Filled-to-the-Rim Coffee Cups

Last night I went to a cafe. I asked for a small coffee. The cafe lady asked, "would you like room for cream?" I said, "yes, please." She gave me a cup of coffee filled to the rim.

This ALWAYS happens. Rarely, if ever, does any coffee pourer give you enough room for cream. They maybe give you room for like, a drop or two, IF you want to fill it to the point of spilling. And if that is their default position on an acceptable fill line, then fine, so be it. But if you bother to ASK me, "would you like room for cream," then why don't you actually leave me room for cream???

Recently I tried a new approach. I answered, "yes, please, lots." I thought the addition of "lots" might get me another centimeter or two of room. Nope. Still filled to the rim.

Perhaps these coffee-pouring renegades figure it is better to give me too much instead of not enough. And to be fair, I'm sure there are a bunch of people who complain if their coffee cup isn't sufficiently full. But if you ASK me if I want room, I am giving you license to in fact, give me room. And I will take responsibility for my own disappointment if I don't get enough. Otherwise, I end up dumping some of it into a nearby bus bucket, or if none if available, then into the trash. That makes me feel badly for the person who has to empty the trash. And it generally makes me feel bad to waste an inch of coffee every time I order. Sigh.

One last point on the topic...usually I am ordering coffee because I have not yet had coffee that day. My roommate and boyfriend can attest, you don't want to mess with me before I've had my first cup of the day. So fair warning to you barristas out there...if you ask me if I want room and then don't give it to me, I may not be responsible for my subsequent actions.