A Starbucks employee approached a group of moms yesterday & told them that a customer had complained about them because some of them were breastfeeding ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This same Starbucks has "child free zone" graffitied on one of the changing tables.
Um, NYS law permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location.
N.Y. Penal Law § 245.01 et seq. says they can even ttake their tops off.
It's legal. Get over it. The Starbucks employee should not have said that. I mean, they have dealt with this before.
You know that friend you have who looks at your plate and says, "That looks so disgusting, how can you eat that?" That person is a jerk, just like people who can't enjoy their overpriced scorched coffee as long as a baby is eating something the AAP & the WHO recommend until at least a year. The Starbucks employee is just ignorant, but I think a complaint is in order.
If breastfeeding bothers you, DON'T LOOK! And I'll promise not to tell you that I think soy lattes are gross.
There are very few places that you can go & sit in this neighborhood without fear of having a drunk sit in your lap. And there are a lot of moms in this neighborhood who would love a reason to spend their coffee money at The Grind, where the coffee is bad in a different way but it's on the south side so nobody takes shit for doing what they want to do. Like pee on the street or deal drugs in front of a school. Breastfeeding is the least of our social compact issues.
And you know that Nourish has a garden in back? And coffee? Good coffee, BTW. Boost sales so she can get some space heaters for winter so we can say SBUX SUX CYA.
Oh, and while I wrote this post? I was breastfeeding ewwwwwwwww.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Boo, Starbucks
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16 comments:
I'm going to take my breasts, my baby, and my bucks to eSparks or Sugar & Joe. That's it! Sounds like SBUX will be loosing the $50 minimum it makes off all the moms most Mondays. Hopefully the QNS Blvd. locale will be next on the list of SBUX closings so we can start drinking local again.
Thanks for this! I am one of the moms in that group.
I'm sorry that this happened. Hopefully in the future Starbucks will train it's employees better. If you have the option of supporting indie coffee shops please do so! I'm way out in Central Queens and Starbucks is the only place around here (believe me, I've looked) where you can sit and have a semi-decent cup of coffee.
Wait a sec.. was the BFF (breast feeder forever) even a paying customer? The person who posted this seems to think that because the park bench has a bunch of homeless on it that you can go into a business, use their space for purposes other their business? I have no problem with anyone breastfeeding in public as long as you don't mind me grabbing an overpriced cup of joe and a muffin and watching. What is objectionable is that I'm sure many of the breastfeeders would be the first to complain about sex ed in schools yet you're giving a free lesson to anyone who walks by? "Mommy, why is that woman naked?"
Is it so hard to use a little discretion?
C'mon ladies.. I'm sure I'll get blasted here for speaking my mind. So be it. Next you'll defend your right to change a dirty diaper right on the tables we eat off of at a restaurant while someone's trying to enjoy their meal in peace. And yes, I've seen it many times - food court at the mall, a sofa that was being sold at BJs.
Of all the things one can complain to the employees at SBUX, the last thing should be breastfeeding.
I think I will start pointing out to the SBUX employees about severely loud cell phone users, customers with staring problems, bad fashion, ugly haircuts, people who cross their legs while sitting, people who are not drinking or eating but hogging the seat for hours on their labtop, bad grafitti by bad people.
And to the person who is requesting a little discretion?
Wow, you are truely a winner.
Why be ANONYMOUS? Go post your feelings with your balls all hangin out! I'm not offended.
Most breastfeeding ladies dont pull out both their breasts and be "naked" in public, go educate yourself first before you make silly comments. Maybe you didnt get much sex ed, there's still time, go back to school.
I'll gladly post as much info as you did, fafamama. I'll even go one further. My name is Jason. I just didn't want to go through the hassle of registering.
Yes I know that you don't splay yourself in front of the public for all gawkers. Most women are considerate of their surroundings. Yes the employee could have handled the matter more effectively and considerately. At the same time, the BFF are very militant about their tactics and 'feed ins' or whatever they're called.
