Be A Starbucks "Samaritan" for Selfish Reasons

The press release reads, "This holiday season, Zipcar and Starbucks team up to reward Good Samaritans in Boston." But is that really true?

From now until December 12, Starbucks will give free gift cards to "Good Samaritans" who alert Zipcar drivers that they've left Starbucks cups on their roofs. The catch: the Zipcar drivers aren't really leaving their Starbucks on the roof; the cups are just life-size magnetic versions, so nobody's actually in danger of losing a precious skinny white chocolate Santa-style half decaf half gingerbread snowman with a twist Starbucks Holiday Drink loaded with enough whipped cream to kill a reindeer.

It's a cute promotional idea, but it's sort of a dirty trick, too. And since when is saving a cup of coffee the act of a "Good Samaritan"? It's not quite on par with rescuing a half-dead dude. There are enough problems in the world that we don't really need to create fake panic situations (my $4 latte! noooo!) and needlessly reward people for doing something that didn't need doing in the first place.

How about rewarding someone who buys a donut or a coffee for a homeless person? Someone who volunteers at a soup kitchen, animal shelter, or community organization? A Big Brother or Big Sister? C'mon, Starbucks and Zipcar, you can do better. And if you really wanted to be funny, you'd follow in the esteemed steps of Jackass and use a fake baby.

Assuming you're enough of a Starbucks fanatic to hang around certain locations waiting for a Zipcar with a magnetic cup on its roof to drive by, here are the very specific places where the "Good Samaritan" promotion will be happening (7am to 7pm, through December 12):

- Newbury St.
- Copley Square
- Boylston St. – Prudential Center
- Government Center
- Coolidge Corner
- Harvard Square
- The Garden
- South Station
- Beacon Hill
- Longwood
- Comm. Ave. / Boston University