Another Robber Gets Coffee-ed

Hot coffee played a role in a robbery attempt again last Saturday. As reported in the Concord (New Hampshire) Monitor, the would-be robber first knocked on the apartment door before entering. The resident went to meet him, expecting a friend, but instead was surprised by a masked intruder carrying a knife and demanding money. This was no ordinary victim, but a construction worker and a self-described “stubborn German”. Rather than give the robber money, the victim grabbed a screwdriver and a coffee cup to use as a shield. Fortunately for him, the mug was not empty but filled with coffee, which soon was slung at the intruder. Seeing that this would not be an easy burglary, the burglar took off running and sped off in a waiting car.

This is the second time in as many months that the web posted a story about coffee as a defensive weapon. Previously, we wrote about a Minneapolis woman who used it against a purse snatcher. See http://www.roaste.com/CafeRoaste/News/2010/11/19/Coffee-Slows-Down-Purse...

We have articles on the many non-drink uses of coffee, from scrubber to hair dye. Maybe we could also list coffee under “weapon”. A brief web search revealed that hot coffee has not only been used as a defensive weapon, but unfortunately, a few robbers have used it too.

Regardless, these incidents give us a new reason to keep a pot of coffee hot at all times. It’s got to be painful to receive a mug of hot coffee in the face or on the head. Very hot coffee can cause second and third degree burns, so can be a serious defense against many weapons other than guns, at least. Of course, since the most likely guests we’ll usually be receiving will be friends rather than robbers, an even better reason to keep a hot pot handy is hospitality.