California Starbucks barista, 19, stays cool as anti-masker screams 'f**k BLM', Internet says 'give her a raise'
A Starbucks barista was applauded online after she kept her cool when a customer lashed out at her upon being asked to wear her mask, even yelling “F**k Black Lives Matter” at one point. 19-year-old Alex Beckom said she asked the customer to put her mask on in the suburban San Diego coffee giant before she started ranting about staff "discriminating against" her, the New York Post reported.
The enraged customer is seen wearing a cropped blue top and black shorts as she yells as the teen barista: "F**k Black Lives Matter. I need a straw." Beckom reportedly told the customer, who had a mask around her chin, that “the next time you come in, I need you to put your mask on” — enraging her to no end. “No, it’s not a law — it’s not a law! And I can show you the penal code and everything. It’s a hoax!” the disgruntled customer is heard yelling as she starts walking away from the counter.
“I don’t have to wear a mask — I’m not going to wear a mask! This is America and I don’t have to do what you say!” the customer adds. The anti-masker finally leaves the java joint with a loud “F**k you,” before returning straight back in to yell “F**k Black Lives Matter!” one last time.
Beckom, however, became a social media sensation for keeping her cool with the problem customer. “Mad props to the barista tho. I woulda knocked the lady flat out,” one wrote on Twitter, while another added, “Damn @Starbucks give this woman a raise!!!”
Mad props to the barista tho. I woulda knocked the lady flat out 🙃
— Gabby ✌🏽 (@spoiledbeakie) October 18, 2020
Meanwhile, the video also pleased Beckom's manager, who was “happy that I managed the situation with poise and maturity,” Beckom later said. “Why didn’t I just punch the lady? Because I like my job, and I want to keep my job,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know why it’s all about individual rights when you’re still hurting other people and your family. Even the president got it (COVID-19). So I don’t know how it’s turned into a them-or me situation when it should be everybody coming together to make sure we don’t all get sick or get hurt,” the black teen told NBC San Diego.
Beckom said that she's no stranger to situations like this one, but said this particular episode reflected a larger problem in society. “I’m Black in America so I’ve dealt with these kinds of situations before. So I’m able to stay calm and collected in these kinds of situations because I don’t want to risk my job,” she explained. Starbucks told NBC San Diego that such behavior “is not welcome in our stores.”
"We expect our partners and customers alike to foster a welcoming Third Place environment, and this behavior is not welcome in our stores. Our focus right now is providing support to our partner who demonstrated tremendous composure during a very difficult interaction," the coffee giant said in a statement.