Breaking the Chain

Drive Through Starbucks in Washington State USA
Originally uploaded by AbsoluteArt.net

Have a couple of bucks left in my account til I get paid on Wednesday, so I thought I'd buy myself a much-needed coffee this morning.

Was in the drive through at Starbucks, and when I got to the window to pay for the drink, the girl at the window told me the person in the car in front of me had already paid for my drink.

"He's trying to start that chain where you pay for the drink of the person behind you."

"Well," I said, "how much is the drink of the person behind me?" Turns out, their drink was significantly more than mine! "Uh, I don't have that much money," I said.

She looked at me, disappointed, and then sighed "OK." I drove off, feeling pretty shitty about myself.

But, then, as I was driving, I thought to myself 'Why do I feel this way?' There's no need to feel shitty. True, maybe if $5 is all I have left in my account, I shouldn't be at Starbucks, but does that mean that I need to feel obligated to pay $7 for a cup of coffee? Whoever was behind me was getting breakfast and coffee, and I just kind of felt it was unfair.

I suppose if that happens again in the future, I can just pay what I owe on my drink towards the cost of the person to offset their cost. That's what I should have done. Instead, I have a free coffee that makes me feel kind of guilty.

Ugh.