March 09, 2004
SPECIAL ORDERS DON'T UPSET US
Bill at Off-Topic makes this keen observation:
Suddenly waiters and waitresses are saying "How does everything taste?" instead of "How is everything?"
Bill gets paid very well to notice such changes in verbal climate conditions.
My latest peeve is The Over-Attentive Server.
During a road trip about two months ago, I had one actually tell me at a Hops in Gainesville that, "I'm here only to make you happy.''
She filled the glass between swallows. She kept so many hot honey buns coming to the table that I thought I was Winnie the Pooh. Drop a spoon? Got another one. Need a napkin? Not a problem. Turtle Wax your car? I'll buff it up pronto.
I felt like telling her, "Back up, Sheila. I'm not that co-dependent."
Know the other thing I've noticed? It takes an act of Congress to get your check. Actually, after the main course, you have to essentially put a gun to the head of a busboy just to get the server to your table in order to hint at the remote possibility that you might - just might - want to resolve your financial discrepancies sometime before the end of the universe.
But I'm not bitter or anything.
Got a favorite restaurant peeve?
Best one wins a token prize of immeasurably small value. Posted by Jeff at March 9, 2004 10:05 PM | TrackBack
Makes me nuts (no pun intended) when we order an appetizer and it comes with the entree and after the salad. Gives the impression that, contrary to all the helpfulness, we're being rushed out the door so someone else can be seated.
Posted by: emil at March 9, 2004 11:36 PMMy biggest restaurant peeve would have to be the post-meal credit card receipt that's printed with my full name, COMPLETE credit card number, and expiration date. (Thankfully, there's not enough room on the receipt for my Social Security number and the location of my spare house key.)
Posted by: Mike at March 10, 2004 02:09 AMI've actually forced restaurants to go back and print me out a new receipt. I HATE it when they print out my number and every vital statistic, including my entire code of DNA.
Posted by: Jeff at March 10, 2004 06:47 AMGrrr ... the check thing. In most cases it's probably incompetence, but at the better places I guess waiters are taught that it's rude to bring the check before you're asked. That doesn't mesh well with my sheepishness about making such a bold demand.
Which reminds me of a line from a comedian whose identity escapes me. He mentions hearing about a would-be john asking an undercover cop to perform some sex act -- "He asked for WHAT? I can't even ask the waitress for extra bread!"