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A Culture of RUDE
May. 7th, 2013 12:34 pmAmerican culture is a funny thing. We are all taught to mind our P’s and Q’s (whatever THAT is supposed to mean), and children are taught to be seen and not heard. In a predominately Christian society, we are taught to turn the other cheek, and to treat others how you would like for them to treat you. Yes, all of these things sound familiar to most of us, and in many ways that is the case… EXCEPT when it comes to things like food service.
Fortunately for me, I managed to escape the fate to which I was born. I have never had to work in a restaurant as a food-server. And I’m ever-so-grateful, simply because I don’t know how well I’d put up with such blatantly rude behavior that I see some people exhibit. I just don’t know what it is, but for some reason a restaurant has the ability to transform the average person, who is normally fairly polite, into an asshats with a sense of entitlement. And no, I don’t have the patience to give in to such crap. I would be the waiter to say, “’scuse me… but this ain’t Downton Abbey, and you ain’t the lord of the manor!”
I’m sure you all know what I mean. And who knows – maybe you’ve found yourself falling into this trap. Have you ever seen the restaurant patron becoming really annoyed (more than is merited) at the waiter or waitress simply because he or she didn’t appear instantly? Or let’s say that something wasn’t exactly perfect with the order – the side item wasn’t done quite to your personal taste or it just didn’t hit the spot. Does that give you or the person at your table the right to yell or get deliberately pissy with the server? Um… NO!
Heck, I remember a few weeks ago, I went to a restaurant and was very happy not only with the service, but with the food. There was only one thing that didn’t go exactly perfect. I had ordered sweet potato fries, and instead, they brought me a baked sweet potato with all the fixin’. Heck, in my mind, I didn’t care – same item – different shape and level of crispy. What I really wanted was sweet-potato goodness. The waitress was simply HORRIFIED and was ready to bend-over-backward to get me something different as if I was about to have her head cut off. “Really,” I said to her. “This is absolutely fine. I am very content.” She apologized a few more times as she checked in with us, and eventually both she and her manager came out to tell me that they weren’t going to charge me for it. Kudos to the restaurant staff, but it was a bit overkill.
Sadly, I have had the displeasure of going to lunch or dinner with an acquaintance or twelve, and I find myself with a front row seat to the worst possible behavior. Sadly, upon sitting down at the table, some people turn from the average-Bob to mean-entitled-guy, acting mean or rude or disrespectful to the staff or to people around. No matter how many times I witness such a thing, I continue to be shocked. Seriously – WTF?! I just don’t get it.
As for the waitress at the steakhouse who brought me the baked potato… I left her a HUGE tip!
Fortunately for me, I managed to escape the fate to which I was born. I have never had to work in a restaurant as a food-server. And I’m ever-so-grateful, simply because I don’t know how well I’d put up with such blatantly rude behavior that I see some people exhibit. I just don’t know what it is, but for some reason a restaurant has the ability to transform the average person, who is normally fairly polite, into an asshats with a sense of entitlement. And no, I don’t have the patience to give in to such crap. I would be the waiter to say, “’scuse me… but this ain’t Downton Abbey, and you ain’t the lord of the manor!”
I’m sure you all know what I mean. And who knows – maybe you’ve found yourself falling into this trap. Have you ever seen the restaurant patron becoming really annoyed (more than is merited) at the waiter or waitress simply because he or she didn’t appear instantly? Or let’s say that something wasn’t exactly perfect with the order – the side item wasn’t done quite to your personal taste or it just didn’t hit the spot. Does that give you or the person at your table the right to yell or get deliberately pissy with the server? Um… NO!
Heck, I remember a few weeks ago, I went to a restaurant and was very happy not only with the service, but with the food. There was only one thing that didn’t go exactly perfect. I had ordered sweet potato fries, and instead, they brought me a baked sweet potato with all the fixin’. Heck, in my mind, I didn’t care – same item – different shape and level of crispy. What I really wanted was sweet-potato goodness. The waitress was simply HORRIFIED and was ready to bend-over-backward to get me something different as if I was about to have her head cut off. “Really,” I said to her. “This is absolutely fine. I am very content.” She apologized a few more times as she checked in with us, and eventually both she and her manager came out to tell me that they weren’t going to charge me for it. Kudos to the restaurant staff, but it was a bit overkill.
Sadly, I have had the displeasure of going to lunch or dinner with an acquaintance or twelve, and I find myself with a front row seat to the worst possible behavior. Sadly, upon sitting down at the table, some people turn from the average-Bob to mean-entitled-guy, acting mean or rude or disrespectful to the staff or to people around. No matter how many times I witness such a thing, I continue to be shocked. Seriously – WTF?! I just don’t get it.
As for the waitress at the steakhouse who brought me the baked potato… I left her a HUGE tip!
