Sam Amico
A bikini-clad barista went to hand a man his coffee out the window, only to find he intended to grab more than the coffee. He also latched onto her wrist.
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Jennifer Duncan, the barista who explained the incident on video, understandably was scared, she said.
But she managed to break free, slamming shut the window, as the man drove off.
“What was his frickin’ plan? Really though, what was his plan? Because it’s gotta be hard to pull a grown woman out a window,” Duncan said, via VICE.
Bikini baristas have become common at coffee shops in the Pacific Northwest portion of the U.S. Most establishments who employ such workers offer drive-thru services only. But apparently, that doesn’t appear to keep people from trying to kidnap them.
This particular incident took place in Auburn, Washington, and was captured on a security camera.
The Auburn police released footage from the ordeal, showing a man with a tattooed left forearm reaching in and grabbing Duncan, seemingly trying to pull her out of the window. Once she escaped his grasp, he started to drive off, then paused to look at the cash he had dropped, before speeding away. He was driving a pickup truck.
Jennifer Duncan
Duncan, like other workers who spoke to VICE, said they generally do not fear for their safety as a bikini barista. But now, it seems, she may start to be more guarded and approach the job differently.
“I’ve learned a lot about men since starting the job,” Duncan said, via VICE. “I can say that for sure.”
Without question, the job can come with its drawbacks and scary moments.
As VICE wrote: “Bikini baristas work in stands equipped with cameras, panic buttons, and windows that lock twice. In 2018, a customer climbed through a stand window in Washington and tried to rape the barista inside before she fought him off. The attempted kidnapping that Duncan saw video of took place in Washington in January. And last month, one Oregon bikini barista stand owner was charged with 26 sex-related crimes, after he allegedly tried to rape job applicants.”
