My wife and I pulled into an international burger restaurant on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands one night for dinner. We placed our orders at the speaker, and then pulled up to the window after waiting a while for the cars ahead of us to pick up their orders. We were asked by the young lady what we ordered. Thinking that she should know what we ordered, I recited our meal selections to her. “Let me see your receipt,” she firmly requested. After looking at the receipt, she emphatically said, “You’ll have to turn your car off.”
WTF?? “Turn off my car?,” I asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “Save some gas.”
“What about our orders?”
“They’re not ready. We want to make your food fresh.”
“How long will it take?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?!”
“Yes. Ten minutes.”
“Should we pull our car forward to let the cars behind us get their orders?”
“No. Turn off your car.”
“What about the people behind us?”
“They will have to wait,” she replied matter-of-factly.
Exasperated, we sat in our car and waited. Amazingly no one in the growing line of cars behind us blasted their horn as surely would have happened in the states. After about ten minutes our meals were handed to us. Never mind that they weren’t exactly what we ordered. We were in a hurry to catch some Fourth of July fireworks over the bay. Fortunately for us they were late too.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This was hardly a dinner from Hell; just an impatient American who had not adjusted to Island Time.
I have a story to tell too! Once I was in a drive thru waiting for my food. I waited and waited and waited and then they gave me my food. Then I looked in my bag and noticed that they didn't give me ketchup like I asked so I went through the drive thru again. They gave me my ketchup! Neat story huh?
Why do most Americans think the different cultures of the world should abide to the American culture? I don't understand what's from hell here.
1- the server was very nice because she wanted you to have fresh food
2- the server was concerned about the environment
3- the islanders waiting behind you were not stressed or in a hurry;they were patiently waiting for you tohave a fresh meal.
How about learning how to enjoy life from other cultures?
Poster- Welcome to the laid back vacation spot. Goes with the territory-
I laughed so hard, because I've been living on St. Thomas for the past 2 1/2 years. You're lucky she didn't suck her teeth at you and call you a "muddaskunt" (mother's cunt) for questioning her.
Tessa,
Unlike the rest of the posters, you understood the attitude that I dealt with because you live there.
What do you suggest my response should be the next time I go there and I happen to be called a "muddaskunt"?
Just because its dinners from hell doesn't mean they can't post not dinners from hell! I think it was just surprise that they could do that.