Coffee Shop Lacking In Customer Service Area

To continue my saga of ongoing wakefulness: Earlier this afternoon my friend invited me to walk down to Starbucks with her. It is a couple of miles south of where she and I live. Nevertheless, I had to think twice before accompanying her on the trip. I have fallen back into the bad old habits of smoking cigarettes the past few months now; all summer in fact. So it was that I hurriedly took my inhalers and got dressed to meet the time for departure.

We set off at an unhurried pace. The weather was on the cold side and cloudy. We were both wearing fall jackets, which we needed to ward off the wind. I had to stop several times along the way to restore my seriously depleted lung capacity to something approaching normal breathing. I persisted, however, walking ever shorter distances as we approached the cafe and ordered our beverages. My friend ordered a double shot of espresso while I asked for my usual medium mild brewed coffee. Both drinks were served in paper cups equipped with a cardboard sleeve around the body of the cup. We sat outside in the brisk outdoors, smoking our cigarettes and chatting amiably away. My friend was a wearing a new brown car coat that she had purchased the day before, one that featured a fox-lined hood that she was not wearing on this occasion. She had payed only about half price for the garment, but was debating whether to return the item in favor of a warmer coat to be purchased later in the season, when winter coats would be on hand.

We ordered more coffee, with my friend switching to a small bold brewed coffee and me having another medium mild. I was frankly relishing the chance to sit down in the cold air and savor something hot and stimulating. We talked for a time of continuing our journey onto the local mall so that my companion for the trip could run some more errands. Then we talked of merely taking the bus back home. For awhile it seemed that my friend wanted to save the bus money and walk home, but then at the last minute we agreed to split the cost of a taxi home, saving our bus tickets for another day. Desiring to take a look at hats and boots at the local Shoe Company that was located next door to Starbucks, she suggested that I borrow a phone from inside the cafe and order the cab while she took a quick look the shoe store. Finishing my smoke and coffee, I entered the interior of the coffee shop and approached a clerk operating the cash. After some delay, he went into the kitchen of the shop and returned with a phone that did not light up when "talk" was pressed. There was another delay while a second phone was secured that lit up but possessed no dial tone.

Somewhat annoyed by this time, I left the phone on the counter and walked outside, heading for the Shoe Store, where I hoped that I would have more luck. Once outside, I saw my friend sitting beside a table. Quickly, we headed into the Shoe Company, where I managed to use a phone beside the clerk's cash. We spent an agreeable time browsing the racks of shoes, then headed back to Starbucks exterior patio. In due course the taxi arrived and we made it home in good spirits, none the worse for the frustrating delay experienced at Starbucks Cafe.