You're right grum, it's an argument that applies to many things and perhaps very well to mountain bikes, maybe even more to roadbiking these days.
I'm not het up about it, I am trying to get a point across without being all working class hero; an insult I once aimed at my Dad and which I am forced to relive... 🙂
I just don't see how 'having a cup of coffee' is an important thing; it obviously is, given the profits involved.... I do see it as one of those subtle signifiers, those little badges that we wear to mark us out as one of us, not one of them...
It's interesting from a sociological point of view..
Molly - cortado from Costa FTW 🙂
[quote=crikey ]I do see it as one of those subtle signifiers, those little badges that we wear to mark us out as one of us, not one of them...
Can you tell me who "us" and "them" are?
[i]Can you tell me who "us" and "them" are?[/i]
Not exactly, because you are being needlessly obtuse...
Naughty druidh!
I just don't see how 'having a cup of coffee' is an important thing; it obviously is, given the profits involved.... I do see it as one of those subtle signifiers, those little badges that we wear to mark us out as one of us, not one of them...
How do you feel about people drinking in pubs then, out of interest? Same or even greater waste of money, some do it to 'fit in', but fine because you don't perceive it to be a trendy middle-class thing?
Drinking in pubs is just fine.
As I say, I think it is interesting from a sociological point of view, and I'm part of that sociology.
Pubs are attended/visited by just about every social class. Chain coffee shops in towns and cities? In my experience they are frequented by a narrower range of social classes*
* I don't go in, so I only see the folk through the window, with their ipads and lovely clothes.
What I dont get is people who sit or seem to live in a cafe for hours. Dont they have a life or a boyfriend? Surely they arent drinking 10 Lattes a day. Some of them are quite tidy too.....hmmm maybe coffee houses are the bath houses of the modern era..
Sky.
I saw a brilliant documentary about Chas and Dave the other day - and they didn't do any songs about coffee.
Just saying.
Chain coffee shops in towns and cities? In my experience they are frequented by a narrower range of social classes
Not where I live.
I do see it as one of those subtle signifiers, those little badges that we wear to mark us out as one of us, not one of them..
Again, not where I live. You might be seeing evidence of the social profile of where you live, rather than coffee house patrons in general.
I just don't see how 'having a cup of coffee' is an important thing
It's a treat. A nice thing. I think for me it goes back to when I was a kid. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had enough to occasionally have a cup of tea in a cafe when we were in town. I loved this to bits, it felt like a real treat, and I guess it still does. Plus I really like coffee, even with sweet stuff and cakes etc.
Back then it was the cafe in the shopping centre or M&S or whatever, not Starbucks. I don't really care which cafe it is, it's just that out of the big chains I prefer Starbucks's coffee and cakes.
In Cardiff town centre ones are full of over-dressed and over-made-up bimbos tottering about with designer shopping bags; teenagers; or middle aged MDLs. Not a macbook in sight, apart from the one closest to the uni which has lonely foreign students working on them.
In Cardiff town centre ones are full of over-dressed and over-made-up bimbos tottering about with designer shopping bags
Oddly enough, the last time I had a coffee out and about was in Cardiff Costa about a month ago.
Seems to me that people that get really het up about coffee shops probably drink too much of the stuff.
IME they're teetotallers who really should let their hair down and have a beer.
Live a little caffeine addicts. It might be help you see the world more clearly.
Pubs are attended/visited by just about every social class. Chain coffee shops in towns and cities? In my experience they are frequented by a narrower range of social classes** I don't go in, so I only see the folk through the window, with their ipads and lovely clothes.
This isn't really my experience TBH, and I do go in to Costa on occasion - seems to be a range of normal people in there. There's quite often business people in there for meetings - I've used it myself for that on occasion (though now I use a local independent).
Never seen a Macbook I don't think, but I do take my iPad sometimes. 😉
TBH I think the idea that drinking coffee is a sort of bourgeois affectation reveals more about you than it does about the people who go to coffee shops.
Have a beer? I just went to a coffee shop at 9.30am whilst waiting for another shop to open, with my kids. Not sure having a beer would have been appropriate 🙂
BT for not actually being British or having Britain or any of its residents in its best interests.
I was in Amsterdam earlier this week and found that their coffee shops smell funny and nobody seems to mind what coffee they drink 🙂
Does molgrips live in Amsterdam? Do they have Starbucks in the 'Dam?
[i]TBH I think the idea that drinking coffee is a sort of bourgeois affectation reveals more about you than it does about the people who go to coffee shops.[/i]
I think your use of the phrase 'bourgeois affectation' might be considered along similar lines. 😉
Pubs are attended/visited by just about every social class. Chain coffee shops in towns and cities? In my experience they are frequented by a narrower range of social classes*
Those I see in the local Costa indicate the above statement to be bollx
I was once in a queue in starbucks with the guy I had just given a pound to begging outside.
Alpkit.
No longer doing the filet, and it's replacement won't be available this winter. Dreadful stock control. 🙂
Actually, not sure how I feel about them, but it is pretty shambolic.
It's a treat. A nice thing. I think for me it goes back to when I was a kid. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had enough to occasionally have a cup of tea in a cafe when we were in town. I loved this to bits, it felt like a real treat, and I guess it still does.
Likewise, going to a cafe was a real treat when we were growing up, even though they were smoky as hell back then!
Seems to me that people that get really het up about coffee shops probably drink too much of the stuff.IME they're teetotallers who really should let their hair down and have a beer.
Live a little caffeine addicts. It might be help you see the world more clearly.
I would rather support an independent and individual coffee shop/tea shop. Far nicer especially with home-made cake.
In my opinion the cloned coffee shops just serve over-priced dishwater, in grotty crockery, together with zero ambience. 😐
I would rather support an independent and individual coffee shop/tea shop. Far nicer especially with home-made cake.
Are you saying every independent coffee shop is great and better than any chain? Cos I have been in plenty of shit ones with dishwater for coffee. There is nothing intrinsic about an indie that makes it better. I want to drink good coffee, so I go ti the places that serve it. If that is a big chain then fine, they deserve my business.
There are many options of course in the big chains, maybe you had a bad one? A flat white for example fro starbucjs or an espresso macchiato from costa is no way dishwater.
Cinnamon_Girl, you seem like a somewhat distinguished individual, a lady of taste, you remind me of -
