I frequent the Starbucks around the corner from my office and near the Balston Metro station at 901 N. Stuart Street in Arlington. There is a big, white guy with brown hair, probably mid to late twenties. When he first started working there, I remember asking for a "skinny" peppermint mocha.
"You know what a skinny is?"
Having ordered "skinny" lattes since he was a pimply pre-teen, I paused and said "Yessss. It has skim milk." This I know because I am from the west coast, and long ago in southern California I remember hearing drinks ordered that way. After all, people in L.A., of course would be the first to call something "skinny."
"No, it's with sugar-free syrup and skim milk." This snot-nosed barista informed me. Boy was I schooooled.
Little did he know that Starbucks had only co-opted the term to promote its own lo-cal drinks. (See its December press release.) Coffee dictionaries offer my definition. By the way, for "the skinny" and some venti-ing on the subject check out the Starbucks Gossip.
Anyhoo.... That was a few months ago...
Today, I ordered my same drink which despite having ordered it about a thousand times, I only have finally gotten down how to order it, so I don't stand there grasping for adjectives ("Peppermint, skim, mocha.... uh, tall or is it tall, mocha, skim milk, shot of Peppermint?)
"Tall, SKIM, Peppermint Mocha, please"
And Mr. Snot-nose asks me, I assume politely, since I haven't been schooled for at least a few months, "Do you want whipped cream?"
"No, thank you."
"Well, you should really SAY that."
Huh? I'm getting corrected on my order again? Who's paying whom here?
What a wake up.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
okay, did you just admit to sucking up to corporate coffee once a day?
Yes, yes, I did. Sort of. I only suck up twice a week. ;)
What can I say, the coffee is good, and there is no indie equivalent near my office. Besides, Starbucks is a corporation I can get behind.
Post a Comment