The Student Room Group

Starbucks employees call the police on two men for not ordering anything

What a weird coincidence that as a white person, I’m never accused of trespassing when I fail to buy something at Starbucks.
Me and my friends can spend hours and hours after school messing around yet no one tells me of my "implicit" obligations to buy a product in order to use the restroom at a store.
Weird how whiteness erases implicity, huh?

Video: [video="youtube;_-Rx7HNUFMk"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Rx7HNUFMk[/video]

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Story: These two black men hosting an informal business meeting entered the store according to CCTV at 4:34
Immediately asked to use the restroom.
Friend reserved a table.
Employee refused to give him the code to the toilet.
He goes back to sit with his friend and wait for their other friend.
Another employee goes to ask them what they'd like to order.
They said that they're "good for now".
They're still waiting.
Unexpectedly, 8 police officers arrive (including 2 vehicles) - not even 10 minutes after they arrived.
Turns out, manager reported them at 4:37pm

Seems unbelievable right. Here's proof -
"Well, initially as soon as they approached us, they just say we have to leave," Nelson said Thursday on ABC News' "Good Morning America." "There was no question of, 'Was there a problem here between you guys and a manager, what happened?'"
Andrew Yaffe - man they were meeting
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/men-arrested-starbucks-business-meeting-hoping-change-lives/story?id=54578217
http://www.complex.com/life/2018/04/police-arrested-black-men-in-starbucks-called-2-minutes-after-men-entered
http://wqad.com/2018/04/19/black-men-were-arrested-within-2-minutes-of-arriving-at-philadelphia-starbucks/
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/black-men-speak-out-starbucks-arrest_us_5ad8809fe4b0e4d0715dc393
https://twitter.com/GMA/status/986934358563946496
http://beta.nydailynews.com/news/national/starbucks-manager-called-cops-minutes-black-men-arrive-article-1.3942931
Eye witness account - "they weren't there for more than 10 minutes, I'd say and weren't harming anybody."
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/986963648752050176
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/986951983423741952
Manager has been reported for lying about asking them to leave. They refused to leave to the police because they weren't telling them why they were arrested or what they had done.

Those who had been so vocal about them being asked to leave before the police arrived. Do you believe that loitering can be determined within 1 minute and 59 seconds considering the context of Starbucks as an informal meeting place? Do the police have a right to arrest you and not read out your rights? Was it right for the police not to show the men their badges, as shown in the 7 minute video posted in youtube, they questioned whether or not the man grabbing them was a police officer. Was it right for the police to not specify the crime they had committed? Was it right for the men to be handcuffed?
Here's the video: Show me where any one of those 8 police officers say "I am arresting you on suspicion of..."

Users who seemed to support this arrest and/or believe it wasn't racist
@Notoriety
@999tigger
@TCA2b
@dandaman Do you still believe nothing racist went on here?
@Hirsty97
@Wilfred Little Do you still believe events have been twisted to fit a narrative?
@math42
@Wōden Still believe in black privilege. These men were in the wrong definitely (!)

Waiting for replies.
(edited 5 years ago)
Is there a link to a more credible source? It is missing some of the details.
and they tell me White privilege doesnt exist *sigh*
Original post by 999tigger
Is there a link to a more credible source? It is missing some of the details.


https://twitter.com/Starbucks/status/985200942030012416

how about this?
1. Refuse to order.

2. Asked to leave.

3. Don't leave.

4. Employees call the police.

Seems sensible to me. I don't understand the logic of saying "Yeah but as a white lass, I am never asked to leave." I would assume this bloke was not accustomed to being asked to leave either, hence his assuming he could go in and use the facilities without purchasing something. This is one store out of thousands and their circumstances could be different to your local; i.e. a petty manager who does this to everyone, or busy so they need the space. Just because it doesn't ordinarily happen with you doesn't mean it doesn't happen at all.

I am the whitest white person you will meet and our uni, even if there were 0 people in the restaurant, would force you to leave if you hadn't purchased anything. Me and all my white mates told to bugger off, every single time unless we bought a water or something along those lines. And guess what, it was a very white uni too. The inherent racism of white against whites! Must be!
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by physicseastldn
#boycottstarbucks


Why? It's the person who called the police that's at fault, not Starbucks themselves.
Original post by Notoriety
Refuse to order.

Asked to leave.

Don't leave.

Employees call the police.


That isn't the order the events went in. Also, many other people never order in a Starbucks store.
Reply 8
Original post by Notoriety
Refuse to order.

Asked to leave.

Don't leave.

Employees call the police.


Telling the employee they're waiting for their friend before ordering is hardly refusing to order lol. Dunno why you feel the need to make up your own fake version of events.
Original post by Rainfall
and they tell me White privilege doesnt exist *sigh*


White privilege exists and I'm aware of it.
Original post by Rainfall
and they tell me White privilege doesnt exist *sigh*


You're really that far entrenched up your own posterior, huh?
Original post by Notoriety
1. Refuse to order.

