Occasionally an idea comes along that is so inspired it will make you mad you didn’t think of it.

Baristas in bikinis is one of those ideas.

To draw customers away from Starbucks, drive-through coffee shops have resorted to sex.

According to the Everett, Wash., Herald, these motivated espresso stands have their female employees wear bikinis and lingerie while serving up coffee.

Brilliant!

It sure beats having some college English major with an attitude problem serving up double-mocha lattes.

There is a health factor to consider – burns. Spilling a hot drink on an apron is a lot different from spilling a hot drink on a bare belly.

But, honestly, have you had a truly hot cup of coffee since 1994? No, and you can thank Stella Liebeck for that. She was the 79-year-old that spilled a cup of 170-degree coffee on herself in the McDonald’s drive-through.

Now, you have to ask for an “extra hot” coffee if you don’t want it a lukewarm 140 degrees – might as well have the baristas be extra hot.

Of course, there is opposition to scantily-clad java jockeys. The argument goes something like this: exposed skin causes impure thoughts, and we can’t have that – think of the children!

Not much of an argument, but there is a place in our society for family-friendly caffeine cantinas.

And they’re called Starbucks.

You can always go to McDonald’s for a large vanilla iced coffee served by fully clothed McEmployees. It’s only 270 calories, cold and produces no prurient thoughts. That’s practically guilty free!

Double-mocha latte? Well, a 16 ounce cup with 2 percent milk with whipped cream is about 330 calories regardless of what the server is wearing. Perhaps seeing these gals in bikinis will get you to order a cup with nonfat milk and no whipped cream (220 calories).

Yum all around.