Woman with Tourette’s syndrome thrown out of branch of Costa Coffee for swearing
THE woman was told the shop 'does not tolerate bad language' after an involuntary outburst led to her swearing.
A WOMAN with Tourette's syndrome was thrown out of a Costa Coffee shop after she used "bad language" while she was ordering a drink.
Kate Marsh, 33, was told the shop "does not tolerate bad language" after an involuntary outburst led to her swearing.
She was left "shocked" and "distressed" after she and partner Nick Williams were asked to leave the store in Porthmadog, North Wales, despite explaining to staff she couldn't help it.
After complaining to company bosses, the full-time care assistant was offered the chance to teach employees about handling customers with similar problems.
Kate, from Warrington, said: "I'm happy to help anyone willing to understand and learn about Tourette's
"People can think it's all tics and swearing, but it's got much more to it.
"Not only is it embarrassing and exhausting, it affects your daily life in different ways.
"My tics make me very nervous. I don't really like going into busy restaurants or going out by myself."
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She said she was "relieved" Costa were now willing to educate staff about how to deal with people suffering the condition, which causes involuntary movements and noises for sufferers.
She was diagnosed as a teenager with the neurological condition, and said she has struggled in the past with people's lack of understanding about it.
Kate said she hoped her now guide to helping those with Tourette's, to be published in Costa's internal magazine, would ensure other sufferers aren't treated the same way she was.
She said: "Staff just need to check that the person is OK.
"Don't just assume that it is a problem person or that they're being negative.
"The more nervous I am, the worse the tics get, but I like to think you can tell the difference between Tourette's and just using bad language."
A spokeswoman for Costa said: "We're very thankful to Miss Marsh for her continued understanding and her kind offer to help educate our teams.
"We are deeply committed to offering the best customer service. Any insights that can help Costa better serve all our customers are very welcome."
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