deanagam wrote:Perhaps Starbucks should clamp all newspapers in one corner of the premises so as to prevent customers from taking them outside.
I was more or less ahead of you on that one. Three months ago I persuaded them to move the newspapers from inside the front door to the furthest point from it - where the baristas serve the orders. Obviously you cannot clamp them if you expect anyone actually to read them. Why then provide them? But this creep then started brazenly walking in and taking them outside, whereafter they usually disappeared. Lest you think I felt I have a divine right to read a newspaper whilst having a coffee, I frequently went to a tiny in-lobby branch of Asia Books and would buy my own copy of the Bangkok Post there. Two months ago it stopped selling any local newspapers! And there is absolutely nowhere within at least 600 - 800 meters where it is possible to buy any of the Bangkok papers.
Geezer wrote:Isn’t uncivilized behavior in public areas everyone’s business?
Up to a point, I agree. Vandalising and stealing newspapers is hardly a major crime. What got me mad was the way he had treated the staff and some of the other customers over months, most of whom were young and obviously felt very uncomfortable in his presence. Right or wrong, at that point I felt someone had to step in.
fountainhall wrote:Vandalising and stealing newspapers is hardly a major crime.
While that is true, assaulting someone is. That's the kind of crime that puts people in jail.
Besides, Starbuck's provides the newspaper for every customer and they certainly don't provide them for people to just take, as if they had paid for it. Based on your post, this guy pays for nothing.
I also don't understand why anyone is telling you to mind your own business. You wanted to read the newspaper that Starbuck's provides for precisely that purpose. That makes it your business when some asshole is walking away with it. What are other customers supposed to do, make sure they get to Starbuck's before this guy gets there?
While we can all agree that the man is an asshole, one could only guess his true mental state.
The op could have suffered far serious bodily harm, like the loss of a tooth and its consequences - litigation, time, money etc.
I would rather switch on the smart devices to read the news in a quiet corner while enjoying my latte.
deanagam wrote:While we can all agree that the man is an asshole, one could only guess his true mental state.
You are of course perfectly correct, but remember this jerk had done nothing more than deface some newspapers for a few months and then steal them, in the process making a right pain of himself with the Starbucks staff and some of its customers. He had never before given any indication whatever of violent behaviour to anyone. And I was much less concerned about reading a paper as I was in trying to be of some assistance to an extremely nice group of Starbucks employees.
It is clear to me now that what set him off was my taking his photograph with the intention of passing it to some senior people in Starbucks. In the heat of the moment I had forgotten about security cameras, but then I still do not know how much definition they provide. It is that which now makes me think there has to be a reason why he would not want his photograph in the hands of the police or any other law enforcement agency. After he moved off, I had shouted that the police were on their way. That was not true, but he then started to run fast out of the building and over a major highway. I am sure he will never set foot in that building again. To that end, I achieved my objective.
Years ago when I lived in N.Y.C. I was walking near Macy's. Walking near me was a white woman with a camera. Walking toward us was a black man with his young son. The woman went into action with her camera wanting to capture a pic of the man with his son. As she approached him he said loudly, "Do not take my picture." She did not listen. Next thing I saw was her camera in pieces on the pavement, I thought good for him!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Firstly, congratulations on making a stand against this piece of dirt. Starbucks provides facilities for paying customers & they should not stand by whilst some yob ruins it for everyone else.
Ideally you should go to the police, or better still, insist Starbucks do so. Hopefully he would be prosecuted and permanently deported. A ban from Starbucks is hardly a suitable punishment for assault (and being obnoxious the rest of the time).
The other options that come to mind are probably mostly illegal & involve the other guy getting the beating he clearly deserves.
Jun wrote:Firstly, congratulations on making a stand against this piece of dirt.
I agree with every word of Jun's post. The problem with people like that is there are many more implications than some nut at a Starbuck's.
Authorities in Pattaya are always worried about people hurting Pattaya's "image." I feel the same way when farang mental cases hurt the "image" and public perception of all farang.
Of course, the news always publishes stories about incidents involving farang. Obviously the news is not going to publish anything about how most farang are perfectly nice people who come to Thailand, behave properly, and are not here to cause problems.
I am guessing we are talking about an incident in Thailand. First, I congratulate you in getting involved, I doubt I would. You have his picture, no where he hangs out, so I would as a minimum file a police report. Hopefully you took pictures of your face.