Sending Espresso's to bed without 15 percent

Finally a real controversy has erupted on Tufts campus. A few days ago it was revealed in the Daily that the popular restaurant, Espresso's, charges 15 percent extra on all orders that are made on points. This is some bull-shizznat-shnizzle-shnazzle. Now everyone on campus is abuzz about how we're all getting ripped off. Who does Espresso's think they are, nickel-and-diming us? That's Tufts's job. That extra 15 percent is money we could be spending to print stuff at the library or on parking permits. Our parents work hard to earn that money. Why should they pay extra when we get drunk and want greasy food at one in the morning?

For as long as I've been a Tufts student, Espresso's has been the most popular restaurant on the points system, mainly by default. Look at their competition over the last few years. Panda Palace? The food there is what they actually serve to pandas. Wing Works? No it doesn't. Near East? Near Poison. Kee Kar Lau? Dog Cat Bird.

Espresso's is the only restaurant on points that doesn't completely suck. But that doesn't make it good.

My main problem with Espresso's is that their food does not taste good. Maybe it's because I'm from New York (Rockland County, baby). You Mass-ites don't know what good pizza tastes like. Even a New Yorker like me can get used to bad pizza after going to Tufts long enough.

Regardless, on the very same block as Espresso's are Andrea's and Nick's, two pizza places that make better pizza than Espresso's. And if you prefer Espresso's to those places it's only because you're used to it. Trust me - it's not good pizza. Even meals that Espresso's does well like the chicken finger sub are better at Andrea's or Nick's.

Another problem I have with Espresso's is their delivery. They always bring you the wrong thing. If you ask for a Coke, they will bring you a Sprite. And if you ask for a Sprite they will bring you a Dr. Pepper. And if you ask for a Dr. Pepper they will punch a pepperoni through your forehead. But seriously, they always bring you someone else's order. And then, when they come back to get that other person's order, they get mad at you for eating it. Well, what did you expect? I'm drunk.

And now we find out about this 15 percent thing. What does Espresso's take us for? Do they think that we're just a bunch of spoiled rich kids that don't know about the value of money and don't care if we're getting overcharged? If so, then they are absolutely right. But so what? I'm sober and not hungry right now and I'm pissed.

They shouldn't be able to take advantage of us like this. Points don't seem like real money but they are. They're like Disney dollars. One dollar in points is worth one dollar in reality. So why do we spend them so frivolously? Because it's our parents money and they don't even know what half the stuff on our tuition bill is in the first place. Espresso's knows this and is exploiting us.

I suggest that we end our already broken contract with Espresso's and give it to another restaurant. A lot of people want to put popular local restaurants like Tasty Gourmet on points. I love Tasty but it wouldn't work. Two years ago, they tried putting Rose's, a quality local Chinese food place, on points. After three days, they were so overwhelmed with orders that they dropped out. Popular local restaurants can't go on points because they can't handle the influx of orders. That's why the only restaurants on points are sub-par.

That's why I suggest we offer the points program to Domino's Pizza. They will replace Espresso's as the resident pizza place and their pizza, while pretty bad, is still better than Espresso's. The main reason to use them is that they are a huge chain, they have a dependable delivery service that brings you what you ask for, and they have enough manpower not to get overwhelmed by the huge increase in business a place on points will take in. Plus they have the Noid. Even if we don't use Domino's and decide to go with some other place, we should kick Espresso's off points. Sure some people might get whacked. But that's a small price to pay for fairness.

Andy Zatz is a senior majoring in English.