Pet peeves are alive and well and I feel the need to complain.
- Starbucks Cups
Dear Starbucks Chief, I thought the pandemic would teach you. I cheered for you. I believed in you. I thought you’d change your ways. But, after visiting many different Starbucks stores, it is clear… ya’ll are nasty! So I have to call you out. Why in the H, E, Double Hockey Sticks, is it acceptable to deliver a drink with your sausage fingers wrapped around the top rim of my cup? That’s where I put my MOUTH, to sip. Did you know that? You realize, your window people are taking payments with them hands, wiping snots with them hands, and handling all kinds of other things with them hands? Seriously. Deliver the drink from the bottom. Whoever is placing tops on cups should not be touching anything else but drinks! In fact, there should be a top cup placer. I will do the job.You have no idea how amazing I’d be at this… just like I Love Lucy at the candy factory!
While we are on the subject of cup toppers… are we saving turtles? Or, nah? Every time I order my sippy cup drink, I am offered a straw to go with it.
2. Do Not Disturb
Recently, for a gymnastics meet, I had to travel to VA beach. At check in, the lady stated all the important information from room number to restaurant openings. Towards the end of the transaction, she suddenly lowered her voice as if she was going to tell me a sad secret. So very solemnly, she revealed that because of the pandemic, house keeping would no longer be able to clean up my room during my stay.
Oh, the catastrophe! Can you imagine my anger!? (please, sense my sarcasm)
This same lady, then cheerfully asked to take my car keys so she could give them to the valet driver.
Um, excuse me. House keeping can’t go from room to room, but valet drivers can go car to car?? This is how this whole pandemic has been. No sense.
To describe the scene… the valet driver could barely keep his pants up. I could see his tighties. Yep. The wind was whipping so hard that it made his tiny rain coat fly all over the place, causing him to tear up and snot out… he couldn’t wipe his nose fast enough.
Obviously, if you know me, I declined. I would say I politely declined, but that would be a blantent lie. I tried to decline, politely, but my face always says it all. Even with a mask on, you can see it in my eyes-I was totally grossed out. My pretentious demeanor most definitely caused reactions of their own. I am sure they were thinking far worse things than, “Who does this woman wearing a puff coat, a fake Louis Vuitton school messenger bag (that didn’t fit my laptop, at all), and purple clown Uggs, think she is?”
The valet man came at me with, “You realize if you turn down valet, you will have to go find your own parking, possibly in the parking deck far away, which will be way more expensive, AND, you’ll have to WALK back in the COLD to the hotel??”
I think he thought he had me with the whole, “AND, you’ll have to WALK back in the COLD to the hotel” thing. Which was a good play! I’ll give it to him. I am certainly a wimp to the cold. But, that didn’t matter. I could’t fathom living with myself knowing that his white underwear with grayish tones, would touch my driver’s seat.
Let’s just say 2 blocks and an extra 5 bucks was totally worth the pain and specially not a big deal with this covid mess going around. Thank you, thank you very much.
As far as the house keeping is concerned, my mamá taught me right. You ALWAYS bring a travel pack of lysol and wipes. Never let strangers in your room, pandemic or not. Ain’t no reason you need someone making your bed and taking that germy pillow off the floor just to put it back on your bed. The Do Not Disturb sign goes on for the entire duration of the trip.
Expert tip: Throw it all away after your trip. You think I’m joking. I am not. Throw it away. Burn it.
Travel Ninja out. Trying not to be disturbed.
Travel Ninja 