Go ahead and breastfeed. Dumb employee asks you do stop, you remind the person politely that you are entitled to feed in public and if he has a problem, get a manager and a cop. There are greater issues in the world than right to feed, like homelessness and people who can't afford the price of the cup of coffee (or a decent meal) you complain about.
Education, not castigation!
Dear Jason, you must be a under educated, racist, sexist bald headed narrow minded dude with a uni brow....wait, I am being childish and generalizing all anti breastfeeding MEN with all of the above characteristics right? This is how it feels to be generalized.
You first assumed that the person who posted this is a non paying customer who was using SBUX just to breastfeed, why? If she had paid for a frapucinno, then she is allowed to breasfeed?
Then you assumed that the mother who got the lip from the employee is a BFF.
You seem to hate BFF and refer ALL WOMEN as BFF.
You also generalize ALL WOMEN as BFF and they are basically dirty diaper freaks who like to ruin your expensive coffee and your fancy meals at the mall.
If truely, there are worst things to worry about in the world, why are you hating BFF and all women who have babies and breastfeed so pasionately? Is it due to those bad experiences at BJs and the mall? You poor baby...
I know you probably just had some bad run ins with your so called BFF, but dont generalize all females as the one you saw changing diapers on a couch at BJs.
It is sad that there are so many ignorant people pointing fingers and complaining at things that are natural, legal and completely maternal
We all have mamas, you wouldnt be here to moan othwerwise.
i'm not pointing fingers, but i'm an anti-public-breastfeeding female. i don't wanna see it, sorry. i know it's your right and more power to ya. but its not out of the question to consider discretion when there are people of different cultures, ages, and sexual tolerance around you. its not always kosher to whip it out in a room of elderly men or in the presence of kids who aren't yours. it's just a courtesy thing that should in no way offend you in your quest for breast milk liberation. i'm sure your baby is lovely and he/she has a right to be fed. but maybe the close quarters of a starbucks on queens blvd. isn't the spot for it anyway. what about the park? just a thought.
I support a mother and child's right to public breastfeeding, and I agree with Fafamama that there are lots more annoying things going on at that Starbucks - including, yes, loud cell phone talkers. I've seen homeless people, schizophrenics, extravagant PDAs and loud teenagers there. (The schizophrenics are a lot less annoying than the cell phone talkers.) There's at least one guy who's always nodded off at his table. I don't know what he's drinking, but it must not be coffee.
That said, I have no idea why Claire has any less fear of having a drunk sit in her lap in Starbucks than in anywhere else in the neighborhood. The place has never felt much safer than the street to me. But I'm surprised that any of the staff gave a breastfeeder a hard time, because they're generally pretty cool.
I've always thought it was odd that the moms chose that store when there are so many nice locally owned places nearby. Why not go to Daco Romano, La Flor or Aubergine, or one of the diners?
i think starbucks was chosen b/c there is room for strollers + it is convenient to the moms who live on the south side. aubergine is a good 25 minute walk for some, and the grind is not so convenient to the moms who live in the gardens. the diners on QB don't have enough room for strollers. and as a corporation they are known for being a place that lets people hang out for hours.
marcie, you say don't "whip it out" in starbucks but the park is okay? per your argument--there are more kids & old men there than at starbucks. doesn't make sense. and what about when it rains or gets cold? sounds like plain old discrimination to me. no different than suggesting something like mexicans should hang out in the park b/c they'd be more comfortable there.
and to jason--i see trolls like you everytime someone talks about breastfeeding. you ought to educate yourself to know that the right to feed is a vital human rights issue, because formula, while relatively safe here in the US, continues to kill babies in developing countries. recently 2 babies died because a formula manufacturer in china was putting a toxic chemical called melamine into their formula. so i will do whatever i can to raise awareness that breastfeeding is NORMAL and should be accepted in the course of every day life. if you want nursing mothers kept out of public life then go live in a country with sharia law.
To the naysayers: Would you rather have a mom breastfeed--with a cover draped over her, mind you, as most of us do even though we don't have to--or would you rather hear a screaming, crying, hungry baby? Would that be a more enjoyable coffee experience for you?
