell phone was tapping on the window next to the table and gesturing at the coffee cup. I grinned and gestured as if to say, “Yes, that’s your coffee and your chair, but you don’t own the table, pal….sorry.” He rapped on the window again, more sharply this time, emphasizing that the coffee cup meant that he has hunkies and does in fact own the table, including both chairs. My inner response was one of ridicule and disdain, but I shrugged and half-smiled as if to say, “Gee, I don’t think so, but you’re definitely assured of a seat when you’ve finished arguing with your girlfriend or whatever and you come back inside.”
The guy (heavyish, bison-like, mid 40s, big feet, shorts) frowned and pivoted and rounded the corner and came over to the table. I went to myself, “Okay, here we go…confrontation time.” But he just grabbed the coffee and gave me a dirty look and went back outside. Compare this asshole to a typical Cairo demonstrator, desperate to effect change and running down tear-gassed streets and dodging bullets, etc.
No sliding doors here.
Good for you, Jeff. Asshole gave up squatting rights when he sashayed outside in his shorts to chat on his phone.
On the other hand: “Compare this asshole to a typical Cairo demonstrator, desperate to effect change and running down tear-gassed streets and dodging bullets, etc.”
Report from a Cairo resident: “I am out in the streets along with everyone else protecting and rescuing our homes. Thieves have been going round robbing houses. We have even caught four prisoners. We tied them with ropes and the army came and took them away. They were escaped prisoners. People are waiting outside their houses with weapons. We are hearing bullets. It is crazy. In front of every building there are 20 people to protect it. Some criminals have been stealing ambulances and police cars and driving around.”
Not exactly desperate to effect change.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/9380534.stm
yes, but it was an emotionally vivid coffee cup.
Black cowboy hat > latte.
Perhaps someone was meeting him there and he did, indeed, plan to hold the table. Is there something wrong with that, too, in your world, Wells?
if that was the case and Mr. Shorts politely explained it to Wells (which I’m sure you, I, or anybody would do in this situation), I would guess Jeff would not have a problem with it
Wells to Longrunner: If you want to save a table plus two seats, drape garments or folded newspaper over chairs and leave two (2) coffee/teas on table. i would totally respect that. Otherwise, no way. You must mark your territory (i.e., jungle law).
Here’s why Jeff is right: If the guy was in the bathroom, he’d have a legit claim. When nature calls, it’s not voluntary. But this guy made a choice to talk on the phone instead of letting his call go to voicemail, opting to text, whatever.
When someone goes to the bathroom, they’re going to be back in a minute or two (unless they have serious business to take care of, and in that case they shouldn’t expect a table to stay reserved). But who knows how long the guy is going to be on the phone? Is Jeff supposed to time him? Wait five minutes and then take the table? You can’t arbitrarily say how much time away is too much in that case. And the guy didn’t even come in to demand the table; according to Jeff he went right back outside to talk more–fuck him.
So a polite response that you have people coming is not good enough?…then you have what’s coming to you.. jungle law in Starbucks. Good luck with that
Uh-oh, Hooper won the DGA award. Jeff’s heading back into his mood pocket funk…
Jeff, you were right. Longrunner, if the dude was meeting someone, tell him to WALK INTO STARBUCKS AND LOOK FOR HIM. How hard is that to do?
At least the guy went outside to make/receive his call so that customers in the restaurant didn’t hafta listen. That’s a helluva lot more polite than somebody swooping in and taking his table, in my books.
If he had come back in and explained that a friend was meeting him there, would you have moved, regardless of the fact that he hadn’t constructed a veritable barricade around his table when he went outside to use his phone?
Folks, I just can’t help but think that if the roles were reversed, we would have gotten an earful about the temerity of some guy ‘(heavyish, bison-like, mid 40s, big feet, shorts)’ who wanted to share Wells’ table.
Also, did we ever hear that this was the only table available? Seems like a salient detail to the story.
‘Jungle law’ is for animals. Hence the name.
At any point during this altercation did a Dean and Deluca cake wrapped in tin foil surface?
Hope your friend with the migrane is okay.
I’m a wholesome diet regime fan, I am positive the Best Diet Plan is the best, I prefer it really significantly. If you’d like to turn into more slender fine? So hurriedly action! The Acai Berry Diet retailer possess a lot of healthful diet program products for you to pick. Such as China Meizitang Slim.
beatsbydre solo
beats by dre solo
beats by dre studio
monster beats by dre
cheap monster beats