Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Why I drink black coffee

It's never easy going back to work after a relaxing vacation, but today, my BART ride was so smooth that it helped me readjust to a busy schedule. I found prime parking spot at the Orinda lot and caught an earlier train that delivered me 10 minutes prior to my shuttle pick-up. Can't complain about that!

With 10 minutes to spare, I decided to get coffee to jump start my day at the nearby Starbucks. Keep in mind that around the Civic Center BART Station, I'd rather be standing in a long line waiting for coffee than standing by myself at the corner of 8th and Market, waiting for the company shuttle to arrive.

While waiting in line, I saw a homeless man walk in to Starbucks (not a shocker). He then walked straight to the coffee condiments counter, grabbed the carafe of milk and poured it straight into his mouth (a big shocker!) I couldn't tell if his mouth actually touched the carafe but it doens't matter, the site of him drinking the milk was absolutely disgusting that everyone just got their coffee, skipped the creamer/sugar and left.

After he finished the milk, he went for the half-half. I was waiting for a Starbucks barista to tell him to stop, or to change the carafes of milk and half and half on the counter, but they never came. That leads me to think this homeless man is a regular and fills his stomach on Starbucks condiments often.

After he poured the half-half in his mouth, he grabbed a few backs of sugar and left. I believe he made several folks into black coffee drinkers today!

I've been preferring my coffee black lately, and this is just another reason why I should drink my coffee black. You never know who's used the milk before you. I actually witnessed something similar at the Gourmet 360 Burritos in Downtown SF where a homeless man filled up on free salsa at the salsa bar. I never touched the salsa there again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In Starbucks downtown I have seen homeless people come in and take all of the sugars and sweet 'n lows, etc. The Barista's never say a thing. It is really nasty. I think I need to always get Lattes and bring my sugar from home.