Paying for a Stranger’s Coffee Is Not the Kind Act You Think It Is
I never do this. I never write a hot take. And I certainly never write one that I know will absolutely piss people off and invite insult and injury to the comments section. But, hey, it’s the end of the year, I suppose every writer is entitled to at least one bloggy freakout.
So, here it goes. Here is my big hot take for 2021:
Those stupid pay-it-forward chains at drive-thrus are not the acts of kindness you think they are. In fact, they miss the entire point of the spirit of what it means to pay a good deed forward.
First of all, not all service workers appreciate this “act of kindness.”
Hannah Wilson pointed out, in a now a viral Facebook post, that from the perspective of a person working the lines in these annoying pay-it-forward-chains how miserable they can be.
Not only are service industry workers vastly underpaid for the work they do, especially during a global pandemic, but they put up with the absolute worst people our society has to offer. If you want to feel good about yourself, give the service workers a tip. And if they don’t accept tips? Maybe say something kind to the worker who is servicing you to let them know how much they are appreciated and save that energy for…