2. Asked to leave.

3. Don't leave.

4. Employees call the police.

Seems sensible to me. I don't understand the logic of saying "Yeah but as a white lass, I am never asked to leave." I would assume this bloke was not accustomed to being asked to leave either, hence his assuming he could go in and use the facilities without purchasing something. This is one store out of thousands and their circumstances could be different to your local; i.e. a petty manager who does this to everyone, or busy so they need the space. Just because it doesn't ordinarily happen with you doesn't mean it doesn't happen at all.

I am the whitest white person you will meet and our uni, even if there were 0 people in the restaurant, would force you to leave. Me and all my white mates told to bugger off, every single time unless we bought a water or something along those lines. And guess what, it was a very white uni too. The inherent racism of white against whites! Must be!


Equally, there are plenty of white girls who people will feel uncomfortable around or ask to leave. She's just trying to virtue signal.

These people are lunatic ideologues, to whom every little thing is confirmation of some narrative stuck in their empty heads. AFAIC, they're petulant little narcissists.



Am always sceptical of just youtube. he has had 7 million youtube hits plus whatever patreon pay him so hw will have made £10,000+ just from his video going viral.
The police said

When police arrived, two Starbucks employees told them two men had asked to use the restroom but were told they couldn't because they hadn't purchased anything. The men allegedly refused to leave after being asked by Starbucks employees. Ross also said the two men refused to leave after being asked three times by police officers.

If thats what happened, then the men should have left after being asked by Starbucks and by the police. Standard policy being asked to leave if you dont purchase anything operated by pubs cafes, restaurants all over. It remains to be seen whether there was a racial element to it. Starbucks are still private property, so if employees ask you to leave then you do so. They have to prove it was because they were black. Seems like Starbucks are on the apology trail. Dont be surprised if there isnt a multi million $ lawsuit to follow.

http://abcnews.go.com/News/black-men-walked-starbucks-cuffs-trespassing/story?id=54470047
Original post by ARSHKFW
Telling the employee they're waiting for their friend before ordering is hardly refusing to order lol. Dunno why you feel the need to make up your own fake version of events.


I mean, why would the employee need to believe them? Fact of the matter is that much of the context is dropped in these stories. Without knowledge of it, those trying to inject some "white privilege" (claptrap) explanation into it, are the ones creating their own fake version of events.
Original post by Radioactivedecay
Why? It's the person who called the police that's at fault, not Starbucks themselves.


Starbucks employees called them.
Original post by Radioactivedecay
Why? It's the person who called the police that's at fault, not Starbucks themselves.


I'm boycotting Starbucks because of their weak response. I'd love for this situation to be dealt with appropriately and until that is done, I don't think I see myself, and the many others who agree with me from entering that corporation
Well, you go ahead and boycott them based on whatever theatre is playing out inside your head...
Original post by 999tigger
Am always sceptical of just youtube. he has had 7 million youtube hits plus whatever patreon pay him so hw will have made £10,000+ just from his video going viral.
The police said

When police arrived, two Starbucks employees told them two men had asked to use the restroom but were told they couldn't because they hadn't purchased anything. The men allegedly refused to leave after being asked by Starbucks employees. Ross also said the two men refused to leave after being asked three times by police officers.

If thats what happened, then the men should have left after being asked by Starbucks and by the police. Standard policy being asked to leave if you dont purchase anything operated by pubs cafes, restaurants all over. It remains to be seen whether there was a racial element to it. Starbucks are still private property, so if employees ask you to leave then you do so. They have to prove it was because they were black. Seems like Starbucks are on the apology trail. Dont be surprised if there isnt a multi million $ lawsuit to follow.

http://abcnews.go.com/News/black-men-walked-starbucks-cuffs-trespassing/story?id=54470047


That is exactly the problem.
Other people get to use the restroom without ordering. Why couldn't they? The only two black men in the room.
Original post by TCA2b
Equally, there are plenty of white girls who people will feel uncomfortable around or ask to leave. She's just trying to virtue signal.

These people are lunatic ideologues, to whom every little thing is confirmation of some narrative stuck in their empty heads. AFAIC, they're petulant little narcissists.


Yes, there's a story which suits their narrative, so they accept the description of the story presented by a YouTube video without investigating even a slightest bit further.

It does harm the ideology, to be fair, as it means next time they cry wolf no one is going to take them seriously. I wish everyone could be a little bit more grown up.
Original post by TCA2b
I mean, why would the employee need to believe them? Fact of the matter is that much of the context is dropped in these stories. Without knowledge of it, those trying to inject some "white privilege" (claptrap) explanation into it, are the ones creating their own fake version of events.


'@Starbucks The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing. All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing. '

The woman's account of events that recorded the video. Would be a bit of a joke if every time i were to wait for somebody at a restaurant/ bar i had the police called on me if i didn't immediately rush to the bar to buy a drink.

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