Why do people 'pay it forward' at Starbucks?

Tyga11 · 10-06-2022, 06:27 PM

If you're unfamiliar with this; it's been a thing since COVID and it's not going anywhere.

The concept is you pay for the persons' behind you order. They often give a thumbs or a wave.

If you break this you're labeled a terrible person. I've done it a few times but if the order is more than mine I don't do it. To me it's easier for everyone to pay their own way. It not only confuses the barista but it's pointless if everyone is expected to do it.

kscarrol · 10-06-2022, 06:31 PM

Just another reason I don’t patronize Starbucks…

Murf the Surf · 10-06-2022, 06:58 PM

It happens in Canada often at Tim Hortons.

Dino GT · 10-06-2022, 07:23 PM

It`s been a thing in Canada at Tim Hortons for many years.

G MONEY · 10-06-2022, 07:26 PM

Wish it happened at the strip club:-)

F87M2. · 10-06-2022, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Just another reason I don’t patronize Starbucks…

I go to scooter's and around Lincoln, NE they dont ask for tips either like starbucks.

LivingInSalt · 10-06-2022, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino GT

It`s been a thing in Canada at Tim Hortons for many years.

It’s also been a thing in the US at Starbucks for decades, idk why OP thinks it only happened since the Pandy

Tyga11 · 10-06-2022, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivingInSalt

It’s also been a thing in the US at Starbucks for decades, idk why OP thinks it only happened since the Pandy

It's been exacerbated by the Pandy

DETRoadster · 10-06-2022, 08:24 PM

Nice idea in theory but since my drink is always a small drip coffee, I'd get completely screwed. Gee, thanks for picking up my $3 coffee stranger, now everyone is looking at me expecting me to pick up the tab for the soccer mom behind me ordering $40 worth of sugar-laced shit drinks for herself and her 5 stupid kids.

Dino GT · 10-06-2022, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Nice idea in theory but since my drink is always a small drip coffee, I'd get completely screwed. Gee, thanks for picking up my $3 coffee stranger, now everyone is looking at me expecting me to pick up the tab for the soccer mom behind me ordering $40 worth of sugar-laced shit drinks for herself and her 5 stupid kids.

I`ve gotten screwed a few times

All I usually get is a medium coffee.

Mason Hatcher · 10-06-2022, 09:02 PM

It's not paying anything forward when everyone has to do it, it's just displacing payment. If the barista tells me mine is paid for I simply thank him/her and drive on.

BklynNYBMW · 10-06-2022, 09:07 PM

Unless I know the person behind me is family or a friend. I am not paying for anyone’s Starbucks. Pay for your own damn coffee. It is the New Yorker in me. Lol

chris719 · 10-06-2022, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BklynNYBMW

Unless I know the person behind me is family or a friend. I am not paying for anyone’s Starbucks. Pay for your own damn coffee. It is the New Yorker in me. Lol

I order mobile mostly since the pandemic, but I've never seen this happen in NJ/NY/CT anyway lol. This is dumb like the wave.

wtwo3 · 10-06-2022, 09:15 PM

It's stupid... like people going out of their way to give me the right of way even though there's traffic flowing in the next lane over so i can't turn anyway... like I get you're trying to be nice but this isn't the way.

iminhell1 · 10-07-2022, 03:46 AM

I will pay for peoples food behind me in the drive thru fairly often. I just feel like making someone happy and letting them know humanity isn't dead.

sygazelle · 10-07-2022, 05:56 AM

I've never experienced this at Starbucks, but I almost never go in anymore. I'm not into all the fancy drinks with the long names. I used to pick one of the long-named drinks for my daughter. I'd have her text me the name and then I could show it to the clerk err, barista. One time I did this and he asked me my name so he could write it on the cup. It wasn't busy so I had a brief moment of fun and told him my name was Stephanafrapalato. He wasn't amused.

