Walk into any Dunkin’ during a slow hour—like 2 PM on a Tuesday. Look the cashier in the eye. Smile. Say something like, “Man, it’s been a long day.”
Now, I’m not saying this works every time. But if you’re lucky, and the cashier is in a good mood, or they also had a hard morning, they might just comp your coffee. It happens. It’s a beautiful, rare moment of human connection—fueled by caffeine and mutual exhaustion.
One time, a cashier gave me a free donut because I laughed at a joke her coworker made. I didn’t even ask. She just handed it over and said, “You look like you need it.” She was right. I did.
