New Details Emerge in Starbucks Slap Heard ‘Round the Web

By on December 9, 2009 2:35 pm in Brooklyn Heights

While the NYPD and Starbucks have remained mum about Monday’s Starbucks slap that became a viral sensation, new details are emerging about the incident.

According to a tipster, the “Slapper” was a bald man who was not a regular customer at the coffee shop, but was with a regular.

When it all happened, “Dad” was trying to figure out how to calm his child while waiting for his drink. “Slapper” actually got out of his chair to argue with the Dad. Dad reminded Slapper that this was not Slapper’s living room, and that he was just waiting for his drink — all in a normal tone of voice. After this, “Slapper” let loose his hand and, yes, slapped Dad…

The NYPD said they had no information on the incident, and both the manager and corporate office of Starbucks had no comment. Also, our tipster said, “Unfortunately, the baby had no comment.”

It seems the “Dad” did the right thing in not raising his voice, said Jaime Wolf, a professor who teaches a class in conflict management.

“In these situations, it’s important to remain calm, if you don’t want it to escalate into a full-blown fight,” Wolf said. “When you speak to the other person don’t raise your voice, but don’t sound condescending either.”

What are you, readers? What would you have done in this situation?

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  • Publius

    Tazer.

  • cat

    Where was the “regular” during all of this–the one with whom the slapper had been sitting? And are you purposely not naming the slapper? I think he should be outed so those of us with kids won’t have to avoid all bald men in local coffee shops.

  • bklyn20

    To be fair, there are lots of regulars there. I would probably be considered a semi-regular, and I doubt many people there actually know my name (as in my real, given name.)

    I am pretty miffed that the police are taking no interest whatsoever in this. A purse-snatching on Pineapple — go for it! Cat in a tree on Cranberry — get the ladder from the fire department! (Berets probably not necessary.) But this is still a kind of assault, and the police were called.

    When we had the baby-snatcher scares of Summer 2002, it took Andrea Peyser writing a column in the NY Post to get the snatcher arrested, even though there more than 10 attempts over a few months. This is not as serious (of course) but maybe we need a tabloid column to get some satisfaction. The whole Slapper incident is also in the NYTimes City Room blog today, but to no avail … Ms. Peyser, maybe I disagree with your politics, but are you out there??

  • Jorale-man

    I don’t know… Dozens of incidents happen like this every day in NYC. Just read the police blotter item here every week. It’s unfortunate that some people feel the need to resort to violence in our society in order to handle problems (and to a lesser extent it’s too bad some people don’t have full control over their kids, if that’s even possible). But one needs to keep this sort of thing in perspective too. There are much, much bigger problems out there!

  • postie

    Peyser lives in Cobble Hill and is possibly a customer of that Starbucks.

  • cat

    “…(and to a lesser extent it’s too bad some people don’t have full control over their kids…”

    Full control: ROTFLMAO!

  • yo

    lay your hands on me and I’m knocking you the F out…”don’t raise your voice”? “don’t sound condescending”? This is great advice if you want someone to walk all over you…you have to stand up for yourself…jeez

  • tb

    I would have lost it on the bastard. sorry.

  • Sticky

    Yes conflict management is hard for some people. If some dude tried to slap me, I probabaly would not respond well, plus I probably would not be in that situation in the first place. As for being a regular at Starbucks. (bklyn 20) Why would you frequent a place that does not know who you are? If I am to spend close to 40 dollars a week in a coffee shop, they better know my name and begin giving me free drinks!

  • my2cents

    I KNEW it was gonna be a bald guy!
    Seriously why is that detail relevant?

  • bklyn20

    Sticky, first of all, I said semi-regular. Beyond that, the people there recognize me and treat me very well — and I treat them well in turn. They just don’t necesarily know my name — only a few probably do. So people working at Starbucks may not know the name of the regular, much less the name of the non-regular Slapper.

  • my2cents

    I think the Montague Starbucks should come up with a new alchoholic egg nog +coffee drink for the holidays called the “Daddy Slapper”

  • nabeguy

    My2, ask George Costanza. As for the drink, how about “Noogie Nog”?

  • jiker

    the slapper should have punched the yuppie father in his mouth.

  • nabeguy

    jiker, keep up that attitude and you’ll have to change your post name to Rikers

  • Bob

    The “slapper” is a creep. No doubt the Dad would have slugged him had someone else been there to watch his kid. Then again, had his kid not been there, the slapper might not have snapped. But that just shows the slapper is a maladjusted freak. Slap a guy when he can’t hit back. Classy.