Hey, have you seen all those annoying "Let's meet at Starbucks" adverts? Quite irritating.

Well, SBUX is indeed bringing folks together -- in a way they may not be too happy about. Many businesses and residents in the Inner Richmond are protesting an invasion by one of Starbuck's nigh ubiquitous stores via petition.

Bryan, one of the lead anti-Starbuckians, has a blog, stoprichmondstarbucks.blogspot.com, with many of the details.

He says to us in an email that:

"The Board of Supervisors for San Francisco has agreed to hear our appeal to the Planning Commision's decision to allow a Starbucks into the neighborhood. It was not hard to convince them that their was significant neighborhood opposition when Jesse Fink (the owner of Toyboat Desert Shop) walked into City Hall on July 9th with over 1,000 signatures in protest. We filed our appeal on the 11th and AUGUST 7th at 4:30 PM there will be a hearing to decide whether or not to overrule the Planning Commission's decision. The Board of Supervisors will
decide whether or not another Starbucks move into the Richmond."

He suggests that if you agree with his position, you can sign the petition at one of the following places: Toy Boat (5th and Clement); JavaHolics (6th and Balboa); Q (Clement betw. 3rd and 4th); Blue Danube Cafe (Clement near 4th); Green Apple Bookstore (Clement betw. 6th and
7th); Cafe Velo Rouge (Arguello at McAllister); Cafe du Sol (Lake near 6th); or Cafe Muse (8th near Fulton). He also says that if you would really like to help call you should your supervisor and let them know what you think. Finally, it seems that anyone that wants to can speak for three minutes at the Aug. 7 meeting -- so, if you care to, let your voice be heard!

(But if you're going to do so in a song parody, please make sure you film it, put it on YouTube, and send a link to SFist, thanks. Maybe something to the Hollies "Bus Stop?" "Starbucks, Starbucks, please stay a-way from the Inner Riiiiich-mond . . .").

True story from a crowded J-Church this morning. We were sitting quietly, a little zoned out, holding the 20 oz. cup of coffee that we'd obtained at our neighborhood cafe with both of our hands, which had become rather cold from time outside. Yes, we had a lid on it.

The J-Church, particularly when it's on the streets heading from Dolores Park up to Market St., is a little herky-jerky. One well-known hazard faced by regular MUNI riders (whether bus or street car): you take a risk if you stand or try to move in advance of the vehicle actually coming to a complete stop. Chances are good you might take a dive if you try it. Hasn't this happened to most of us at one time or another? We recall a particularly embarrassing tumble on the 1 California a number of years ago.

And, yeah, we'll admit carrying a coffee on your morning commute is a calculated risk as well.

So, here's what happened: a woman, perhaps a relative MUNI noob, tried to shuffle closer to the exit door while the car was still in motion, just as it did one of its back-and-forth jerking things. She went flying into the woman sitting next to us, who bravely bore the brunt of the impact -- but then the tumbler continued her descent and knocked against our shoulder and arms, finally balancing herself against our torso. Oops!