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English Prof Claims Starbucks Booted Her for Ordering 'Incorrectly'

By DNAinfo Staff on August 16, 2010 7:10am

Starbucks customer Lynne Rosenthal claims she was tossed out of Starbucks on Columbus Ave. and 86th Street when she refused to abide by the chain's ordering protocol.
Starbucks customer Lynne Rosenthal claims she was tossed out of Starbucks on Columbus Ave. and 86th Street when she refused to abide by the chain's ordering protocol.
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Chris Hondros/Getty Images

By Yepoka Yeebo

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — An English professor claims she was ejected from an Upper West Side Starbucks by cops for refusing to order according to the coffee chain's rules, according to the New York Post.

Lynne Rosenthal, who says she holds a PhD from Columbia, told the paper she asked for a toasted multigrain bagel at the Starbucks on 86th Street and Columbus Avenue — then blew her top when the staffer behind the counter asked her if she wanted butter or cheese on top.

"I just wanted a multigrain bagel," Rosenthal told the Post. "I refused to say 'without butter or cheese.' When you go to Burger King, you don't have to list the six things you don't want."

"Linguistically, it's stupid, and I'm a stickler for correct English."

Rosenthal, whose grudge against the coffee chain also extends to refusing to order by the trademark "tall" and "venti" sizes, next began yelling at the staffer to hand over her plain bagel, until the manager finally called the police, according to the Post.

Starbucks staff said Rosenthal incited the face-off by hurling profanities at the staffer.

"She called [the barista] an a--hole," one worker who witnessed the incident told the Post.