Megan Johnson reports that whenever she goes there, there is always this older guy at the corner, sitting in a Mercedes convertible just reading. Hermoves takes his picture.

Tammy loathes the lids Starbucks now slaps on its cold coffee drinks, because they wind up crushing the straws you put through them:

... I hate it. Especially since I get a Caramel Macchiato… and one of my favorite things about this drink, is that the caramel settles at the bottom of the cup and then gets sucked up through the straw. However, when the straw collapes like this, the caramel gets stuck on the other side of the crease! ...

With shocking photos of a straw being crushed.

Because I refuse to get a CrackBerry, I didn't get the last minute e-mail that the guy I was supposed to meet at the Starbucks at School and Province streets this afternoon got pulled into a sudden meeting. So instead I spent 20 minutes inhaling pure diesel fumes and carbon monoxide. Inside the Starbucks.

An NStar crew was doing some work down a manhole right in front of the place. They had their truck running the whole time. The truck was in bad need of a tuneup, or something, because it emitted a constant fog of smoke and fumes - except for when it would belch every so often and put out even more smoke and fumes. The exhaust pipe was pointed right at the front entrance of the Starbucks, maybe four feet away. Whenever somebody walked into the Starbucks, you could see the smoke come in with them. After awhile, I neared my limit and went outside for some fresh air. Still not knowing the guy wasn't showing up, I went in the back entrance for one last look. It was like walking into the Back Bay Station waiting area right after a commuter train has pulled in. Gag.

I pity the poor workers, and wonder where I can get my lungs washed out.

Alicia goes down to the Quincy Market Starbucks with a gift card, buys one of its new fruity Vivanno drinks, reports:

... The smoothie had a unique taste to it; it definitely didn't taste like oranges, mangoes and/or bananas, but it was sweet and I became slightly nostalgic drinking it. About halfway through the drink, I realized what it tasted exactly like: amoxicillin! Amoxicillin is the pink bubblegum flavored medicine I used to take for ear infections, and it was delicious (for a medicine.) I'm not sure if drinking Vivannos will cure a bacterial infection, but they sure taste like they will.

By developing a line of tasteless breakfast sandwiches that drip grease on your shirt - but still with that classic Starbucks faux-European name - Brian Kane reports:

... Even though their turbo oven is supposed to make things nice and toasty, this sucker was like half-cooked pie dough when I got it — not firm enough to retain its shape when picked up, so that it sort of drooped on my fingers like Silly Putty, but just firm enough to start to crumble when I tried to fold it up a bit. It was also almost completely devoid of any discernible flavor. ...

Cleary Squared goes to the new Staples in Roslindale Square, reports that if it wants to retain any customers on the weekends, it's going to have to instill some pride in the sullen, put-upon teens apparently running the place on Saturdays and Sundays.

Dan Miller reports he only goes to the School Street Starbucks because he needs his morning coffee, not because he enjoys "being held hostage by the designated drink maker, who thinks he's Tom Cruise in 'Cocktail.'"

Last Friday at the Memorial Drive Starbucks in Cambridge.

The Missus reports the guy behind her today at Starbucks ordered his "usual" - six shots of espresso with "a little bit of ice."

Petition to try to convince Starbucks to close the Starbucks on Centre Street in Newton Center instead of the one in the Union Street train station:

Mr. Shultz, please be advised that I will NEVER spend a dollar at the Center Street location, nor any other Starbucks for that matter. There is a Peets Coffee and Tea location in Newton Center as well, and they will be getting my daily business going forward if you proceed with this closing. ...

Via The Missus, who writes people go to Starbucks for the ambiance, not the awful coffee and stale pastry.

At least, when it comes to Starbucks outlets.