by JimWright on Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:16 pm Psyd wrote:The link you provided was as unsettled on the matter as we are! You know, except for the Starbucks fat cats. But I've never really suggested that we use their opinions for what is right, or what is even good.
The point was that they own the place, ergo they can set the policy, at least at the thousands of their cafes and to the extent of their cultural influence and influence on the business. There is clearly not a societal consensus that using lots of milk in your coffee is stealing or cheating, and in fact, I would argue quite the opposite (obviously).
Psyd wrote:<snip> There are certain things that are done because they are right and because they show respect for others. You either understand that or no amount of explanation will clear it up for you. These are the folk that make the signs and the chains a requirement. And life a little less glorious for the rest of us.
And there is a mile long list of rationalisations for it, starting with "I didn't see a sign that says that I can't", and wrapping up somewhere around, "Well, there actually isn't a law that says that."
Holy heck - apparently no amount of explaining will clear up for you that if the cafe wants to let a customer use as much milk as they want, that's between the customer and the cafe! How is it you get to be the judge of what is "right" and "shows respect" in this relationship between a business and its customer, aside from what consenting adults establish between themselves? Wow. Apparently if someone walks into a Starbucks, and uses more cream that you think is ok, whether Starbucks, the owner, agrees or not, it's not "right" and doesn't "show respect" by your standard, and what the two parties to the transaction think is irrelevant! Just wow.
Ok, some people are getting more and more personal and accusatory now (apparently now people who use more cream than some think should be acceptable are the cause of all of society's woes, and I personally am responsible as well, whatever my usage, and steal gas station restroom keys to boot...), so I'm done with this thread. Suffice it to say that without condoning the ghetto latte practice (and never having even seen someone do it, actually, though I'm sure it happens), I think cafes are free to constrain milk usage if they wish in a variety of different ways, and when they choose not to (or even go out of their way to say whatever you want is ok), people are waaaaaay overreaching to equate using lots of milk in the coffee someone bought to stealing.
) I had no reason to have icebags at home - now I have a good reason to buy it again! And my fridge freezer is going to feel happy and needed!
