Let’s be honest, people can be so rude sometimes. I mean, is there anything stopping you from saying “please,” “thank you,” or just giving a little nod of polite acknowledgement? Sorry for the ranting, but it just seems that people are oftentimes so wrapped up in their own world that they forget they’re actually sharing it with other people. Well, barista Austin Simms of Roanoke, VA agrees with me. Austin works at a popular local coffee shop, called CUPS Coffee & Tea, and he thought some of his customers could use a little help with their manners. The CUPS worker put up a sign indicating that the more impolite you are the more you’re charged for your drink, and his hilarious stunt has created a viral stir on the internet.

The sandwich board outside the coffee shop now reads:

“One small coffee” $5.00 “One small coffee, please” $3.00 “Hello, I’d like one small coffee, please.” $1.75

Each phrase indicates what a customer should say to receive the most inexpensive price. The more polite your inquiry, the better price you get for a cup of Joe. If you simply order a coffee without any manners, you get charged $5 for your morning brew. Ouch. Who knew that there was a price for impoliteness?

We LOVE this simple yet effective way to give people a gentle slap in the face about how they’re acting towards others. Honestly, it’s not that everyone is just inherently rude; sometimes we’re so busy with our hectic lives, the stress of running from place to place to place, that when we have to interact with others, we’re unintentionally short or just downright rude. This sign allows people to laugh at themselves and realize that, just maybe, they’re not being so nice.

No one experiences this off-the-cuff rudeness more than coffee shop baristas. That is a fact. When we order our morning cup of coffee we’re often half awake and running late, so we forget that the person serving us is in fact another human being.

Austin’s clever sign is a swift reminder that you don’t have to be short when you’re having a conversation, however brief it is. Just because you’re late doesn’t mean you have to snap your coffee order! Put on a smile and try to at least be present when you’re talking to another human being – after all you never know how their day is going, either.

“I decided because I need to solve all the injustices of the world to start charging more for people who didn’t take the time to say hello and connect and realize we’re all people behind the counter,” Simms said.

He wrote the sign one day and by the next, a photo of it appeared in a newspaper in England. The image then went viral on the internet by making the first page of Reddit, and eventually encouraged a swarm of news cameras to bombard the store. Austin had accidentally become a local celebrity and for good reason! We love the clever stand he made and the message he so effectively has gotten across.

What do you think of this clever call for manners? Share your thoughts on this story in the comments section below.