Suspended Coffees - A Facebook Trend

By Lee Bemrose @LeeBemrose
This suspended coffee thing is starting to bother me. From a cafe owner's point of view, how many tables are you expected to give up to homeless people drinking free coffee? Is the general population going to go into a place filled with homeless people? Given the unfortunately widespread practice of cafe owners pocketing staff tips, how much suspended coffee money is going to be used for its intended purpose? How do the homeless prove they are in fact homeless and not just someone out for a free coffee? Why coffee and not soup? Or a suspended beer on a hot day would go down a treat. How many people who think this is such a great idea are really going to pay double for their coffee?
How about instead of jumping on this trendy facebook bandwagon we just donate a to a trusted charity? Or simply give a street person a sandwich and cup of soup personally? Or invite them into your home any time and feed them?
 It simply isn't a practical way of helping the homeless. And I am deeply cynical about why this Facebook page is so keen to get their 'likes' numbers up. That's all they keep pushing, rather than promote practical ways of making this thing work. Because it is a flawed scheme that needs discussion and solutions to practical problems with it.
 But hey, like us. Let's get a million likes. Because that's what it's all about, right?