We all, OK many of us, remember the movie Pay it Forward. Some people knew it as a book first of course. Many of us have also watched on the news about how some person at a coffee shop or fast good joint will buy the meal for the “next guy” with the hopes that it will keep going. This is great! I love this idea, but for all the times that I have attempted to start something like this or seen it get started, or just generally seen someone be nice – I have almost never seen it keep going.
This of course makes me wonder, is it the method of delivery, the situation, or maybe the people involved? In the movie situation (admittedly I have not read the book) the characters pay it forward interpersonally, giving something or doing something directly for someone else. In the coffee shop or drive-thru scenario, the person who starts it is gone before the next person gets their treat, leaving the barista or cashier to actually do the paying forward for the original person. This creates a sort of impromptu ambassador of paying it forward out of an unsuspecting cashier. Does this situation perform more admirably than if the person actually paying for the drink was to stand there with the cashier and buy the drink for the next person, right in front of them?
To figure this out, I pose a sort of experiment to you. Next time you are at a coffee shop, take $10 and do an experiment for me. With the first $5, walk up to someone who is standing in line (with no one behind them) and hand then the money – saying something along the lines of, “This is for your drink, please a the drink for the next person in line – pay it forward”. Then walk out until that person leaves, go out to your car or around the corner or something. Come back into the store and wait, see if they actually did what you suggested or just took advantage. With the next $5, hand it to the cashier and ask them to “take care of the next guy, asking them to pay it forward. Please do not give me credit for this.” Go sit down and wait, see if the idea is paid forward.
Report back what happens. I would love to hear your results.
I tried the first experiment this morning, once I have a couple comments I will say what happened.
I guess this was no prelude. It was when it was an idea and I started writing, then it became an call to action. whoops 
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