Nothing good comes from engaging with an elderly stranger. Especially in a conservative leaning place like Tustin/Orange County. We're raised to treat seniors with respect and kindness, which of course is well and good for the most part. The problem is that the be-nice-to-old-people custom seems to make a lot of them feel free to engage with strangers at will. That's fairly harmless when they keep it to polite small talk or at least say something relevant to the time and place, but too often they open with an almost immediate revelation of their politics, religion, bigotry, racism or just about anything ranging from annoying to offensive. I'm sorry that the OP couldn't enjoy a coffee in peace, but I got a chuckle out of the way that geezer found a way to launch his conservative rant off of someone not bussing their table!
