First let me admit —” I made a mistake. In an earlier post about places with free wi fi, I flippantly mentioned Starbucks as a free provider. My misinfo came from the fact that when I go to the Starbucks in Lakewood, I hook right up.
Then, a Starbucks employee visiting Back Talk commented that no, Starbucks does not have free Internet access. My first question was, what, really?
Apparently there was a recent offer of free access to AT&T (iPhone) users. Then it seems something went awry and they don'”t, or won'”t, or do in some spots, or might sometime down the road. Right now, except for certain AT&T-friendly stores, you have to buy and register a Starbucks loyalty card to access Starbucks’ wi fi.
My next question was why not?
fter which I thought to myself, we'”re talking about a place that sells a cup o coffee for five times its value (and then has the gall to put a tip jar on the counter, which I always put a dollar in because after years of waiting tables, I swore I'”d never fail to tip) so … yeah, I'”m not surprised. Well, I'”ll tell you one thing —” I WILL NEVER EVER PAY to use the Internet at Starbucks — we have too many other great options around here and great coffee. Try Cafe Brazil (someone who heard my whining just told me), they have FREE WI FI, no strings attached and good coffee to boot. With gas prices doing what they are doing everyday, my Starbucks consumption has shrunk to practically nil. I sometimes buy it by the bag, and the only time I sit and sip in the store, is when I'”m working on my laptop. But the last thing I want to do is get settled in with my triple espresso skinny frappaccino and a mind set to write, only to discover I have to pay to log on. I'”ll just go to White Rock Coffee from now on. (Their coffee’s better anyway). I’m not cheap – especially when it comes to coffee and food – but I sure don’t like being treated like a schmuck.
And what’s with the Starbucks card? The last thing I need in my wallet is another card. I switched from Kroger to Albertsons because Albertsons got rid of the card. I go to Walgreens over CVS because they don'”t make me sign up for a card. The card is of no benefit to consumers, only the businesses. Starbucks had me hooked at one time. I’ve tapered off over the last several months. After this, I might be through with them for good. (At least until they come around and start giving us free internet access.) Take that Starbucks.
