I have worked at the same steakhouse for over 3, going on 4 years. There is one table that completely sticks out in my mind every time I think of a horrible day.
It was a table of 2 adults and 7 kids, so 9 total. Not a huge deal; I handle big tables all the time, so I figured this would be a piece of cake. Their kids ended up spilling spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and cookies all over the floor. I figured whatever, I clean stuff like this all the time. The whole night the kids were running back and forth to the candy machines like all kids do, and parents let them due to the fact that they would like to actually have a conversation instead of listen to whiny kids.
When they got up to leave, the floor was stained, candy was everywhere, and the guy had the nerve to come up to me and chuckle while saying, “Sorry Miss, our kids spent all your tip money on the candy machine.” Yeah, real freakin’ funny jerk.
Tagged as:
babies & children,
tipping
In this story, I was the person who made someone else’s dinner miserable. In my defense I was a little under the age of two at the time.
My grandfather decided to take my mother and me out to eat at a steak house. Being on a limited budget, my mother couldn’t afford a sitter and brought me along. Usually I was a quiet child, but on this night I decided to let my brat side out. I was on the fussy side, but not to the point of a full-blown tantrum.
At one point during the evening I tossed a tomato. It landed on some guy’s bald head. Needless to say my mother was embarrassed. My grandfather thought it amusing that I actually hit the bald spot.
As I don’t remember the incident, unlike my mother who’s repeated the story over the last 40 years, I can’t claim any shame. However, to the gentleman who had a tomato land on his head in a steak house on Main Street in Waltham, MA back in the early 70s: I’m sorry.
Tagged as:
babies & children
While enjoying my meal at a nice restaurant, I noticed a couple at a nearby table with a baby. Although they doted on the baby during their entire meal, it didn’t bother me much since the baby was well behaved.
Later on in the evening I noticed that several servers were crowded around the couple’s table. The expressions on their faces were a mixture of anger, revulsion and disbelief. I heard one of them say, “That’s sick!” I was able to eventually see that before the family departed they had left a used diaper on the table!
The servers kept staring at the diaper while talking disparagingly about the filthy family; none of them seemed to know what to do to resolve the matter. Finally someone said that another server, “Jenny,” used to work in a nursing home, so she should remove it. One of the servers walked into the kitchen and soon thereafter the poor ex-nursing home worker came out and disposed of the dirty diaper.
Of course my appetite was ruined by this experience. People can be such pigs!
Tagged as:
babies & children,
hygiene,
server
I once dropped by a local grilled chicken restaurant for a bite to eat during my lunch break from work. I loved this place as I knew one of the members of the staff and the food is great. After having a little chat with the lady behind the counter, I gave my order and waited for it to arrive. There were only a few people waiting so it was really quiet. That was until the demon child was dragged into the restaurant.
A gentleman casually walked in dragging a little girl on one of those leash things for children. She was screaming and throwing a massive temper tantrum. Everyone nearby began shaking their heads and shooting dirty looks at the child and her father who seemed totally oblivious to his hellspawn’s howling. For the next few minutes the child continued to scream and shout and stomp in a huge tantrum. The father just stared at the menu waiting his turn and paid absolutely no attention to the child as she started to pull at her leash. After being given my meal, I walked past them and had to resist the urge to tell him that he had the worst behaved child I had ever seen. The father apparently decided the restaurant wasn’t good enough and walked out when it was their turn. You could still hear the child’s screaming tantrum outside. Everyone looked relieved when they left.
Tagged as:
babies & children
