So about a week ago, I see a homeless man at a local Starbucks. He’s outside the establishment and is clearly not talking to nor disturbing any of the patrons. Out comes a woman employee from the store and tells the man he has to move. So the man moves practically off the property in respect to her demand. Then she comes out again and tells the man to move even further away which he does.
As I was witnessing all of this from my car, I was getting really upset. I felt really bad for the homeless man on several levels. First of all, I felt bad that he was homeless. I can only image what life must be like living on the streets; it’s got to be hard as hell. And second, then to be chased away like a rabid dog and treated so unfairly like that – where’s the human decency and civility?
I don’t know, doesn’t everyone at first anyway, deserve to be treated with respect? If he had been causing trouble or disturbing the patrons, I fully agree. She could have just as easily given the homeless man a cup of coffee or even a half ‘o cup of coffee and tell him to have a nice day.
Anyway, I must have been more upset than I thought because I got out of my car and went into the store and asked for the woman’s name who did that. I told the other barrista what I had witnessed and that I thought it was most unkind of her and that I would not be buying coffee from their store anytime in the near future.
So I want to know if I’m off base on this. If so, where am I going wrong?
PW
Patricia Wenskunas
Hi Patricia. Not off base – just another example of the stigma society holds against the marginalized. I’m not a huge fan of $tarBucks, but when I received a $25 gift card I stopped to get a cup. A homeless man was at an outside table, his cup was empty and they wouldn’t give him a refill. I invited him back inside to buy him another cup but he told me that they asked him to stay outside because he smelled bad. Honoring their wishes, I went inside and paid cash for another cup for him and then sat and chatted with him outside as we drank our coffees. We had a most wonderful conversation; he had me laughing the whole time. In trying to bring him a little dignity, instead he totally made my day. When I got up to leave, I handed him the $25 gift card and told him to go into that store as often as he wanted. He just laughed and said he didn’t like to go inside because all the people’s perfumes made them smell bad. Hah!