A New York woman was disgusted by the service she received at a local Starbucks. While ordering a cake pop for her autistic son, one of the workers had an issue with her son crying. The cashier told the mom her son was “annoying the customers” and refused to serve them, unleashing a mother’s fury.
Imaan (@imaan.up) was enjoying a day out with her autistic son when they decided to place an order at Starbucks. Knowing her son easily gets overstimulated, she ordered ahead. When they went into the store to pick up their drinks and food, something was missing for her order. They waited for the worker to finish the order and, in the meantime, she ordered a cake pop for her son. But Imaan’s son started crying while they were waiting for the order. What happened next left her feeling completely disgusted: A Starbucks worker refused to complete their order because her son was crying.
In Imaan’s video, she confronts the cashier, pointing him out and saying, “He refuses to serve me.” She asks if she can have a reason for why she isn’t being served. A female cashier comes in at this point and tells her that “common decency” is to leave her crying child outside the store. Imaan, in full mom mode, asks if they have a “policy” saying that she can’t have her crying son in the store. The worker asks, “Are you recording me?” and then stops talking as soon as she finds out Imaan’s still recording.
Imaan demands to see a policy that states a crying child isn’t allowed inside Starbucks. The male employee claims that they do have a policy but somehow can’t show her. After Imaan stopped recording, she claims that the employee stated over the loudspeaker that nobody could be served until the mom and child left the store. They also “threatened to call 911” if she didn’t leave.
According to Imaan, police did arrive on scene after the debacle. She stated that officers understood Imaan’s story and even went in to get her order for her. They then “apologized on behalf of the staff” and their behavior toward her and her son. She said she shared this video as a way to “raise awareness” and show how patience and understanding can go a long way.
The video immediately sparked reactions from commenters, with some supporting Imaan and others taking sides with the workers. One commenter stated, “When I worked at Starbucks they do mention that we are allowed to deny service for disruptive behavior.” Another commenter pointed out, “I hate how many adults hate children. They are kids. This one has autism. Like what’s wrong with y’all?” Another asked, “Did she really say leave your kid out there? She needs to get fired. She has no business working in customer service.” Commenters continue to share their reactions and opinions on Imaan’s video.
