When I first moved to Texas I learned in a hurry that in restaurants if you don't clearly state how you want your tea, what you'll usually get is iced tea. Even at breakfast with your French toast and sausage.

When I lived in New York City I had to negotiate with the guy at the coffee stand under the Staten Island Ferry terminal. "What do I have to say to you to get my tea the way I want it?" His answer was what I parroted every morning after that "Plain tea no sugar." Otherwise he scooped in the sugar, hit it with the milk, dropped in the bag and filled it with hot water. What a rude surprise that could be when I got down to the dock to wait for the boat to Ellis Island and opened the lid to find that sweet milky mess. Once you were out on the water and the island there was no way to get any prepared food. You took your lunch (they had a fridge, that was all. Microwaves weren't in common use in the late 70s). My morning tea was a nice luxury on the way to work.

SRS