Community Chat

[Yardlie]

I don't like going out to dinner and finding the mugs already on the table. I know the waiters have to do a certain amount of set up ahead of time. However, I once saw a man sitting at a table for two by himself. He picked up his mug and looked at it. Apparently, it was dirty, so he picked at something inside the mug with his fingers. Then he spit into the mug and tried to shine it up with his napkin. Finally, he switched the mug with the one at the other place setting at the table. Aren't waiters supposed to take away excess place settings? Anyway, I told the waitress what he did. She thanked me and finally took the second place setting from his table. Disgusting!

[Meowingkitty]

I used to work with a girl about 18 who had a side business of baking and selling so called gourmet cookies. Anyway she was always posting pictures of the kid on the kitchen island being changed. I guess she thought it was cute The she would post pictures of the cookies she made on the same island. We always called them baby butt cookies. 

[beckyb1012]

My Mom and Stepdad and I waited quite a while for a table one year on Father's Day and saw all the servers picked up menus, the tableware (wrapped in napkins) with the guests to take to the table.  All the servers put the tableware in the crook of their arm if too many to hold.  One server every single time tucked them up underneath her armpit while wearing the tee shirt/no sleeve uniform shirt.  It made me sick thinking all these people sat with napkins that had been in her armpit. Yes we did say something to our server that the other did it differently than everyone else. 

How is the manager to know more training is necessary if they are not told.

[Judaline]

After reading one after another posts here, I could only say, YUK! It makes me sick and I know it happens. I once mentioned to my friend that Wolfgang Puck dips his fingers in what he's made, over and over, and then the hosts are offered to try it and you can see on their faces they don't want to but they do. My friend said if I could see what went on in restaurants in the kitchen, I would never eat out again. Probably.

On another note, our Whole Foods has a whole line of nut/grain grinding machines-they're all in a row. You put in almonds for instance and make your own almond butter. A mother with two kids was in the aisle. She was searching for something on a shelf while one of the kids was running past the machines with his finger sticking out, swiping it under each spout, licking his finger, then going on to the next one. All the way down the aisle. I almost gagged. I had a feeling she didn't speak my language so I didn't say anything.

In that same store, different day, I was perusing the hot foods table. I saw a man, elderly but not that old, with a plastic fork, going down the line and sampling each food, with the same fork! The lady next to me kind of laughed and shrugged. Not me. I told the guy who looked like a chef and he immediately accosted the guy. I'll know him next time. What am I saying. There won't be a next time.

[dex]

I always try to be a little more understanding of children and their parents.I had a very uncontrollable child and I did my best to keep him quiet and still when we were out.It was very stressful for me and I never could just relax and enjoy.There were people who could see that I was trying and were very supportive and helpful and I appreciated that more than they ever knew.I feel it is my turn now to pass that support to others.Rather than allowing myself to be annoyed I will see if there is a way to make the experience a little nicer for everyone.

[Trinity11]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@De Anna wrote:

I just don't understand parents now a days, must be the generation. Glad you said something. Yuck. 

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@De Anna

It was the GRANDMOTHER holding the child and letting the child put the salt shaker in his mouth.

Let's stop automatically blaming the younger generation. 

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Why is it after every holiday we are treated to a thread about kids being unruly and calling them hooligans and brats? And then we get treated to posts on how the younger generation aren't raising their kids right......yet someone brings their Fido into a restaurant and lets him sit on a chair and somehow that's OK. In our state you can't bring a dog into a restaurant unless it is a service dog.

Enough already..... There are many restaurants where children aren't going to be.....the really expensive ones. People just need to put up with the adults, who I am sure the people complaining about kids will find doing something equally as annoying as licking a salt shaker.

[CatLoverDogsToo]

@mima  I never said I take my dog to restaurants. I only stated that my dog is very well trained and a joy to be around. Many children I see when out seem to have never heard the word "no" and are unruly and disrespectful. The parents more concerned with their cell phones or anything other than correcting their children's behavior.  My dog is an Irish Wolfhound, and her size is off-putting to many people.  A small dog in a restaurant would not bother me, but I have only seen service dogs, which by their very purpose are well trained.  

On a different note:  I was at the park, walking the trail. We have a large flock of Canadian geese that stay around the water. This "mother" was on her cell phone, ignoring her young child, which was around the age of 2 or so. The child was barefoot and walking in goose poop. If you know anything about Canadian geese, they produce prolific amounts of the stuff. The child was picking it up and I won't describe what she was doing with it. The child then toddled down to the water and was ready to "fall in". The pond is very deep. Mother didn't look up from phone and when I alerted her to the danger, she gave me a dirty look. I have serious concerns about the child's chances in life. If the little girl drowned, she'd probably sue the city because she thinks the pond is "dangerous" and needs to be fenced off.  She was

abdicating her responsibility to keep her child safe, and I would be willing to bet she would take no responsibility for her actions or the lack thereof. I'll bet the mother's cell phone never runs out of minutes though.   Just my opinion.

[shy bobcat]

@Cakers3

I was thinking the same thing. "out of sight, out of mind", yuck!

[LilacTree]

Long ago when we lived in VA and I was still married with four girls, ages still in the single digits . . . when we were invited to a friend's home for dinner, we would enter and my girls would walk right over to the sofa and sit down next to each other.

If there were other children there, they would play quietly.  There was never any running around and screaming and yelling.  And if I recall correctly, we only had to tell them once as to the behavior that was expected of them when visiting.  We were always complimented on the behavior of our four little girls.

I always joked that it was the "classroom" manner in which I had to bring them up.  There were only 4-1/2 years between the youngest and the oldest.  I was a stay-at-home mom for eight years and I think that had a lot to do with it.  But I have to say, most children were well behaved in those days.

[software]

I've worked in food service in the past, all of my family have worked food service as well.   These stories are mild compared to what I've witnessed.    

I only drink out of a straw, I wipe off my silverware.   I have several weird "habits"   My rituals. I inspect my food entirely before I start eating.   My friends understand!

I don't use the S&P shakers in a restaurant.   I bring my own,   I know, crazy but if you only knew........

As far as kids misbehaving, I don't see that it's any better or worse than I remember.   Seems wherever I go....shopping, dining......there's always THAT ONE.   Those are reasonable odds.

@Plaid Pants2