I got flipped off yesterday. Is Starbucks at fault?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Davis CA
Posts: 3,959
Bikes: Surly Cross-Check, '85 Giant road bike (unrecogizable fixed-gear conversion
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
I got flipped off yesterday. Is Starbucks at fault?
Granted it wasn't major road rage, but it was interesting considering that W. Sac drivers are generally very courteous toward me when I ride through their most industrial and motorized city.
On my commute there's an undercrossing where I generally take the lane. There's a stoplight a short distance from either end so for a car to get behind me, then have to accelerate pretty good. And if they did pass me, they'd just have to stop anyway.
So this car is behind me for about 10 seconds. No big deal. As soon as I can, I move over and let him pass.
He flips me off. I smile and wave.
After that, he turned right and I moved on. I did save a snot rocket just in case he came up behind me, but I never saw him again.
But here is the interesting part. The last two drivers who have been unnecessarily rude to me at this exact point subsequently made right turns at the same spot.
And both incidents have been since a Starbucks has opened just down the street onto which they turned. Before that, no one was ever rude when I took the lane there.
So has the opening of the Starbucks caused more drivers to be impatient at that undercrossing because they are in a hurry to get their coffee and too stupid to budget their time accordingly?
I think if this happens again, I'll go into full sprint mode and get ahead of them in line at Starbucks and take forever ordering.
On my commute there's an undercrossing where I generally take the lane. There's a stoplight a short distance from either end so for a car to get behind me, then have to accelerate pretty good. And if they did pass me, they'd just have to stop anyway.
So this car is behind me for about 10 seconds. No big deal. As soon as I can, I move over and let him pass.
He flips me off. I smile and wave.
After that, he turned right and I moved on. I did save a snot rocket just in case he came up behind me, but I never saw him again.
But here is the interesting part. The last two drivers who have been unnecessarily rude to me at this exact point subsequently made right turns at the same spot.
And both incidents have been since a Starbucks has opened just down the street onto which they turned. Before that, no one was ever rude when I took the lane there.
So has the opening of the Starbucks caused more drivers to be impatient at that undercrossing because they are in a hurry to get their coffee and too stupid to budget their time accordingly?
I think if this happens again, I'll go into full sprint mode and get ahead of them in line at Starbucks and take forever ordering.
#2
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,531 Times
in
3,157 Posts
Getting between anyone and their coffee fix is never a good idea.
I get nearly the same reaction from my wife in the morning before she has coffee.
Bux boosts the caffeine in their brew... so their "users" are especially addicted.
I get nearly the same reaction from my wife in the morning before she has coffee.
Bux boosts the caffeine in their brew... so their "users" are especially addicted.
#3
"Per Ardua ad Surly"
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 1,416
Bikes: Bianchi Specialissima, Mongoose Hilltopper ATB, Surly Cross-Check, Norco City Glide
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I dare say you have a point. The problem here is not so much Starbucks as Tim Hortons. Everyone needs their coffee in the morning and never leave themselves time to get to their work on time. People get nasty before their morning double double. The drive throughs also get crammed full of vehicles and the spillover makes the morning commute that much harder. That makes even the people who fixed their coffee before leaving home more surly than usual.
#4
ROM 6:23
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Coastal Maine
Posts: 1,713
Bikes: Specialized Tricross Comp, Lemond Tourmalet, Bridgestone MB-5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by nelson249
I dare say you have a point. The problem here is not so much Starbucks as Tim Hortons. Everyone needs their coffee in the morning and never leave themselves time to get to their work on time. People get nasty before their morning double double. The drive throughs also get crammed full of vehicles and the spillover makes the morning commute that much harder. That makes even the people who fixed their coffee before leaving home more surly than usual.
#5
Lean, neat and eat meat!!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: crApple Valley, CA
Posts: 183
Bikes: Trek 800 Sport and an old Sears beach cruiser
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Reason I prefer working PM shifts as opposed to AM shifts.
I get to observe all the chaos from a safe distance during off-time.
I get to observe all the chaos from a safe distance during off-time.
#6
Dominatrikes
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Still in Santa Barbara
Posts: 4,920
Bikes: Catrike Pocket, Lightning Thunderbold recumbent, Trek 3000 MTB.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I don't think it's Starbuck's fault. ARen't there already 3 Starbucks on that block? What's one more?
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: CA
Posts: 545
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by nelson249
Tim Hortons.
timbits, poutine and old dutch ketchup chips
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 387
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by G60
if we had a timmy hohos here i'd lose grip on rational behavior too!
timbits, poutine and old dutch ketchup chips
timbits, poutine and old dutch ketchup chips
... I'd love a Bread bowl stew right now though.... mmm.
Anyway, Starbucks like all big corporate things tends to breed it's own sort of culture with it's customers. Look at Wal-mart and the stereotypes implied. Look at Target and the stereotypes implied. Etc, etc.... The same can be said of resturants and coffee places... so I'm not going to say you're crazy.
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Davis CA
Posts: 3,959
Bikes: Surly Cross-Check, '85 Giant road bike (unrecogizable fixed-gear conversion
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
I know that I'm probably a major $h!thead when I haven't had any coffee in the morning. But that's why at an early age I learned to use an electric coffee maker with a timer.
#10
totally louche
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023
Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
8 Posts
I read a book by Theodore Geisel once: The Sneetches
It was about plain bellied sneetches and Star(bucks') Bellyied Sneetches.
The Starbucks bellied sneetches looked down on the sneetches that weren't like them.
classism- one the most offensive discriminations in america. its funny, in a tragic way, how half of all american families make less than 50,000 dollars a year.
It was about plain bellied sneetches and Star(bucks') Bellyied Sneetches.
The Starbucks bellied sneetches looked down on the sneetches that weren't like them.
classism- one the most offensive discriminations in america. its funny, in a tragic way, how half of all american families make less than 50,000 dollars a year.