I'm sure your response is to not bring the baby in there at all. So OK, now I'm not allowed into Starbucks with a baby. Newsflash, a coffee shop is hardly a bar, where people go to be grownups and understandably wouldn't want kids around.
You're concerened that old people might not like to see us breastfeed? Um, you mean the same people who found it acceptable for a woman to never leave the house? Sure, those are people whose breastfeeding opinions I want to request. And apparently you're also concerned about kids learning how babies eat.
If I'm ever in Starbucks and one of you ignorant baby haters messes with me, I'm squirting you with my two built-in squirt guns.
I really don't understand why people are freaked out that their kids might see a glimpse of a boob. You'll let your kids play xbox and spend hours shooting photorealistic characters on a screen, but a boob is gonna pose a problem?
Please. Worry about what your kid is doing in the Grand Theft Auto universe before you start stress about having to explain breast feeding to him.
This reminds me of the story about certain streets in Brooklyn might ban cyclists from passing if they arent covering themselves properly.
About Sharia law, I googled it last week and stumbled upon a video of "dress police" in Afghanistan beating a woman on the street for not wearing her coverings/Burka properly.
I also recall those signs that used to hang in public places, "No Irish Need Apply", "No Chinese and Dogs allowed".
You choose to live in America, in NY State, where breastfeeding is LEGAL, why try to go back in time?
I've seen men and women wearing clothes that barely covered their nipples and butt cheeks, should we tell them to not hang out at SBUX too? Please go to the park? How about passionate french kissers in public? Ball scratching men in public? Nose picking enthusiasts in public? The list can go on...
Most BFing moms are very well covered while BFing in public, they show less skin then most people wearing their "hot outfits". But I guess add a baby in the picture, then it's offensive and not kosher. We are all trying to learn to accept each other's cultures and preferences, saying you are anti breastfeeding is like saying you are anti people who eats with their hands or anti people who speak a foreign language in public.
I wonder if breastfeeding at Dunking Donuts would generate the same buzz....
Whoa this is crazy insane! Are we so far removed from everything human that we can't deal a mom feeding her child in the most human of ways?
I'm sorry but this is outrageous. I think people should call the main Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com/customer/default.asp) or the local one and make sure they know it's not legal (800) 782-7282.
I'm sure the employee had no idea what they did was not legal. Unless this gal was doing a projectile lactation or something I say grow up people!
Oh and by the way, what's up with this one commentor making assumptions about the moms and their politics.
There are so many reasons to boycott Starbucks, this issue seems tiny in comparison. You mothers with your children control the world, you may just have to deal with some b.s. once in awhile.
Those saying that breast feeding mothers are giving a "free education" to children, and to those saying they "don't want to see it." have serious issues - very serious ones.
You don't say that about all the magazines at the supermarket that show women in all sorts of sexual poses, and half naked! You don't have a problem with the commercials and ads. I could go on and on with examples.
Walk into a bookstore, you'll see "men's magazines," and playboy right there on the racks with comic books, and good housekeeping! I don't hear you crying about that.
But a child breastfeeding offends you? You consider that sexual? That is where you are sick, twisted, and need serious help!
Women's breasts were NOT designed to be a MAN'S sex toy! Too many of you weren't breast fed, so you are hung up on it!
They are there TO breastfeed children! Men's nipples don't offend you - neither should a woman's! If anything, women should be allowed to show them in public, because they have a purpose - men do not.
Get over it! Everytime you see a woman's chest, remember it's not there for YOU - it's for children!
Oh, and don't DARE let your children see the beautiful sight of kittens nursing, or puppies nursing! After all, you consider it "sexual!"
Now, go to your local supermarket and complain - stop watching every single TV s how you enjoy and complain - because THAT is why children today are more sexually active at an age where they should still be playing with dolls, and toys!
And don't forget all t hose condom and viagra commercials that are on during broad daylight!
And you complain about the beautiful, natural, INNOCENT INNOCENT INNOCENT sight of a baby nestled by his / her Mama, as she loving feeds and cares for her baby!
Shame on you! You need help!
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