# Jaded blue-collar coffee anti-elitism rears its ugly head **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404 "2007-02-01T12:46:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/1 "2007-02-01T12:46:56Z")
Today at work, a guy who has a good three and a half, maybe four decades on me, comes up to the counter with his buddy and spews the following upon me without provocation: “I want some real coffee. Real coffee. Real, simple, coffee. Nothing fancy. Just plain black coffee. I don’t take sugar, I don’t take cream, just real, old fashioned American coffee.” Does this diarrhea run out of this guy’s mouth every time he opens it in front of a barista? Has he ever been to one coffee shop twice or more without being kicked out or laughed out of the store? Does he saddle the same hard-working young collegiate with this drivel every day at the Starbucks by his house? My response: “I’m glad you asked for the real coffee, 'cause I was just about to give you a cup of plastic coffee.” He answered that with a blank, confused stare. His buddy helpfully explained (with a smile, as though he were glad someone had finally given back what they got from the first guy), “He’s yanking your chain.” The more indignant of the two smiled sheepishly, and he didn’t seem amused, but maybe he learned something today: The fact that you are giving me money to do something you could do yourself if you had to, does not entitle you to a god damned thing except a cup of coffee and professional service. If you waive the latter right by being a shit-flinging monkey, you might end up eating from your own hand. If I ran the place you might not get your coffee, either. You’d probably just get your money back and directions to the nearest 7-Eleven. If you’re such a hardcore old-fashioned American, why don’t you go home and drink some Folgers? Leave the good stuff for the people with common senses of fucking decency, and go tell your rehearsed holier-than-thou speech at an audition. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/2 "2007-02-01T13:06:47Z")
Is this the type of place that has cutesy names for everything? I’ve never ordered at a coffee place like that, as I don’t drink coffee, but I went to a sub place like that once and they were so brainwashed and perky they corrected me whenever I made a little mistake in their idiosyncratic nomenclature. Perhaps he was heading that off at the pass, but he just really wanted some quick coffee? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/3 "2007-02-01T13:25:07Z")
Cream and sugar are unAmerican now? Anyway, had the guy just said “one regular coffee, black” he’d’ve gotten his point across without wasting his and the OP’s time. Never understood people who make speeches about inefficiency. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/4 "2007-02-01T13:25:28Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Is this the type of place that has cutesy names for everything? I’ve never ordered at a coffee place like that, as I don’t drink coffee, but I went to a sub place like that once and they were so brainwashed and perky they corrected me whenever I made a little mistake in their idiosyncratic nomenclature. Perhaps he was heading that off at the pass, but he just really wanted some quick coffee? [/QUOTE] That’s one thing that annoyed me about American Starbucks’ - the fact that their coffee sized are “tall”, “grande” and “vetinari” (or whatever). I’m sorry. When evre you have three different sized of objects, they are always, _always_, “small”, “medium” and “large”. Otherwise it’s just stupid. The greatest part was when the barristas would correct me. What’s so hard to understand about “medium”? ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/5 "2007-02-01T13:47:29Z")
Big fucking deal. He asked for black coffee and used too many words. Just pour it, take his money, and save your \*own \*carefully rehearsed bullshit for an audition, okay, javajerk? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/6 "2007-02-01T13:50:18Z")
So [Dennis Leary](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248751/quotes) stopped in for a cup? > [@](#): > > Is it impossible to get a cup of coffee-flavored coffee? You can get every other flavor except coffee-flavored coffee! They got mochachino, cappuchino, frappachino, Al Pacino, what the fuck? www what the [fuck.com](http://fuck.com)! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/7 "2007-02-01T13:50:53Z")
The rat bastard! Asking for coffee in a coffee house! **fetus** , a suggestion if I may – If you can’t handle the pressures of working in retail, then you might want to start more Pit threads. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/8 "2007-02-01T13:54:13Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] That’s one thing that annoyed me about American Starbucks’ - the fact that their coffee sized are “tall”, “grande” and “vetinari” (or whatever). I’m sorry. When evre you have three different sized of objects, they are always, _always_, “small”, “medium” and “large”. Otherwise it’s just stupid. [/QUOTE] Careful there, cowboy. I once got eviscerated in the Pit because I complained that Starbucks calls their small a tall. I was accused of living in the past and being illiterate. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/9 "2007-02-01T13:57:41Z")
