You probably heard about the guy who was banned for life – then unbanned – from Starbucks for insisting the only people with handicapped tags actually use handicapped spaces outside a south Tampa Starbucks.
Rob Rowen
Robert Rowen is familiar to a lot of Palladium jazz fans as the man behind several jazz shows both in our Side Door and in Hough Hall, that supported children and families in Nepal. Along with lots of other good works, Rob runs the Global Action Coalition and does it with no overhead – every dollar raised goes directly to families and children in Nepal. Our last show was in May, following the devastating earthquake, and featured pianist Kym Purling.
Rob is also a regular at our jazz shows and loves bringing big groups to experience the music and the Palladium.
Rob is a guy who gets behind things he believes in and his efforts at Starbucks come directly from his family experiences. I wish him well in this new effort and I know my phone will be ringing soon with Rob planning another great concert.
To read the entire story, follow this link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/starbucks-says-man-harassed-customers-parking-in-disabled-spaces/2239676
Or check out this excerpt from Sunday’s Tampa Bay Times:
For months, Rowen had been complaining about Starbucks customers who illegally parked in handicapped spaces. Then someone complained about Rowen.
When the letter arrived on July 23, the controversy was on.
“I think you’ve heard a little bit about me,” Rowen told a reporter, “the-banned-for-life-from-Starbucks guy.”
• • •
It read like a college rejection letter:
“We regret to inform you that you have been expelled from Starbucks Coffee …”
The reason?
“Threatening the well-being of a customer.”
Rowen proudly displayed the notice inside Nuance Galleries, which he founded in 1981.
“I wouldn’t say this was harassment,” said Rowen, 62. “Accessibility is a huge issue.”
The drivers Rowen stopped, he said, didn’t have the required handicapped placards. Florida law backs him up.
“There really isn’t anything to explain,” said Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. “You can’t park in a handicapped spot unless you have the permit to do so.”
The traffic violation comes with a $165 fine in Hillsborough County.
“We get a lot of calls on this exact incident,” said Carol Stachurski, program operations manager at Disability Rights Florida. “A lot of calls.”
Instead of flinching, Rowen turned the exile into a media spectacle. He called TV stations, posted the letter online, created hashtags: #starbucks #bannedforlife. The spark ignited a firestorm.
Then, Starbucks lifted the ban.
“We understand Mr. Rowen’s concerns,” the company said in a statement. “Company leaders are working with the landlord to improve the parking situation at this store and have shared with Mr. Rowen our efforts to provide a warm, friendly and accessible environment for all of our customers.”
• • •
This really started 16 years ago at his daughter’s 16th birthday party. Rowen opened the door and three power wheelchairs rolled by him.
The native New Yorker was startled: “I had never opened my eyes to that world before.”
Rowen’s daughter, his only child, ended up marrying one of those guests, Elio Navarro, who was diagnosed as a child with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive motor neuron disorder that weakens the arms, legs and torso.
After that encounter, Rowen never closed his eyes again.
He started announcing wheelchair sports games, working with Tampa’s muscular atrophy community. And, he made a point, wherever he traveled, to remind drivers not to abuse handicapped parking spots.
Rowen puts it this way: “I stand up for those who cannot.”
• • •
The coffee conglomerate’s regional vice president for Florida met with Rowen at his gallery around 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Here is Rowen’s recollection of the negotiations:
Rowen: What about additional signage at the stores telling people not to park in handicapped spots?
Starbucks said no.
Rowen: How about a free latte for handicapped people on certain afternoons?
Starbucks said no.
Rowen: What about the manager who exiled me from the Azeele store? Can she be moved?
Starbucks said no.
Rowen: Take my demands back to your superiors. “I think you need to take this really seriously,” he said.
• • •
When the Starbucks’ representative left the gallery, the TV cameras moved in.
Their target ran.
He sprinted through the gallery parking lot, disappearing behind a nearby IHOP, Rowen said.
Moments later, Rowen watched as the Starbucks regional VP rounded the corner and beelined back to the gallery, the media stampeding behind him.
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