Six Cops Eighty-Sixed, Starbux Spox Perplexed

 

TEMPE, AZ – Short and not-so-sweet: Six (in some stories five) Tempe police were drinking coffee at a Starbucks before going on shift to police July 4th festivities. An unidentified patron complained of feeling unsafe with the police officers there. The person in charge, who knew at least one of the officers, asked them to either move out of sight of the complainer or leave. Cops left.

The Police Union posted about it on Twitter, adding a ‘Dump Starbucks’ graphic. The Union also ‘reached out’ to Starbucks corporate, apparently as corporate was reaching out to them (I am imagining an accidental collision that looks like a glancing open-handed fist bump) with the kind of verbiage that only dedicated flacks can: “We know this is not a national policy at Starbucks Corporate and we look forward to working collaboratively with them on this important dialogue,” and “We have deep respect for the Tempe Police Department and its service to our community,” said the Starbucks statement. “We have reached out to understand better what may have happened in our store, and to apologize for any misunderstanding or inappropriate behavior that may have taken place.”

I suppose I should be happy about collaborative important dialogue work over inappropriate behavior that in fact did take place, but the whole affair is more confusing than anything else.

Who is training people to say, ‘I don’t feel safe’ and who is training business people to take them seriously when they do say it? Why did the person in charge not just inform the patron that he was probably safer now than he has ever been anywhere else?

Or just tell the patron, “no”.

Published in General
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 50 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    My husband asked me, “If the cops had refused to leave, then what? Who would the barista have called to get rid of them??”

    Hah! 

    • #31
  2. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Their coffee is not good. Their espresso may be another matter, but drip coffee or cold press is where it’s at for me, and these guys are basic bean steamers. 

    So I can’t boycott them because I already don’t drink there. 

    • #32
  3. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    My wife and I were in Houston for a medical procedure a few years ago, and there was a Starbucks kiosk in the hospital.  It had decent coffee at a reasonable price, but when I say decent coffee you have to understand that I regularly drink Walmart Great Value coffee.

    • #33
  4. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Boss Mongo (View Comment):
    Each time, I was told “your money’s no good here.”

    Wait. Is that offering you a free coffee or a stick in the eye??!!

    I’d get a coffee and they wouldn’t accept payment. 

    • #34
  5. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    I’m trying to figure out a bit of a logic issue I’m having:

    Many of the same people who claim not to feel safe around cops also support strong gun control, arguing that civilians should – not [edit, thanks @bossmongo ] – have guns. A premise that underlies the gun control argument is that the police will have weapons in order to maintain peace. But, if you don’t trust police around you, presumably the police should not have weaponry either. So, how do you maintain peace? I suspect some may support anarchy in theory, but I that support might evaporate quickly upon an encounter with the three 250 pound thugs who wish to relieve the snowflake of his car, phone, and credit card.

    • #35
  6. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    I’m trying to figure out a bit of a logic issue I’m having:

    Many of the same people who claim not to feel safe around cops also support strong gun control, arguing that civilians should have guns. A premise that underlies the gun control argument is that the police will have weapons in order to maintain peace. But, if you don’t trust police around you, presumably the police should not have weaponry either. So, how do you maintain peace? I suspect some may support anarchy in theory, but I that support might evaporate quickly upon an encounter with the three 250 pound thugs who wish to relieve the snowflake of his car, phone, and credit card.

    You’re biggest problem is that you are trying to see the logic in their actions and arguments!  ;-)

    • #36
  7. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    arguing that civilians should have guns.

    @fullsizetabby, recommended edit:  arguing that civilians should not have guns.

    But I’m pickin’ up what you’re puttin’ down; it’s a good point.

    • #37
  8. Dick from Brooklyn Thatcher
    Dick from Brooklyn
    @DickfromBrooklyn

    NY Post – worthy headline. Super!

    • #38
  9. Right Wing Teamster Lawyer Inactive
    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer
    @RightWingTeamsterLawyer

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Most people feel uncomfortable with cops around. So what? Get over it.

    I’m okay with cops in same store/restaurant.  It’s when they are driving behind me that I pucker up.

    • #39
  10. Right Wing Teamster Lawyer Inactive
    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer
    @RightWingTeamsterLawyer

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    My husband asked me, “If the cops had refused to leave, then what? Who would the barista have called to get rid of them??”

    A homeless guy from Philadelphia.

    • #40
  11. Right Wing Teamster Lawyer Inactive
    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer
    @RightWingTeamsterLawyer

    Bet you’ll never see this happening at a Dunkin’ Donuts.

    • #41
  12. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer (View Comment):

    Bet you’ll never see this happening at a Dunkin’ Donuts.

    Speaking of which, now would be a good time for their Twitterist to throw some shade. 

    • #42
  13. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    TBA (View Comment):

    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer (View Comment):

    Bet you’ll never see this happening at a Dunkin’ Donuts.

    Speaking of which, now would be a good time for their Twitterist to throw some shade.

    I don’t think Dunkin’ does good Twitter snark. I had them blocked because they must have promoted a tweet and I block those. Looking through the feed didn’t show any recent jabs. Wendy’s has one of the better snarky corporate Twitter accounts. 

    • #43
  14. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    Right Wing Teamster Lawyer (View Comment):

    Bet you’ll never see this happening at a Dunkin’ Donuts.

    Speaking of which, now would be a good time for their Twitterist to throw some shade.

    I don’t think Dunkin’ does good Twitter snark. I had them blocked because they must have promoted a tweet and I block those. Looking through the feed didn’t show any recent jabs. Wendy’s has one of the better snarky corporate Twitter accounts.

    Wendy’s is masterful. 

    • #44
  15. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    I hate the modern trend to use anxiety as a weapon.

    • #45
  16. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I hate the modern trend to use anxiety as a weapon.

    #FakeAnxiety

    • #46
  17. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I hate the modern trend to use anxiety as a weapon.

    “I don’t feel comfortable here.” 

    “Why are you still here?” 

    • #47
  18. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    TBA (View Comment):

    JoelB (View Comment):

    I hate the modern trend to use anxiety as a weapon.

    “I don’t feel comfortable here.”

    “Why are you still here?”

     

    • #48
  19. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    For all of my fellow Dunkin’ Donuts fans, especially  @bossmongo: every year my town of Yarmouth on Cape Cod has a sand sculpture “trail” built and paid for by local businesses and organizations. And every year our local Dunkin’ Donuts commissions variations of the sculpture in the picture below, which is this year’s. It is very beautiful. This particular coffee shop is next to the Mid Cape’s regional Dunkin’ Donuts office, so I know it is honored and paid for by the company. 

     

    • #49
  20. Nohaaj Coolidge
    Nohaaj
    @Nohaaj

    I Walton (View Comment):

    The only time we get Starbucks is when we’re on a toll road on cross country drives. But I think I’ll even change that. The last one I went into had unisex bathrooms, which of course were filthy because guys do that. Are younger women just dirtier and don’t care, or is it that Starbucks doesn’t even understand the simplest basics about the difference between men and women? Women sit for god’s sake.

    The worst case of Starbucks bathroom mess I ever experienced was after a woman, dressed to the nines, including a fur coat, used the bathroom.  I believe she hovered and sprayed, because EVERYTHING was covered in (I presume) her urine.  

    • #50
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.