A tip jar at a self-serve coffee place?!?!

As I was passing through Laguardia Airport, my eye was caught by a self-serve coffee kiosk. I thought, "Really? Free coffee at an airport? If I were Starbucks, I would be pissed..." As I looked closer, it wasn't just self-serve, it was a Dunkin' Donuts kiosk that was self-serve with a cashier beside it.

I do love my Dunkin' Donuts coffee, I hadn't had any breakfast, and DDs are hard to come by in Charlotte, so I decided to stop and smell the coffee. I grabbed a styrofoam cup, poured myself some jo, added some cream and sugar (which I will only do at a Dunkin' Donuts; otherwise, it's black coffee for me), and proceeded to check out the selection of donuts. They had my regular favorites, namely blueberry cake and glazed chocolate cake, so I indulged in one of each.

As I got to the cashier, she told me how much I owed, and as she was handing me my change, I was astonished to see a tip jar, staring me in the face, like some kind of pleading "Will work to feed my baby, cause I just got laid off, and I haven't had a drink in minutes" cauldron. I thought to myself, "Seriously? A tip jar? But you didn't DO anything..."

For the record, I got my cup. I poured my coffee. I added the cream and sugar. I struggled with the donut cabinet door, while trying to hold the donut bag, clinging to the little plastic tissue thingy in my other hand, magically balancing my coffee like some kind of Cirque du Soliel performer, AND managing my luggage. Indeed, it is YOU who should be tipping ME for your front-row seat to my performance!

And then it hit me... maybe the tip jar WAS for me. Maybe they added funds to the jar for me to take upon successful completion of the Java Obstacle Course, brought to you by the good people of Dunkin' Donuts.

My timid hand approached the tip jar to claim my reward, but was met with a questioning and almost reproachful look from the cashier. I somehow, from this silent but stern communication, deduced that the tip jar was NOT for me, and I had indeed assumed correctly at first that the money was for the employee, seated on her lofty perch, who had done nothing to assist me in my journey except to confirm my suspicions that I would be overcharged for my donuts and coffee.

Maybe next time, I'll walk straight up to the cashier, order what I want, and see where the conversation goes from there... if I end up with my coffee and donuts THEN, I am more likely to provide a tip.