This thread reminds me of a old Youtube video that made me laugh then and I think it's still relevant today.

Check it out if you dare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6APROqglxLE

floridaorange · 10-07-2022, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Just another reason I don't patronize Starbucks…

I go to scooter's and around Lincoln, NE they dont ask for tips either like starbucks.[/QUOTE]

c1pher · 10-07-2022, 06:55 AM

I was at the grocery store, maybe 7-8 months ago, and a woman in front of me had no way to pay. I saw it was maybe $20-40 and instead of waiting forever to get out of there, I said I’d pay for her stuff. She was dumbfounded and then chased me down, actually upset with me, saying she had the money etc etc. I really didn’t care, it happens. Never even got a thanks though lol.

///MPhatic · 10-07-2022, 07:15 AM

I haven't been to a Starbucks in 10+ years (even their hot chocolate was terrible). How people spend that much money every day and drive a Ford Fiesta is beyond me. To each their own I guess.

Alfisti · 10-07-2022, 07:19 AM

I've never heard of it nor do I understand it.....like what a bizarre concept. It never ceases to amaze me how complicated north americans make paying for things.

DETRoadster · 10-07-2022, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iminhell1

I will pay for peoples food behind me in the drive thru fairly often. I just feel like making someone happy and letting them know humanity isn't dead.

And if you tell the drive thru attendant "and please tell them there's no expectation for them to do the same, I'm simply trying to do something nice for a stranger with no expectations or strings attached." then that's pretty cool.

UPSROD · 10-07-2022, 08:50 AM

I had it happen at Home Depot yesterday!

