Due to excessive noise in my apartment last night, and the looming deadline of perhaps the most ridiculous paper I’ve ever had to write in my college career, I opted to head over to Starbucks for a slightly quieter atmosphere. And of course a hot chocolate and coffee cake. I went to the miniature Starbucks which is right across the street from my apartment, and is no larger than most Manhattan apartments, only to find that there was not a single seat available. I think this is the one time I have honestly been grateful for a Starbucks on every corner in the city. I didn’t have a coat on, because the almost 40 degree weather felt like summer compared to what we’ve been used to lately. So I only had to walk two blocks down to the next Starbucks.

I got my cake (and ate it too! haha bad joke) and my hot chocolate, and took the last available seat in the place. I started writing my paper and noticed a long line forming near the bathroom area. I didn’t pay much attention because really, who sits and stares at the bathroom? A few paragraphs into my paper I noticed those same people still standing in line. All of a sudden this huge ogre looking woman comes out, mumbling something and holding up her pant legs. Apparently she had made the toilet overflow and the bathroom was pretty flooded. She kept mumbling and ran out of the store. The next person in line seemed not to care, apparently her coffee was running right through her. She went in, did her business, and came right back out. I saw a Starbucks employee go in after her and fix the problem, and the line went down pretty quickly after that.

But then the ogre looking woman came back again, still mumbling to herself. She went back in the bathroom for another 10 minutes at least, and came out yelling something along the lines of SHIT, SHIT EVERYWHERE! JUST SHIT! ON THE WALLS, ON THE FLOOR, ON MY FACE! SHIT! and walked out of the store. It amazed me how many people around me were oblivious to this, but I was thoroughly intrigued. I almost felt compelled to go in there and see the shit decorated bathroom.

Then a homeless looking man came in and without purchasing anything, went straight to the bathroom. He spent some time in there as well, and at this point I started considering moving tables or at least leaving since I was sitting one table away from the bathroom. While this man was in there, two other homeless looking men lined up at the door. This seriously went on for the entire time I was in Starbucks, which was about an hour and a half. When I see homeless people, I have never really wondered “where do they go to the bathroom at?” partially because other questions such as “do they eat? are they drug addicts? where do they sleep?” usually occur. But now it’s got me thinking, is Starbucks the homeless persons throne?