Starbucks is being sued over their tip jars. Sound crazy? Well it kind of is. If you've been to a Starbucks or any other coffee shop, you may notice the tip jars sitting on the counter. Well, did you ever think that someone desperate for 
money would head in to the store and try to steal the tip money? Evidently people are desperate and would do anything for $20 (how much more can be in those jars, really?).
According to the Huffington Post, a man died after chasing a tip jar thief out of Starbucks. His family is now suing Starbucks for "inviting criminal behavior." In 2008, Roger Kreutz chased thief Aaron Poisson, 19, in to the parking lot where the two had an altercation. Poisson got in to his car and ran Kreutz over! The sickening part of this story is that there was only about $5 in the tip jar - just enough to buy one Starbucks drink!
Now, three years after the incident, Kreutz's family is filing a lawsuit against the popular coffee makers. Thoughts?
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Comments: 20
I think people are allowed to sue over the most idiotic things these days, and lawsuits are a joke now not to be taken seriously.
He plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to a year in jail. After he was sentenced, he was invited by the Kreutz family to a ceremony outside the Starbucks. They'd planted a tree, and invited Poisson to join them in scattering some of Roger's ashes at its base.
Apparently they could forgive Aaron Poisson for running over Roger and killing him, but they can't forgive Starbucks for having tip jars available.
This is a St. Louis Today story actually, citing the Huffington Post is like citing Gather, not a primary source of journalism, getting it completely wrong, or deliberately wrong is pretty bad.
It did not make sense since the Gather article said the perpetrator ran the man over .... here is what actually happened according to the original story:
> Rushing to escape, Aaron Poisson, then 19, struggled with his pursuer over a car door and backed his Ford out of a parking space, knocking Kreutz to the pavement. He died two days later of head injuries.
Here is what this story says:
> Poisson got in to his car and ran Kreutz over!
That's pretty bad, but it is not actively running him over, which is manslaughter, if it is true.
The basis of this suit it this:
> It alleges that Starbucks "did not employ security to prevent the perpetration of such crimes" and that it "invited the act of perpetration of said crime" by having a tip jar.
This is a weak basis for a case.
I honestly think they should sue civilly the driver of the car, the thief, since it was his crime that led to the death. Based on the killing someone unforeseen in the commission of a crime. But how much money if a guy who is stealing tip jars going to have to sue for?
I don't think this is 100% pure manslaughter.
This whole idea is ridiculous.
Regardless of the outcome of any pending trial, there will never be any winners in thise case.
Sad story for all concerned.
Why did they wait three years to file it?
I think this isn't starbucks fault.
Starbucks should take a cue, give their employees training on holdups.
thoughts on a tip jar in Starbucks?
They charge enough for their drinks, I don't need to leave a tip after paying an inflated price for some coffe, tea, or frappaccino.
Mooch
They do. They train their employees to hand over the money, cooperate fully, and then call the cops after the thief leaves.
But the guy who got killed wasn't an employee. He was a customer.
"They charge enough for their drinks, I don't need to leave a tip after paying an inflated price for some coffe, tea, or frappaccino."
The tip is, of course, optional. As is shopping at Starbucks in the first place.
$5.00. Hope the thief got time in prison for it but the family shouldn't take it out on the employer.