In a viral video, TikToker Charlotte Rebecca (@charlotterebecca___) from Melbourne, Australia, shared an unfortunate story of her car dying in the middle of a Starbucks drive-thru.
“Guys, I’m lowkey traumatized by what just happened to me,” she says in the clip.
In the clip, Charlotte explains that since she was at a standstill in the line due to a large number of vehicles, she decided to turn her engine off. After about five minutes, the line started moving so she tried to turn her car back on but it wouldn’t start.
“I’m like, ‘oh my God I have just run out of petrol in this Starbucks drive thru,’” she recounted. “I’m literally panicking, freaking out. I’m pushing the button. I’m pressing the brake, I’m opening the door.”
Charlotte says that there were about five cars behind her at this time. As she was panicking, a man came to her car and asked if she needed help. He told her that her battery may be dead.
“This light starts flashing on the dash and it’s like ‘consult workshop engine gear’ and [the man is] like ‘I don’t know what that is,’” she recalls.
The Starbucks employee working the drive-thru came out with her headset on and started yelling and pointing at Charlotte to move forward, the TikToker says. The man allegedly told the employee that her car had broken down, and the woman stormed off.
Eventually, Charlotte says her car started and she proceeded to drive up to place her order. At the pick-up window, the TikToker says the employee admonished her for parking in the drive-thru.
“Just letting you know, you cannot park in a drive-thru so do not ever do that again,” the employee allegedly scolded her.
Charlotte says she apologized profusely and tried to explain the situation, however, the Starbucks employee was not having it.
“So, now, I’m never going back to the Starbucks drive-thru because she hates me,” she says. “I’m literally so embarrassed.”
The video then abruptly cuts to a clip of her dashboard.
“Guys, I have proof!” she says in the video. “I just tried to start my car. It’s doing it again!”
As she pressed the start button, her car dash lights up and then goes black.
@charlotterebecca___ I now have trauma from the Starbucks drive thru #storytime ♬ original sound – Charlotte Rebecca
In the comments section, users commiserated with Charlotte and her car troubles.
“You were way too nice. I would’ve lost it on her,” one user said.
“As a drive through worker myself, [I don’t even know] what went through her head when she said that. I’m so sorry, she should have offered assistance or [something],” another commented.
“She was probably just very overwhelmed and under pressure from management to process customers fast,” a third user suggested.
The Daily Dot reached out to Charlotte and Starbucks via email.
