# Why the 15 second rule at Argo Tea? Any thoughts on how to follow up? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119 "2010-03-28T17:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/61 "2010-03-29T22:13:26Z")
> [@dewey finn](#): > > remember the soup nazi episode of seinfeld? This is the tea nazi. no tea for you!!! ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/62 "2010-03-29T22:14:18Z")
> [@Great\_Dave](#): > > Read the OP. The staff said he needed to get in line to order, or get out. You’re right, my bad. I propose a more useful sort of pitting, of those who, as others have mentioned, somehow manage to make it to the front of the line at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks or the fast food joint of your choice without having contemplated what they might like today. \*Those \*people need killin’. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/63 "2010-03-29T22:16:07Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > I would suspect 15 seconds was an exaggeration, on the short side. Sounds like she had ample time to enter the restroom and for him to be noticed hanging around before the poo hit the fan. Based on the “55-year-old-woman running up the down escalator” thread, I’m gonna assume tweakers. Bit past the usual lifespan, though. ---
**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:** [March 29, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/64 "2010-03-29T22:20:11Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Sounds like she had ample time to enter the restroom and for him to be noticed hanging around before the poo hit the fan. That doesn’t sound like one of your better-designed restrooms… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/65 "2010-03-29T22:24:14Z")
> [@ILION](#): > > Argo tea is out of whack with their mission and published values. [Argo Tea’s Mission Statement](http://www.argotea.com/about_values.shtml) > [@](#): > > Our Passion > We are passionate about bringing teas directly from growers around the world and blending them into unique and delicious signature beverages and teas. We are committed to being a sustainable business by working with the best local and global tea, coffee, and food artisans and by contributing back to our communities to promote a healthy lifestyle and the conservation of natural resources. We are dedicated to delivering consistent quality and a genuine customer experience “one customer and one cup at a time” and to providing the “Argo experience” through our innovative approach of rediscovering the diversity and tradition of teas. **We promote diversity by empowering our employees and leveraging our customers’ feedback, which together results in the best products, people, and business.** Definitely seems as if management has empowered their employees, by allowing them to leverage deadbeat non-customers straight out the door. ---
**Author:** ![pericynthion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@pericynthion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pericynthion)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/66 "2010-03-29T22:30:57Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > We’ll need more details about why this person was banned from Argo: Causing whores to riot? Landing a shuttlecraft on the roof of City Hall? Thank you **so** much. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/67 "2010-03-29T22:33:59Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > That doesn’t sound like one of your better-designed restrooms… Sometimes you just have to lob in a slow pitch… ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/68 "2010-03-29T23:08:15Z")
The Argo Tea on Randolph is smack in the Loop, in an area dense with college students, business people, tourists, and all sorts of people. I haven’t been there in a while, but the business being located where it is, I would never dream of entering a place like that to use the bathroom without ordering something first. I would expect to see a “restroom for customers only” sign posted somewhere, and even if it’s not I would think it was assumed and not take any chances. I have worked at a coffee shop - we expected people to purchase something before letting them use the bathroom. People who wouldn’t, weren’t using the bathroom just to pee, and it didn’t matter what color they were. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/69 "2010-03-29T23:13:49Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I propose a more useful sort of pitting, of those who, as others have mentioned, somehow manage to make it to the front of the line at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks or the fast food joint of your choice without having contemplated what they might like today. \*Those \*people need killin’. Or, who make it to the front of the line, and following much hesitation and contemplation put in a large and complicated order, have the order rung up, and _only then_ have it slowly dawn on them that they will have to present _money_ or a suitable facsimile thereof in order to receive the food (customer begins slow, confused shuffle through 11,361 items in handbag in search for purse). That wouldn’t happen at Argo Tea, the happy tea shop where we boot your ass out the door at the merest whim. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/70 "2010-03-29T23:20:20Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Sometimes you just have to lob in a slow pitch… Again, not good restroom design. ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/71 "2010-03-30T00:17:06Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > The Argo Tea on Randolph is smack in the Loop, in an area dense with college students, business people, tourists, and all sorts of people. > > I haven’t been there in a while, but the business being located where it is, I would never dream of entering a place like that to use the bathroom without ordering something first. I would expect to see a “restroom for customers only” sign posted somewhere, and even if it’s not I would think it was assumed and not take any chances. Actually, this particular location has signs on the doors. Furthermore, the doors are equipped with a token system, where you have to get a token to be able to unlock the bathroom. The women’s room token system has been broken for a year or so now, but the men’s still works. After this, they might get around to fixing the women’s token box. Thanks for ruining it for the rest of the female Argo customers! