Imagine going to a coffee shop and being unable to physically get through the door …

I am not talking mental health or anxiety, I mean physical limitations of your body mean that you cannot open the door.

A few weeks ago I needed to get out of the house for a while, just get some air, have some normal, so off I went to Dunstable, got some petrol, popped into Sainsbury’s to change my niece’s Christmas PJs to a bigger size, then had a look around Superdrug and Next … I am very aware that I cannot lift anything but I can still look and then decide whether to ask in store for help, bring back someone to help me or order online. No bother either way, it’s just nice to blend back into a crowd of normal and post Christmas window shopping did the trick.

I’ve been out for a couple of hours by this point and I am thirsty so before I go home, Tim Hortons it is … #Timmies always reminds me of my trip to see family in Canada a few years ago so I have been looking forward to trying the UK one that popped up while I was in hospital 🥰 🍁

I drive over as it is a fair size industrial retail park and the coffee shop is by the exit, park up and get out of the car to go in.

And Stop. 🛑

Have you ever come across those doors that are so heavy they could/should be the press to open type doors, really heavy ones. The door into Tim Hortons is this level of heavy … plus it was a really windy day.

Now technically I could pull that door open, HOWEVER, I know that pulling that door open against Drs orders is Stupid and an unnecessary risk of set back to the still healing operation site on my stomach. And as much as I do love a Hot Chocolate, I have not picked my niece up in 7 months, I would risk it for her before a Hot Chocolate even a festive edition!

Luckily, after a moment or two, someone was leaving and kindly held the door open for me to enter 🥳

*Read this in Carrie Bradshaw Voice for funsies* It was at that moment, I found myself thinking, surely Tim Hortons understands that in order for their customers to spend money, they must be able to enter the store … Surely ALL food and beverage establishments want their customers to be able to come and go freely …

So I decided to Louis Theroux it and contact Tim Hortons with the above scenario … what did they think? Would this look into it? … I contacted on 28th December, 30th December and 6th January … no response – very disappointing!

In the mean time, I had another experience, this time today in …

Costa Coffee – Luton

The drive through was shut, as tends to be the case while they are busy so I park up to go in … again a super heavy, pull door but this time there is essentially a doorbell. ‘Ring for Assistance’ … so they at least acknowledge that not everyone will be able to open the door. So I pressed the button and waited … 🧐

Please Note – it is raining.

Spoilers – No one came! If I had waited for as long as it would have taken for that assistance to come, I would be standing in the rain until the 2023 Festive Hot Chocolate range is on sale. After a few minutes someone was leaving and kindly held the door open for me. They were as surprised as I was by Costa’s doorbell system.

So now at least I am inside … my brain is running around in a world or scenarios and I am annoyed on behalf of everyone too at this.

So I ask to speak to the manager (Such a Karen right!) I explain to the manager that I pressed the button and nobody came, he immediately went to have a look and I was right the doorbell was not notifying anyone. He spent a decent amount of time trying before apologising and promising to get it fixed. Seems reasonable to me … I will be checking though next week! 😉

In the scheme of things … I don’t love the doorbell … how long should a person have to stand in the rain before they can enter? Does it alert just the till or does the whole store get a notification of my broken body? Personally, I prefer a button door that just opens but I can appreciate that is not always possible … buuuuut not really in this case though, I spend enough @Costa to pay for this door myself in just the marshmallows in my Hot Chocolates! (I do love a Hot Chocolate.)

Try to see the world from a somebody else’s shoes

But take a minute to think about this though … what we would shake our heads at and say how awful and ultimately this be ‘other people problems’ … but is it? You very easily could be wearing those shoes in the blink of an eye.

Take a moment to think about who else would have been stood in the rain waiting for someone to kindly come and open the door …

• Your friend recovering from an operation
• Your sister and her baby in a pram
• Your auntie with arthritis
• Your uncle with cancer
• Your cousin who is pregnant
• Your grandad on his mobility scooter
• Your nan with her walking stick

That is a lot of people that are not being ‘Welcomed’ into the store. Surely this is an oversight by @Costa and @TimHortons hopefully they will respond to my messages and look to make changes … hopefully …

🌹