I once had an unusual and quite frankly painful experience while dropping by one of my favourite restaurants while on my lunch break from work. After grabbing a bottle of soda from the fridge, I took it to the counter to order my food. I was just about to order when two women appeared, one of them pushing a wheelchair with an elderly lady in it. The lady pushing seemed to be having difficulty controlling the chair. I was just grabbing my necessary culinary when one of the women suddenly shrieked “WATCH OUT!!!” I turned around just as the wheelchair with the elderly lady still in it smashed into me. The woman had lost control and sent it flying across the room right at me. The wheels ran over my feet and the woman’s foot rests slammed into my legs.
I screamed from the pain, something you would not expect a teenage boy to do. I was pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal. The two women ran over and one started shrieking to the other “NOW LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE, YOU’VE GONE AND RUN HIM OVER!” The other lady apologised and asked if I was alright. I said yes and they took the elderly lady out of the chair and up the stairs and disappeared. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, although a little ticked off.
Tagged as:
accident,
disability,
senior citizen
My girlfriend and I decided to go to a local Italian restaurant that we sometimes go to eat at during our regular evening dates after work. Being in our late teens we try to spend as much time together as possible. It wasn’t my favorite restaurant but it was still okay. When we arrived it hadn’t opened yet so we had a few soft drinks in the bar before passing through to the restaurant.
The problems started almost immediately. We approached a waitress who seemed to be cowering away from us. She was definitely new and very shy from the looks of her. Instead we were taken to a table by another waitress. As we sat down into the very crammed area I heard what sounded like a shriek; I shrugged it off. But a moment later a couple with their teenage son in a wheelchair comes to sit down at the table next to us. The boy was clearly mentally damaged but he wouldn’t shut up yelling. He would constantly yell and shout and throw things around and bang on the table. I was trying to have a romantic evening with my girlfriend but this was impossible due to this shrieking disabled kid next to us.
I know I should be understanding about this but I was loosing my patience fast. When we had finished our meals the bloody kid starts throwing the menus around yelling madly. As we passed I shot the family my coldest glare which seemed to shock the mother as the parents did nothing to stop their son.
Tagged as:
disability,
romance
Oh how I love getting to work right before the dinner rush comes. Pick up a few tables from lazy servers who stroll in 15 to 20 minutes late coffee in hand. I myself enjoy stealing those tables and picking up the extra 50 to 60 bucks. But of course not on this day.
I had a five two top table section, which is great money on a Friday night. The rush had passed and my section was full. Generally one or two people eating dinner and having a drink before going to their final destination for the night. Not the best tips but good enough to be first cut.
Two disabled gentlemen sat at my table and presented their coupons and discount card before they even ordered their drinks. I brought them back the waters with extra lemon (AKA Lemonade) and asked if they needed more time. Indeed they did. I helped guide them through our massive three page menu and pointed out our pasta entrees. One gentleman inquired if we had chicken parm, which we do and there’s a giant picture of it at the top of the page. I brought them the side salad which they split and complained about because it was not very big for two people. I tried to explain, but my reasoning fell upon deaf ears (no pun intended but they did both have hearing aids). When their food arrived they asked for freshly grated cheese; I told the gentlemen that we do not carry that and they must have us confused with another restaurant. He insisted that he have fresh cheese for his meal and I retired to the kitchen to get him some FRESH cheese from the line.
The meal itself did not have any hiccups until the end. They could not use both their coupons and a rewards card. Once I ran the discounts and returned the check I was asked a question that pushed me to the point of almost no return. The man who could not find a giant picture of chicken parm on a three page menu turned to me and asked, “Seeeeperate check.” I, as most other servers, become enraged when asked this question. I decided to do it for them anyways because the faster they got done the quicker they’re out of my section. I dropped the check and asked if they needed me to run a card for them; of course they did. As I looked down at the card, as I always do, I broke out into laughter that stopped all the tables near me. The card read “Autism Speaks.” My only response was to muffle my laughter and say, “No it doesn’t…”
From time to time the gentlemen walk in and sit at the same table. I no longer take them but I do always run their meals and whisper “seeeeperate checks” as I drop that lovely chicken parm.
Tagged as:
check,
disability,
discount coupon,
server
