Post by Chips on May 28, 2008 9:19:28 GMT 9.5
Wait a minute, diners, and take a tip
Angela MacMillan
May 28, 2008
Heckler
RESTAURANT patrons (such as the person who wrote last Friday's Heckler), take note.
aglobalvillage.proboards29.com/index.cgi?board=soap&action=display&thread=13404
Do not dare treat me like I am an ignorant simpleton purely because I have chosen to wait on tables for a profession. Do not speak to me like I am an idiot, unable to converse as an adult on intelligent topics such as politics or the arts. And most of all, do not try any Gordon Ramsay theatrics if, by chance, I accidentally misread the odd angle at which you have placed your cutlery and take steps towards removing your plate.
In the catch-22 that is waiting tables, if I leave it with you any longer than the prescribed five nanoseconds after you have finally finished, I will no doubt earn your wrath anyway.
When did such rudeness intrude? Perhaps you think it was while I was off learning to be a barbarian at the University of Rudeness. Maybe it emerged as I was trying to juggle a full-time job with coursework for a master's degree and waiting on the tables of poisonous patrons who could not be pleased no matter what lengths I went to.
Believe me, it is in my best interests, and yours, to make your meal as enjoyable as possible. It is also in my best interests to leave you well alone during your meal and focus my attention on the remainder of the packed restaurant.
So, in the language of a woman of a "certain age", listen to me, lady, and be warned - you, too, are on notice.
The next time, as you fly into a rage because your beef wellington is undercooked, your pancetta is too chewy, or your plate is removed before you can enjoy the sumptuous taste of that last green pea, I shall request that you leave the restaurant … immediately. And the ravings and satanic looks will not go down well, either.
A useful phrase might be, "I apologise, I'm not quite done yet" or "Thank you, that was a lovely meal".
Such is the response of a waitress who has more than three words in her vocabulary, has no visible piercings or tattoos to put you off your meal, who enjoys her work when customers are courteous and respectful, and who is fed up with the increasing air of superiority that many diners are acquiring.
Now to your "tip" on manners. Thank you. I will be sure to cherish it … because ultimately you sound like the type of person who wouldn't practise any other meaning of the word.
Angela MacMillan
May 28, 2008
Heckler
RESTAURANT patrons (such as the person who wrote last Friday's Heckler), take note.
aglobalvillage.proboards29.com/index.cgi?board=soap&action=display&thread=13404
Do not dare treat me like I am an ignorant simpleton purely because I have chosen to wait on tables for a profession. Do not speak to me like I am an idiot, unable to converse as an adult on intelligent topics such as politics or the arts. And most of all, do not try any Gordon Ramsay theatrics if, by chance, I accidentally misread the odd angle at which you have placed your cutlery and take steps towards removing your plate.
In the catch-22 that is waiting tables, if I leave it with you any longer than the prescribed five nanoseconds after you have finally finished, I will no doubt earn your wrath anyway.
When did such rudeness intrude? Perhaps you think it was while I was off learning to be a barbarian at the University of Rudeness. Maybe it emerged as I was trying to juggle a full-time job with coursework for a master's degree and waiting on the tables of poisonous patrons who could not be pleased no matter what lengths I went to.
Believe me, it is in my best interests, and yours, to make your meal as enjoyable as possible. It is also in my best interests to leave you well alone during your meal and focus my attention on the remainder of the packed restaurant.
So, in the language of a woman of a "certain age", listen to me, lady, and be warned - you, too, are on notice.
The next time, as you fly into a rage because your beef wellington is undercooked, your pancetta is too chewy, or your plate is removed before you can enjoy the sumptuous taste of that last green pea, I shall request that you leave the restaurant … immediately. And the ravings and satanic looks will not go down well, either.
A useful phrase might be, "I apologise, I'm not quite done yet" or "Thank you, that was a lovely meal".
Such is the response of a waitress who has more than three words in her vocabulary, has no visible piercings or tattoos to put you off your meal, who enjoys her work when customers are courteous and respectful, and who is fed up with the increasing air of superiority that many diners are acquiring.
Now to your "tip" on manners. Thank you. I will be sure to cherish it … because ultimately you sound like the type of person who wouldn't practise any other meaning of the word.