Whiny Waitress

Dear Restaurant Patrons,

It is not EVER acceptable to snap at a human being to get their attention.  EVER.

A few days ago, I’m at work doin’ me.  In this case, “doin’ me” means sweating profusely, running my ass off trying to keep my full section of tables happy enough to leave me some decent money because mama’s got bills.  Inevitably, I have to walk past tables full of guests who are not technically my responsibility.  I’m not the kind of server who will ignore a guest’s requests for assistance just because I’m not making the tip off of that table, but I’m also not going to seek out things to do in other people’s sections.  Specifically when I’m as busy as I was that night.  

So here I am, running through the restaurant, when some guy at a table that doesn’t belong to me makes eye contact, shakes his empty glass in the air, snaps his fingers and says, “NEED WATER.”  As much as I wanted to ignore him, so as not to reinforce that kind of behavior, I just couldn’t.  I smiled and said, “Of course.  I’ll be right back.”  I returned with a water pitcher and all was well.

I think we’ve found a theme.  Servers aren’t slaves or servants.  We definitely aren’t animals who require snaps, claps or whistles.  De-humanizing waitstaff is NOT OKAY.  The whole experience of eating at a restaurant is exclusively first world.  Consider the fact with only ten dollars in your bank account, you can still find a restaurant where you will get to sit down and be served your food and drinks in a manner that only kings experienced in the past.  The fact that I happen to carry the water pitcher and wear an apron doesn’t make me less of a person than you.  In my spare time, I get to be the person at the table too!  So just because during this certain block of time we happen to be at the same place and I happen to have a certain job that facilitates taking care of you does NOT mean that you are a more important human than me.  And human beings do not deserve to be snapped/whistled/waved/clapped at.  

Server =/= Slave.  Learn.