Whoops, My Bad

They say confession is good for the soul – I am not sure I agree but why not give it a try anyway. Have you ever done something fairly absent minded or embarrassing involving coffee? I have. Among the silly things I can recall (and am willing to share) is a story about some convenience store coffee. Here is how the story goes:

A couple winters ago I stopped into a convenience store to purchase a nice big cup of coffee. I grabbed that 20oz cup and walked over to the boldest pot sitting on the heating station. That's when these dark, oily beans caught my eye. "That's what fresh coffee is all about." I told myself. 

I stuck my 20oz cup under the spout and hit the "brew" on switch. I got 20 fl oz of fresh coffee grounds in that cup in about 4 seconds. I looked over at the clerk to see if he noticed - I was ready to slip quietly back into the night – the knowing look of disapproval on his face told me he had seen this play out more than once.


I grabbed a humbler 16oz cup, poured my coffee, paid, and quietly left to drink it. Shame and solitude were my only companions. As for the coffee grounds, I left them and the cup they emptied into sitting on the grinder. I didn't know what to do with them.

Oh yeah, I admit I come from a long line of slinkers and true to my nature I did my best to slink away, but the event makes me wonder. I wonder if any unethical sorts out there fill a large cup and take what must be close to a pound of fresh ground coffee for the price of a brewed 20 fl oz to-go cup which is around a $1.29? If so then the coffee they brew is the punishment they deserve.