10-06-2022, 06:27 PM	#1
Tyga11 Lieutenant Colonel 3236 Rep 1,606 Posts Drives: M4 Comp Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Arizona iTrader: (0)	Why do people 'pay it forward' at Starbucks? If you're unfamiliar with this; it's been a thing since COVID and it's not going anywhere. The concept is you pay for the persons' behind you order. They often give a thumbs or a wave. If you break this you're labeled a terrible person. I've done it a few times but if the order is more than mine I don't do it. To me it's easier for everyone to pay their own way. It not only confuses the barista but it's pointless if everyone is expected to do it.
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10-06-2022, 06:31 PM	#2
kscarrol Brigadier General 8912 Rep 4,107 Posts Drives: 2021 X3 M40i, 1974 2002 Tii Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Greenville, SC iTrader: (0)	Just another reason I don’t patronize Starbucks… __________________ 2021 X3 M40i 1974 2002tii, Inka, 5 sp manual BMWCCA # 327475
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10-06-2022, 06:58 PM	#3
Murf the Surf Lieutenant 18998 Rep 569 Posts Drives: Porsche 993 Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Dog Lake, South Frontenac, Ontario Canada iTrader: (0)	It happens in Canada often at Tim Hortons.
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10-06-2022, 07:23 PM	#4
Dino GT Enlisted Member 35135 Rep 45 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Eastern iTrader: (0)	It`s been a thing in Canada at Tim Hortons for many years.
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10-06-2022, 07:26 PM	#5
G MONEY Major 1240 Rep 1,446 Posts Drives: 2017 458/ YAS m4 Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: EARTH iTrader: (0)	Wish it happened at the strip club:-)
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10-06-2022, 08:24 PM	#9
DETRoadster Space Force - 4 Star General 11466 Rep 3,264 Posts Drives: M2 MG 6MT / Moto Guzzi V7 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Seattle iTrader: (1)	Nice idea in theory but since my drink is always a small drip coffee, I'd get completely screwed. Gee, thanks for picking up my $3 coffee stranger, now everyone is looking at me expecting me to pick up the tab for the soccer mom behind me ordering $40 worth of sugar-laced shit drinks for herself and her 5 stupid kids.
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10-06-2022, 09:02 PM	#11
Mason Hatcher Captain 1041 Rep 654 Posts Drives: BMW 230i Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: FW-TX iTrader: (0)	It's not paying anything forward when everyone has to do it, it's just displacing payment. If the barista tells me mine is paid for I simply thank him/her and drive on.
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10-06-2022, 09:07 PM	#12
BklynNYBMW Lieutenant 393 Rep 469 Posts Drives: "24 X6M60i / "21 m340i xdrive Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Brooklyn, New York iTrader: (0)	Unless I know the person behind me is family or a friend. I am not paying for anyone’s Starbucks. Pay for your own damn coffee. It is the New Yorker in me. Lol
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10-06-2022, 09:15 PM	#14
wtwo3 Major General 17971 Rep 5,484 Posts Drives: 23 X7 40i; 23 M3; 24 cooper s Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2024 Mini Cooper S ... [10.00] 2023 BMW M3 [9.40] 2023 BMW X7 40i [9.75]	It's stupid... like people going out of their way to give me the right of way even though there's traffic flowing in the next lane over so i can't turn anyway... like I get you're trying to be nice but this isn't the way. __________________ 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40i 2023 BMW M3 6MT 2024 Mini Cooper S Convertible '20 BMW m340i... '20 BMW X5 40i... '16 Infiniti Q50 RS 400... '10 Lexus RX 350... '08 Lexus IS 350... '00 Nissan Maxima... '93 Nissan Maxima
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10-07-2022, 03:46 AM	#15
iminhell1 C2H5OH 3915 Rep 2,144 Posts Drives: 2010 SG 135i auto Join Date: May 2015 Location: Darwin, MN iTrader: (1)	I will pay for peoples food behind me in the drive thru fairly often. I just feel like making someone happy and letting them know humanity isn't dead.
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10-07-2022, 05:56 AM	#16
sygazelle Brigadier General 11427 Rep 3,408 Posts Drives: 2014 328i M-Sport, 2019 X5 40i Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	I've never experienced this at Starbucks, but I almost never go in anymore. I'm not into all the fancy drinks with the long names. I used to pick one of the long-named drinks for my daughter. I'd have her text me the name and then I could show it to the clerk err, barista. One time I did this and he asked me my name so he could write it on the cup. It wasn't busy so I had a brief moment of fun and told him my name was Stephanafrapalato. He wasn't amused. This thread reminds me of a old Youtube video that made me laugh then and I think it's still relevant today. Check it out if you dare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6APROqglxLE
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10-07-2022, 06:55 AM	#18
c1pher Primo Generalissimo 4673 Rep 4,023 Posts Drives: All of them Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: DC area iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 Porsche 911 Ca ... [10.00] 2023 BMW M2 [9.00] 2023 Porsche Macan GTS [10.00] 2022 Ford F-250 Tremor [8.50]	I was at the grocery store, maybe 7-8 months ago, and a woman in front of me had no way to pay. I saw it was maybe $20-40 and instead of waiting forever to get out of there, I said I’d pay for her stuff. She was dumbfounded and then chased me down, actually upset with me, saying she had the money etc etc. I really didn’t care, it happens. Never even got a thanks though lol.
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10-07-2022, 07:15 AM	#19
///MPhatic The Seeker 13864 Rep 3,322 Posts Drives: OG M2 • Exige Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (2)	I haven't been to a Starbucks in 10+ years (even their hot chocolate was terrible). How people spend that much money every day and drive a Ford Fiesta is beyond me. To each their own I guess.
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10-07-2022, 07:19 AM	#20
Alfisti Brigadier General 6503 Rep 3,032 Posts Drives: 2008 Saab 9-3 Combi Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	I've never heard of it nor do I understand it.....like what a bizarre concept. It never ceases to amaze me how complicated north americans make paying for things.
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10-07-2022, 08:50 AM	#22
UPSROD Lieutenant Colonel 946 Rep 1,932 Posts Drives: 2013 E92 M3 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Richland, Wa. iTrader: (2) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [10.00]	I had it happen at Home Depot yesterday!
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