When you try to grab a cup from a stack & two stick together ...

This is a thinly veiled metaphor.

The "cups" are actually hookers.

OP question answer , yes. I mostly return the shopping cart and also over the top on toilet paper. For what it's  worth.

yes, Yes, YES. Touch all of them first, then return both. Get a third one because the first two are gross.

F, F, F-I-L

L, L, L-M-O

O, O, O-R-E

FILMORE JUNIOR HIGH!

Fom. It would be best if you refrained from eating in public.

Ironically, I asked FOM this exact question a few months ago. Glad I planted a seed in his garden of paranoia.

Harvest time!!

FOM, the Brady Bunch comeback has gone a little stale. We all "got it" but rings a little hollow.

FOM, after taking a shit - do you pull your pants up/tighten your belt before or after washing your hands?

How you answer the question will tell allot about you.

sepiwybab

JR is another Johnny Appleseed...

>>>also over the top on toilet paper.

bingo we found the freak 

under is the only way

Here is my plan to reduce the chance that I will face such a difficult conundrum such as what is presented in the original post:

Step one: Before approaching the stack of cups, go to the restroom and wash your hands with plenty of soap.  Rinse lightly (and not too much) with water to ensure that there is a little bit of soap residue on your fingertips.  Do not dry your hands too much, as you want to have some moisture for adequate grip (this is more art than science, so this may take a few tries before you get it just right).

Step two: Go to the stack of cups, but DO NOT GRAB!  This will lead to trouble every single time.  Carefully spread all five fingers evenly to create a circle with your finger tips, trying to make all five equally spaced apart with a circumference wide enough so that you will not touch the sides of the top cup until you are ready to lift it (Don't forget that cups generally taper to a larger circumference as you reach the top of the cup, which in this case is usually facing the ground).

Step three: As the palm of your hand gets approximately 1/2 inch to the bottom of the cup, slowly and GENTLY bring your fingers toward the center of the circle until each finger tip touches the side of the cup.  You must press hard enough to gain traction, but not so hard that you increase the friction between the top cup and the cup directly beneath it.

Step four: Slowly lift your hand (with the cup attached) in exact alignment to the angle of the stack of cups. If two (or more) cups are still attached to each other, STAY CALM!  Without increasing grip pressure, gently wiggle the cups back and forth (you may need to do this at a high rate, but be careful not to wiggle too broadly).  Be sure that you hold the cups directly over the stack, so that the falling cup(s) can fall back onto the top of the stack. If this does not successfully detach the cups from each other, go ahead and take all of the cups that are attached to each other and pour your beverage into the ensemble.  Don't be too hard on yourself, as you have practiced due diligence and there really wasn't much more than a reasonable person could expect from a fellow restaurant patron.

I hope that this helps.

 ^^^ bwhahahahhahahahaaha!!

hilarious johnny d !

lol

you could also just use an unused wood stir stick to push/knock cup 2 back onto the stack...

Baby wipes have always been a staple of mine.  Right after the last paper wipe, the wet wipe is then implemented.

they shut down the free water at txr when i wanted some...

maybe like put in a fountain?

Dang Turtle, what the neck did you do to deserve that kind of treatment?

Even the worst criminals in the most despicable prisons around the world get water.

Oh yeah, a twist of lime is ok on pork and poultry,  beef, nah. 2 cents

Of course I am wrong a bit.

Disclaimer 

Having no potable water available at a DNB is is catastrophic beyond words!!!

No joke (perhaps some hyperbole, though).

>>> they shut down the free water at txr when i wanted some... <<<

That's crazy; I've never had that happen there. They wouldn't refill the dispenser? I would be sooooo unhappy!

I don't usually eat at establishments that don't use real glasses for their beverages.

Is serving beverages in mason jars a thing in other places, too? I think it’s a hipster trend. What the fuck is wrong with glasses?

Bob’s Butt Wipes, bitches! The dispenser even fits on the TP roll.

..

I would have no objection to drinking out of mason jars except for the threaded lip. It causes what you're drinking to drip down your chin.

^I certainly do not embrace single use cups, for that matter.  Much prefer bringing my own reusable mug, water bottle, or other container.  There are places which prohibit filling your own container with water (strangely, uber-Berkeley establishment Ashkenaz says this is a "no-no").

Still, I find it OK to adopt a more centrist attitude and not beat myself over a little bit of waste here-and-there.

Be kind to yourself.

you shouldn't be drinking soda pop, anyway.

(is that proper usage of a comma?)

FOM, I've seen it happen at places that buy water in jugs for customer use and don't want to pay for people to walk out with their water.

I think at Ashkenaz, you are supposed to buy a plastic cup for a few cents to fill with water.  I often fill my cup from the drinking fountain there.  I'll take a better look at the handwritten sign next time I go there.  I think that there was a concern about germs being spread (not to be judgemental, but there are more than a few fragrant people who may be carrying questionable containers); still, reusing a plastic cup under the spigot doesn't seem to eliminated germ presence.

Last night I was at the Fox-Oakland attending the David Byrne show (which was fantastic!) and I was happy to see that there was one of those fill-your-bottle faucet/drinking fountain combos.  Of course, I still picked  up a couple of plastic cups from the bar (thought of you, FOM) to bring them to the fountain.  Not sure if security would allow you to bring your own bottle (they seemed pretty tight), but at least I was able to avoid the bar lines.

PS: I am always motivated to bring my own mug to coffee shops to get that 10 cents off the price of coffee dealio.