A barista has divided opinion online after taking revenge on a customer who threw his drinks at her.
Emma Lee, 23, who owns a Taste of Heaven Bikini Espresso in Seattle, had been serving a regular customer earlier this week when they had a disagreement over the price.
Emma explained that the order – which consisted of a 32 oz coffee and a 24 oz water – came to $22 (£17).
For reference, the average standard coffee is 12 oz.
Emma said that she often charges the man just $20, but this time, he insisted on paying less.
“You don’t get to name your own price,” she told Fox 13.
“No one is forcing you to come here. The argument that he didn’t know or was scammed doesn’t hold up. The prices are listed.”
Footage released of the incident shows the pair debating the price, before the argument begins to escalate.
The man seems to be asking for $5 change from his $20.
Emma can be heard saying: “There is no $5 – you got two drinks that is not how this works.”
He then replied: “Keep the $15 give me $5… put it back whatever it was.”
Emma and the customer had a disagreement over the price. (Fox 13)
The situation becomes even more tense, with the man stepping out of the car and telling her: “Nobody is going to miss you.”
He can then be seen holding both of the drinks before removing each lid and chucking them at the counter.
“It was a threat after screaming, spitting, and trying to pry open the window, I felt in danger,” she said.
Moments later, Emma appeared with a hammer and smashed the windscreen of the man’s car.
She added: “It’s OK for him to be outraged about the price of his drinks, enough to assault me, but it’s not appropriate for me to respond?”
The police were called to the incident and Emma has since filed charges for misdemeanour assault.
Emma can be seen smashing the windscreen. (Instagram/@emmxxss)
While the man is now banned from Emma’s coffee stand, he could technically take her to court for his damaged windshield.
Over on Instagram, Emma spoke about the ‘real issue’ at play.
She said: “I want to take a moment to address the real issue here. The safety of women, more specifically those that are disproportionately less protected.
“We work alone in this industry, wearing nearly nothing and interacting with men (most of which we don’t know) all day.
“The majority of people we meet throughout our shifts are kind, respectful, overall amazing humans!
“However, on occasion we see the ones that think it is appropriate to get violent both verbally and physically.”
Some people watching the video have been critical of Emma, and her decision to smash the windshield.
But the majority have been hugely supportive, with one lawyer even offering to represent her for free if necessary.
Another said: “I’m so glad you stood up for not only yourself but all of us girlies in the industry!! We deal with this on a daily basis! Hopefully others will learn from this interaction.”
Featured Image Credit: Fox 13
Topics: US News