Paying It Forward

[TLSnell1981]

I have to agree. If you want to do something nice it should come from the heart. I kind of think that was the guy who put an end to its point when he did his interview. He didn't say it in those words but I think it was the idea.

ETA I just found a story about him. It's not the same one I read before but he gives his reasoning. It's pretty much what people are saying here. He felt people were being guilted into doing a good deed and he didn't like it. https://gma.yahoo.com/florida-man-d...ucks-line-165749709--abc-news-topstories.html

It was on the radio and folks were still coming in for a guilt trip? Everyone else is to weak to say no, so he makes the choice for them? Somehow I doubt, that was his motivation.

 

[North of Mouse]

if someone lets me in to the busy traffic, I definitely let someone else in. Does that count as paying it forward?

Yes, to me, it does - I always appreciate it, and let others in also, as needed.

I do just have to point out that an EMPLOYEE of the Starbucks should NEVER have been asking customers if they want to pay it forward.

I agree! Totally not their place!

If I want to do a random act of kindness, I will. But I 'will' not if I'm 'asked' as in these situations where you don't even know what the cost will be - seems utterly ridiculous to me.

Karma is a myth. When I see a need and can meet it, I will - doesn't mean it will come back to me or not, and doesn't matter.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I voted other because none of the options fit me. I've never had anyone pay for my coffee.

It seems to me that simply paying for the coffee for the person behind you isn't a "pay it forward" situation. You're still paying for coffee. The first person gave a gift which was basically passed along down the line. IMO, the only person who has actually received a gift is the person who accepts the gift rather than regifting.

Wouldn't Paying it forward be to say "wow, thank you!" and then find something meaningful and maybe even sacrificial to pay forward to someone at another time?

I read that article and thought it seemed odd that they made it out like the person was selfish for not wanting to participate. She didn't need her coffee paid for, so wouldn't that gift be there for the next person? Paying it forward in a record breaking chain is really just everyone except the first and last person paying for a cup of coffee.

LOL, to the bolded. I guess you can say it is the perception that you are "paying it forward". I say nice 'sales tactic'.

Starbucks is just capitalizing their social awareness campaign's to boost sales.

LOL, just went and looked up the guy that ended it. A Blogger...what a surprise! Not! Good thing he was there to STOP IT.

 

[pixiewings71]

My tall (small) coffee is a treat very occasionally- I don't want to pay for the next persons giant whatever

I had it happen and I graciously said " thank you"- paid a good tip but declined to continue it

I think it's a THING Starbucks workers have started

It's not a thing Starbucks workers have started, I've been paying it forward for years and I rarely (like once a month) go to Starbucks.

I have had this done for me and had no idea in the world it was supposed to be a "chain" because it makes no sense. I went to work and enjoyed my day. Then the following week I did it for someone else.

I truly hope he didn't then feel obligated to keep it going right then and there, because I just wanted him to have a nice day - not take a gamble on whether or not he got a discount on his breakfast. I heard the news story and I was all .

It's not supposed to be a chain, it's just something one person does for another, if it continues on down the line then great, if not then great.

I've done it before. I don't know what the outcome was. I've also had it done for me before, but when I asked the barista what the person behind me ordered, the bill was $28.00.

In the instance that order is much more than one would wish to pay you could simply hand them $5 and say "please put this towards the bill of the car behind me" and they will happily do so.

I've done this many times, usually just as I cross the toll bridge, I give an extra $5 and tell them I'm paying for the car behind me, usually I get a thumbs up and a happy smile and wave from the recipient behind me, I have no idea if they pay it forward but it's just a fun thing to randomly do, hence the term Random Act of Kindness.
I had a gentleman behind me at the grocery store pay quite a large portion of my bill one day, I had no idea he had done it, I slid my card through the reader, and suddenly the total was $70 less than it had been, the cashier told me what had happened and I cried, thanked the man profusely and left. He said he didn't want anything in return except for me to help someone else someday in the future when it was feasible for me to do so. At the time this happened I had just gone back to work after having been unemployed for almost a year, my savings was gone, my unemployment was running out, these groceries were taking the rest of my cash, I knew I'd be OK because I was working again but that really took the pressure off in a huge way.

I've never over thought this and it seems like people are now, it's just a RAoK, random being the key word. If others choose to continue to pay it forward then that's up to them but I honestly wouldn't have any issues saying I didn't want to pay for the next order, and if the cashier actually asked me that I'd be more inclined to say "No thanks, this was a great unexpected gift though so thanks!". Of course I'd pay it forward in another way another time.

 

[disneychrista]

He said he didn't want anything in return except for me to help someone else someday in the future when it was feasible for me to do so.

And this is exactly the way it is intended to be. Not everyone pay for the person behind them. You do something nice for someone IN NEED, then in the future that person does something for someone else IN NEED, etc.

 

[lizabu]

It was on the radio and folks were still coming in for a guilt trip? Everyone else is to weak to say no, so he makes the choice for them? Somehow I doubt, that was his motivation.