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/72 "2010-03-30T00:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Our Passion > We are passionate about bringing teas directly from growers around the world and blending them into unique and delicious signature beverages and teas. We are committed to being a sustainable business by working with the best local and global tea, coffee, and food artisans and by contributing back to our communities to promote a healthy lifestyle and the conservation of natural resources. We are dedicated to delivering consistent quality and a genuine customer experience “one customer and one cup at a time” and to providing the “Argo experience” through our innovative approach of rediscovering the diversity and tradition of teas. We promote diversity by empowering our employees and leveraging our customers’ feedback, which together results in the best products, people, and business. I think the first error was going into a tea shop with a mission statement like this. “Leveraging customer feedback”? Leverage my ass. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/73 "2010-03-30T00:49:08Z")
The OP, who will, in all probablility not return to this thread, is providing mostly second hand info. She was in the bathroom, and only offered her husband’s version of what occured, at least for the first part. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/74 "2010-03-30T01:29:31Z")
> [@BlueKangaroo](#): > > Actually, this particular location has signs on the doors. Furthermore, the doors are equipped with a token system, where you have to get a token to be able to unlock the bathroom. The women’s room token system has been broken for a year or so now, but the men’s still works. > > After this, they might get around to fixing the women’s token box. Thanks for ruining it for the rest of the female Argo customers! There’s a joke here about her being a token black person, but I’ve got a headache. Someone else write it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/75 "2010-03-30T01:33:13Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Just curious, but why would rant by a random person on a message board, even if using a real person’s name, be subject to libel laws? I’m not speaking on behalf of the board ownership here, but the threat of a lawsuit, even if frivolous, could cause potential problems for us here. So it’s better to err on the side of caution. (And we have had several individuals threaten to sue the board because of things posted about them here.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/76 "2010-03-30T02:30:28Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’m not speaking on behalf of the board ownership here, but the threat of a lawsuit, even if frivolous, could cause potential problems for us here. So it’s better to err on the side of caution. (And we have had several individuals threaten to sue the board because of things posted about them here.) If an insane person screamed at me “I’LL SUE YOU!” I might laugh, shrug, scoff, say something sarcastic, and/or ignore them completely and keep on walking. The one thing I wouldn’t think to do is cower under the bed for fear that Rummy Q. Nutball actually had access to a lawyer stupid enough to file a frivolous lawsuit that would be laughed out of court. The Board, however—no doubt helmed by a collection of discrete lionhearts—is apparently less than the sum of its parts. The litigious terrorists have won. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/77 "2010-03-30T02:56:47Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > If an insane person screamed at me “I’LL SUE YOU!” I might laugh, shrug, scoff, say something sarcastic, and/or ignore them completely and keep on walking. The one thing I wouldn’t think to do is cower under the bed for fear that Rummy Q. Nutball actually had access to a lawyer stupid enough to file a frivolous lawsuit that would be laughed out of court. > > The Board, however—no doubt helmed by a collection of discrete lionhearts—is apparently less than the sum of its parts. The litigious terrorists have won. I actually believe that one day, someone will get so mad that they will actually, rather than just threaten, actually do something like this, and, based on what has been said before, that will be the end of this place. It sucks that one hypothetical user has so much power over this place. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/78 "2010-03-30T03:02:18Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > The Board, however—no doubt helmed by a collection of discrete lionhearts—is apparently less than the sum of its parts. The litigious terrorists have won. Are we discussing baristas or barristers? Now I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/79 "2010-03-30T03:10:20Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > There’s always been that stereotype that Armenian Kurds have the reputation of going into tea places and using the facilities without buying anything, but I just thought that was loose, racist talk. Maybe I was wrong to question the conventional wisdom. Where there’s a Kurd, there’s a whey! (cf. Muffet on Arachnophobia, quoted in Goose, 1873) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119/80 "2010-03-30T03:46:20Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > If an insane person screamed at me “I’LL SUE YOU!” I might laugh, shrug, scoff, say something sarcastic, and/or ignore them completely and keep on walking. The one thing I wouldn’t think to do is cower under the bed for fear that Rummy Q. Nutball actually had access to a lawyer stupid enough to file a frivolous lawsuit that would be laughed out of court. > > The Board, however—no doubt helmed by a collection of discrete lionhearts—is apparently less than the sum of its parts. The litigious terrorists have won. Meh. It doesn’t take much to redact the name. In any case, beyond the issue of litigation (however unlikely) we generally don’t want people attacking by real name other individuals they know in real life. That’s just asking to drag real-life conflicts onto the board. (And we’ve had cases of that, too.) We have enough virtual conflict as it is. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-15-second-rule-at-argo-tea-any-thoughts-on-how-to-follow-up/534119.md?page=5)