Okay, I'm going to strike a nerve with many people. I apologize in advance, but I'm just saying how I feel.
I hate that we've come to the point where we must have some type of liquid beverage with us at all times. More specifically, I had a gentleman bring a gigantically enormous coffee mug in from his home brimming with hot coffee. I said something to my co-worker about it and she had to tell me that later, gigantic coffee mug man came back because he realized that he forgot his overly large beverage container and couldn't remember where he put it. Somewhere in the gallery, he rested it in a display amongst handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items that could potentially be damaged by his coffee being spilled. Today, I also had to confiscate a McDonald's Shamrock Shake from a 5 year old left unattended in our toy room (after all, I'm the staff babysitter, right?). First, what would possess someone to bring a child into a gallery with a substance to consume, let alone let her loose in a room with many fiber items that could be ruined in a heartbeat with the spilling of her lime green drink? People come in all the time with coffee cups that they just bought. We are not a coffee house. We are not set up as such. As much as I love people finishing their drink and leaving a Starbuck's cup as a part of my display, I'm wishing that the general public would refrain from consuming beverages while in stores.
When did this sudden urge to bring something liquid at all times everywhere everyone goes come from? I mean, for centuries people have managed just fine to wait for 15 minutes without a beverage in hand. The child today just tipped me off the edge of that pet peeve cliff. What's funny is that the mom was completely clueless.
This problem isn't even exclusive to the gallery. I remember a gentleman in the grocery store, walking along eating fried chicken, licking his fingers, picking things up off the shelf and pushing a cart. K- was cart seat age at that time. Then, people wondered why I put her on one of those foofy cart seat covers. I mean, really!
Now please know that I understand that there are certain health issues that call for the need of a snack at possibly an inopportune time in the store. My friend who has MS said that she'll eat a granola bar in the store (from the box that she is purchasing) because sometimes she needs the lift as she is going. I've also seen people with diabetic issues and low blood sugar problems needing to consume something to feel better.
I'm sorry. It is a pet peeve. I realize, but please o' please leave your beverages unattended for a while. They'll understand. They'll be okay without you for a little while.
4 comments:
We have a guy who brings a mug of coffee to church. IN CHURCH. Now being Catholic, there is a rule that you aren't supposed to eat or drink anything 2 hours before communion (which I don't always hit) so maybe bringing coffee IN church is really less than appropriate. Hubs and I call him the "Coffee Drinker". He seems like a nice man, but I don't get that.
And I'll take this one step further to include all food in this. The milk shake kid is why we never did story time at the library. Why do kids need food at the library?
I don't know what to say, I'm gob-smacked. How in the world could people think it would be in any way appropriate to bring consumables in a gallery? Or, a library? Or, to let small children eat items at said places? What is wrong with people and their common sense???? Sheesh!
I did notice that there seems to be a spike in the "starbucks in hand" everywhere we go. We are guilty of this in our grocery store. But it doesn't help that there is a starbucks IN the grocery store that you smell as soon as you walk in. And we are known for spending 2 plus hours in the store. In my opinion, it's better than breaking open a case of pop or a 20oz bottle that I haven't yet paid for.
But seriously! In any other store, it is unacceptable. Especially a gallery. That is disrespect at it's finest.
Wow, I am just amazed that people would take beverages, of ANY kind especially the milk shake with the small child, into a gallery! What were they thinking? Or I guess the better statement would be that they in deed were NOT thinking.
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