I've got a complaint

[Risky Thicket]

I was going to let this slide but it seems to be a problem that just keeps getting worse now that we're getting into a time of year with cooler temps. It's about convenience store coffee and other hot drinks. See, my "go to" stop in the morning is a QT store. For those that don't have a QT the place has kind of a buffet for drinks. There are at least half a dozen machines pumping out various coffee styles and hot chocolates. There are at least 10 varieties of iced tea to choose from and I won't even get into the options for fountain sodas, ice drinks and other stuff. I mean, there's more than 20' of wall space on each side of the store dedicated to beverage options!

For most of the year all these options aren't a problem but now that more people seem to be drinking hot drinks I'm seeing a trend. I'm seeing more and more people come in and spend what seems like 15 minutes "fixing" their coffee or hot chocolate. They'll pump in a full shot of Hazelnut flavor, half a shot of Vanilla, two shots of Caramel, add 2oz of Cappuccino, add another half a pump of Pumpkin, draw out a little Espresso, throw in 1 sugar, 2 sweet and Low and top the whole thing with Mocha Frappe something or other.

Then they'll taste it.

Then they'll toss it all out and start over.


Meanwhile, all I want is my damned iced tea and I can't get to it because Barista Bob needs the whole ****ing counter to play Coffee Alchemist! He's running back and forth so much I can't even get down the aisle!

I've been complaining for years about the same thing happening at Starbucks. I've advocated for a straight coffee and tea line. If you get in line for a Mocha Loca at 7 AM and make the rest of us wait then **** you.

Usually, sorry ladies, there are two or more women standing in line talking and when they finally arrive at the counter (after having waited in line behind several other groups of women) none of the ladies know what they want!!!!

DAMMIT! IS THIS YOUR FIRST DAY? You all have been standing in line for freaking 10 minutes, there are signs, menus, loads of clues as to what you might order and you all wait until you get to the counter to decide amongst yourselves what you might order.

First you'll have questions:

What kind of coffee goes best with a quart of pumpkin spice syrup, 3 scoops of chocolate flakes, a jigger of vanilla and two shots of Swiss mint cream? Oh, and will 8 packets of sweet n' low make it taste too bitter?

Can you mix it like a shake but keep it hot?

What if you change the Swiss mint cream to non-fat?

Can I taste the non-fat Swiss mint cream first?

Or the root beer walnut syrup sounds good. What if I switch the pumpkin spice syrup for root beer walnut?

Will root beer walnut taste good with Swiss mint cream?

You know what, I think I'll just have a decaf coffee with non-fat milk and sweet n' low.

Then it's turn for the next lady in the group:

I'm thinking about Italian banana buzz with a blast of peanut butter flan syrup and ....



I'm with you Luther.

 

[OldFatGuy]

During the evening walk, dog and I dropped by the local bar. At the moment the Drs. say no drinking favorite beverages like bourbon, any bourbon. But (ahem) I was just visiting some of the neighborhood alchies. Without a word from me, the bartender heated up a bowl of Boch for Dog, and slipped me a slightly sweetened (at the bottom, a lovely shot of Jamesons') steaming, frothy black coffee. I nodded, put a dead Jackson (Keith Richards incognito) on the bar with a nod of my head. We passed words and gas with some of the old timers and headed home. Over dinner my wife mentioned I looked quite content, until Dog, in his sleep, passed the aroma of digesting hops. One day, I'm going to poison his food. I'm never going to hear the end of this minor indiscretion. It wasn't bourbon.

 

[jmotivator]

I was going to let this slide but it seems to be a problem that just keeps getting worse now that we're getting into a time of year with cooler temps. It's about convenience store coffee and other hot drinks. See, my "go to" stop in the morning is a QT store. For those that don't have a QT the place has kind of a buffet for drinks. There are at least half a dozen machines pumping out various coffee styles and hot chocolates. There are at least 10 varieties of iced tea to choose from and I won't even get into the options for fountain sodas, ice drinks and other stuff. I mean, there's more than 20' of wall space on each side of the store dedicated to beverage options!

For most of the year all these options aren't a problem but now that more people seem to be drinking hot drinks I'm seeing a trend. I'm seeing more and more people come in and spend what seems like 15 minutes "fixing" their coffee or hot chocolate. They'll pump in a full shot of Hazelnut flavor, half a shot of Vanilla, two shots of Caramel, add 2oz of Cappuccino, add another half a pump of Pumpkin, draw out a little Espresso, throw in 1 sugar, 2 sweet and Low and top the whole thing with Mocha Frappe something or other.

Then they'll taste it.

Then they'll toss it all out and start over.


Meanwhile, all I want is my damned iced tea and I can't get to it because Barista Bob needs the whole ****ing counter to play Coffee Alchemist! He's running back and forth so much I can't even get down the aisle!

General rule of thumb for me is that the person just in front of me in line at the convenience store is going to ask for some exotic off-brand cigarellos and then shout loudly at the person behind the counter about where they think the last person found them, but in horribly imprecise language that only makes it harder on the clerk. "IT'S ABOVE THE BOX THAT'S LONGWAYS RIGHT THERE, I THINK!! NO! YOUR OTHER THERE WITH THE... WHAT'S IT CALLED... GREEN STUFF?"

This is why I have a Keurig on my desk at work.

Also... why is it that the person in front of me at the ATM always has some intricate transaction that takes about a million times longer than a simple withdrawal?