Lol....I think you're right. He got his name out there.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

This guy. I have a few issues with what he did. He went out of his way to stop it. It had nothig to do with him but he made it about him. I find that kind of obnoxious. I probably would have paid for the car behind me.

 

[Klismania]

I was pretty disgusted with that whole Starbucks pay-it-forward thing. I put this into the same category of a recent FB 'challenge' I saw. What you're supposed to do is tell everyone that you intend to do something nice for five of your FB friends sometime in the next year. They won't know who they are and you can choose what the nice thing it is that you're going to do for them. Everyone's supposed to take up that challenge and then publicize the 'nice' thing you've done for that FB friend.

Hogwash. And nauseating if you must know the truth.

If you're going to do something nice then do that "something nice" because it makes YOU feel good. Not because of all the pats on the back you get for saying you're going to do something nice then the extra pats on the back you'll get for actually doing something nice (which could be donating a few bucks to your favorite charity in their name). Let's face it - you're out to get your ego stroked and it's got nothing to do with your desire to 'do something nice'.

Has it really come to the point where we need lots of attention, applause and trophies for doing something nice for our friends? Seriously?

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I wasn't sure whether to put No, I can't, or other. It's more like no, I won't. It's along the same lines as what others have said in that if I then pay for the next person, what's the point? If someone is giving me a gift and I go and regift it, I don't really get the point.

I'd rather just pay for what I get, or pay for the person behind me because I decided I wanted to, not because the person in front of me paid for me.

The idea of Pay It Forward is more like the movie to me, you do something for someone that they can't do for themselves. These people in line for coffee can obviously pay for their own coffee of they wouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

[ebtbmom]

These kind of things make me twitchy. I'd rather just pay for my own coffee and have everyone else pay for theirs. I'm kind of like Sheldon with his gift giving anxieties. I hate having to give and receive gifts as well. There's so much anxiety involved. Does the recipient need the item, do they want it, do they have a place for it, do they already have one, is the price point appropriate? And honestly I've rarely received a gift that I particularly liked or needed.

I know that I'm over analyzing, but it's what I do!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I wasn't sure whether to put No, I can't, or other. It's more like no, I won't. It's along the same lines as what others have said in that if I then pay for the next person, what's the point? If someone is giving me a gift and I go and regift it, I don't really get the point.

I'd rather just pay for what I get, or pay for the person behind me because I decided I wanted to, not because the person in front of me paid for me.

The idea of Pay It Forward is more like the movie to me, you do something for someone that they can't do for themselves. These people in line for coffee can obviously pay for their own coffee of they wouldn't have been there in the first place.

That's my feeling as well. The idea of "paying it forward" should be a spontaneous act initiated by the giver. For example, the mom in front of you at the supermarket doesn't have enough food stamps to pay for her groceries, so you offer to pay the difference. A child is a few cents short at the ice cream truck, so you give the driver a little extra to cover it. You pay for the person behind you at a toll booth. The toll collector tells the person their toll is covered, without asking if they want to pay for the next person. I wouldn't go out of my way to break a "pay it forward" chain at Starbuck's. However, I would probably avoid that Starbuck's so I wouldn't get caught up in the whole thing.

 

[lauradis]

I think it kinda of nice, but weird at the same time.

Hardly go to fast food places, but have have paid for random people's meals.

No news channel told me too, no social media challenge, just plain and simple I felt the need to be nice to someone.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I voted other. Haven't had it happen to me, but I have left money for the cashier/manager to assist others in line behind me.

I disagreed with the company representative's asking for the continuation of the line, and I did not agree with the man setting out to stop it. Wishy Washy?

However, if someone lets me in to the busy traffic, I definitely let someone else in. Does that count as paying it forward?

No, it counts as "just because I did something nice for you doesn't mean I expect my commute to end up taking twice as long when each driver pays it forward and I don't know why I keep letting cars cut in front of me!"

 

[kaytieeldr]

I was pretty disgusted with that whole Starbucks pay-it-forward thing. I put this into the same category of a recent FB 'challenge' I saw. What you're supposed to do is tell everyone that you intend to do something nice for five of your FB friends sometime in the next year. They won't know who they are and you can choose what the nice thing it is that you're going to do for them. Everyone's supposed to take up that challenge and then publicize the 'nice' thing you've done for that FB friend.

Hogwash. And nauseating if you must know the truth.

If you're going to do something nice then do that "something nice" because it makes YOU feel good. Not because of all the pats on the back you get for saying you're going to do something nice then the extra pats on the back you'll get for actually doing something nice (which could be donating a few bucks to your favorite charity in their name). Let's face it - you're out to get your ego stroked and it's got nothing to do with your desire to 'do something nice'.

Has it really come to the point where we need lots of attention, applause and trophies for doing something nice for our friends? Seriously?

Well, aren't we still in the age of "everybody gets a trophy?"