I have never had a barista correct me when I ask for “a coffee, black, small/medium/large.” Do you correct those people too, or was it just this guy? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/10 "2007-02-01T13:57:46Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Big fucking deal. He asked for black coffee and used too many words. Just pour it, take his money, and save your \*own \*carefully rehearsed bullshit for an audition, okay, javajerk? [/QUOTE] Puh-lease! He’s a _barista_! Give him the proper respect due such a elite position. :rolleyes: Oh, wait, the guy in the OP already did that. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/11 "2007-02-01T14:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] What’s so hard to understand about “medium”? [/QUOTE] How Alison isn’t fired for bilking money out of the state of Arizona for what amounts to holding a no-skill ‘patronage’ job? Sorry, I hadn’t had my coffee yet. _sip_ Ok. The guy was making a scene out of making what he thought was a point. It was his little stand against frothy cafe-lattes. Whatever. Surely, if this isn’t the first person who has ever set foot in the OP’s coffee shop and had an a opinion contra to Starbucks policy. I’m surprised if this doesn’t happen so often that the OP would have to struggle not to say. “Gee, I haven’t heard that one before.” Look, I’m not implying that you had to suck-up to him; he probably wasn’t coming back anyway and sometimes the customer just isn’t right. Still, saying something aside to him like, “You know, if you had said ‘regular coffee, black’, you’d be drinking your coffee by now” might have saved both your dignities. Might have even made a regular out of him. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/12 "2007-02-01T14:08:51Z")
Ah, but the guy was anti-elitist. Meaning that the OP is pro-elitist. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/13 "2007-02-01T14:31:54Z")
Pretty lame rant, to be honest. You may not have like the way he asked for his coffee, but as long as he isn’t abusive, it’s your job to just serve him his coffee, be friendly and take his money. If this is the worst you encounter at a retail position, count yourself lucky. I know of booksellers who’ve been handed CDs that the customer had smeared with semen and others who’ve been stabbed by unstable nutjobs who were caught stealing from the adult section. Kind of puts your experience into perspective, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/14 "2007-02-01T14:40:52Z")
I have utterly no clue what a “barista” is supposed to be. [QUOTE=fetus] Does this diarrhea run out of this guy’s mouth every time he opens it in front of a barista? [/QUOTE] … but I’m thinking it has something to do with TubGirl, doesn’t it? Also, the OP pitting somebody for making a rehearsed holier-than-thou speech by _posting_ a rehearsed holier-than-thou speech is more irony than I can take in one shot. And I’ve listened to that Alanis song the whole way through, even. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/15 "2007-02-01T14:51:43Z")
I don’t like coffee. Does that make me anti-anti-elitist or pro-anti-elitist? Anti-pro-elitist? I’m confused. I’m going to go get a cup of tea. And don’t put any damn sugar in it! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/16 "2007-02-01T14:55:10Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] I have utterly no clue what a “barista” is supposed to be. [/QUOTE] It’s elitist for coffee clerk. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/17 "2007-02-01T15:08:27Z")
Honey, if that’s the worst thing you ever hear while working in customer service, consider yourself fortunate. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/18 "2007-02-01T15:10:37Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] It’s elitist for coffee clerk. [/QUOTE] I think I like my explanation better. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/19 "2007-02-01T15:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] “You know, if you had said ‘regular coffee, black’, you’d be drinking your coffee by now” might have saved both your dignities. Might have even made a regular out of him. [/QUOTE] Except if you ask for that around here. If you tell the guy at the deli regular coffee, that means milk and sugar. Regular coffee black is a contradiction. Different regions have different meanings of regular. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404/20 "2007-02-01T15:13:12Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] I think I like my explanation better. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Maybe so, but that doesn’t make the OP a goat, see? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaded-blue-collar-coffee-anti-elitism-rears-its-ugly-head/390404.md?page=2)