quote:

Like the OP, I would prefer to choose who I help, and I prefer to help someone who needs it and not someone ordering overpriced fast food. If they are well-to-do, they don't need my help. If they are not well-to-do, they shouldn't be buying a $6 coffee.

^^^^^^^^^
Agreed. The indigent population is not a frequent paying customer at Starbucks. More forced kindness and pretend charity.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I've never heard of this before, never had the luck.
Don't you have to be clairvoyant to know how much to pay?

Most people pay with their credit card or an app on their phone so the place just charges the same card/app for the next order.

I do drive-thru, but never Starbucks. Have not had anyone pay for my meal where I do drive thru. (Did have a couple pay for my meal at Cracker Barrel one Thanksgiving, though.)

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
Y’all do realize you can *ask* what the car behind you ordered?

If it’s similar to what you ordered, pay it and go along with your day.

Why? All of this is nothing more than trendy bullshit, perpetuated by Instagram and Youtube; a bunch of lemmings, posturing and preening, as long as the cost is low. Want to impress me? Pay a month's rent for some struggling person, unemployed and with a family. Make a real sacrifice for someone.

Never done it or had it done to me at fast food, but we used to do it at fixed price toll booths all the time. That was in the days before open road tolling when there were still a couple of booths with attendents. You had control over what you paid and just made sure there wasn't a semi behind you.

This used to happen all the time on the Machinaw Bridge.

Jim

It's happened to me when in a marked cruiser - the guy in front would pick up my tab. I just figured it made up for the parolee in back spitting in my food.

I've never had it happen to me, and if I did, I don't think I'd pass it along to the next person. I'm obstinate, you're not going to guilt me into much, especially if I don't know you.

I pay it forward in other, more important ways. This strikes me as petty "feel good" stuff. Para's example with the old lady and buying groceries for people who are struggling are another matter.

This happened to me 2 weeks ago. My order? Two items off the dollar menu and a cup of water. $2.12.

I was on a budget. I ordered cheap food for a cheap meal for a reason. No way in hell would I “pay it forward” and pay the $15 to $20 food bill of the person behind me. I ended that chain right then and there. Clerk acted disgusted. I don’t care.

Never had this happen to me but my understanding is that it creates a nightmarish scenario for the store clerks who are trying to figure out who's order is what and to charge for the person behind them...

Also, as many here have already pointed out, doing this may inadvertently put other people in a difficult spot if they're either not a willing participant or be stuck with a even bigger tab than if it had never happened to begin with.

There are plenty of ways to pay it forward or give back to society without causing pain and misery to those that actually have to make it happen for your virtue signaling little shit show.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
Y’all do realize you can *ask* what the car behind you ordered?

If it’s similar to what you ordered, pay it and go along with your day.

Why? All of this is nothing more than trendy bullshit, perpetuated by Instagram and Youtube; a bunch of lemmings, posturing and preening, as long as the cost is low. Want to impress me? Pay a month's rent for some struggling person, unemployed and with a family. Make a real sacrifice for someone.

I was merely saying that in regards to other members stating that they didn’t want to be stuck with the bill for a larger order.

Here’s the way I look at it: I am going to McD’s/CFA/Taco Bell/Burger whatever, and my order is $8. I roll up to the window, clerk says the car in front of me paid. Great! All I have to do is ask what the car behind me ordered. If it’s $8 or less, I’ll pay it.

That takes the whole charity/whatnot out of my hands, I bought $8 worth of food and paid $8 or less. If the car behind me wants to continue the charade or not, that’s up to them, but I’ve got my food, and paid a fair price.

Yeah, I would probably just give my order total to the cashier as a tip. I'm not big on someone paying for my stuff. I hate having the feeling of owing someone.

I'll pay for my shit and you pay for yours.

I think some of the point of "helping others" is lost when your hustling each others 8$ coffees at starbucks. Who are you really helping?

Paying peoples tolls happens on the Parkway a lot here in NJ.

We were in tough times years back so we know what its like to not have extra money. So when we come across people at the grocery check out that struggle we will give some money.

I've never had this happen to me. But, I agree, you are not helping anyone...just playing some kind of a silly game.

Happened a time or two. If it’s even somewhat close I will continue it. Hopefully the $ will really matter to someone in line. I’ve known working people that occasionally grab things like $1 McDoubles because they can feed the family on a limited budget and time yet that money isn’t trivial.

Probably not at Starbucks. But that’s who I hope eventually stops the chain.

I’ve continued them before and started them too.

However one time, the cashier tried to get me to restart one. I pulled up, he told me my total, and...

“That’ll be $5.52.”
“All right,” I said, reaching for the cash.
“You know,” he said, “the last four people did the pay it forward thing.”
“Not the last four,” I replied. “The one right before me stopped it, right? Because I owe for my order?”
“Er, oh yeah...”

If I were cynical I’d say he was telling customers that and skimming the extra payment. But I think he just wanted to keep it going and didn’t frame it right.

I restarted it and watched in the rear view mirror as the person behind me (whose order was $24 ish I paid for) didn’t keep it going (no money handed across).

Ah, well.

This is a bunch of High School crap.

I don't pay for a stranger's beanwater unless there's a free Tide Pod or two in it for me. Ya gotta eat, am I right?

My order was paid for, once. I had to brake quickly as a distracted driver blew through a stop sign. He waved apologetically, seemed embarrassed, ended up in front of me in line at the drive-through. When it was my turn at the window, the cashier told me that he had paid for my order.

This was not the "pay it forward" sort of thing, it was a gesture of apology.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
This was not the "pay it forward" sort of thing, it was a gesture of apology.

Had that one happen to me a few months ago, the line to the drive-through was exceptionally long and a car came in the wrong entrance by mistake. I let him merge in.

Went to pay for my order and he had paid for it. I thought that was a nice gesture.