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| Not these Waitresses, although you may appreciate them if you like. |
"Gaylord Ward founded the holiday to create an opportunity for restaurant owners and patrons to recognize excellence in their waitstaff." per National Day, which doesn't bother to tell us who or what Gaylord Ward is or was. Neither does the Dish.
So: Who or what was Gaylord Ward (sometimes rendered Gaylord F. Ward)? I haven't a clue. Was it a restaurateur? A restaurant? A waiter? A maître d'? A pumice stone? Who knows? He, she, or it just tossed the holiday into our laps and ran, and now we have to deal with it.
But a day it is, and I think it's not a bad one. Most waitstaff work hard, and have to deal with all kinds of customers -- slobs, dumbbells, drunks, snobs, brats, cheapskates, chiselers, grabassers, loudmouths, dine-and-dashers, and the unappeasable aggrieved. They are also especially disadvantaged in these Chinese Death Virus days, with so many restaurants closed or on limited takeout or delivery duty. People have emphasized the need to tip now more than ever, and I agree. In fact, a month ago or so I went to a restaurant in which my wife and I had eaten in the good ol' days (last year) to get takeout. It was so weird to see the whole place shut down except for some kitchen staff and a lady at the bar. I paid by credit card and included a generous tip. I mean, it wasn't so crazy huge that it made the news, but I got a text from the credit card people asking if I meant to leave that big a tip.
Unfortunately the food was terrible. I got the feeling the cook was sad and getting hammered.
Anyway, if you're doing takeout or delivery today, or even actually able to dine out, let's give our waiters and waitresses a little extra politeness, a little extra kindness, a little extra respect, and a little extra recognition (i.e.: moola). It's been a tough year.
During The Interregnum, we've ordered takeout a couple of times a week from our favorite local joint. Since it's pub grub, the tab is never much more than $20, but we always leave a tip equal to the tab. After knowing some of the staff for ten years or so, we know they can use it, especially now. And you're right, some of the B.S. they have to put up with from customers is unreal. The demure and charming Mrs. M. waitressed her way through grad school, and has verified the meanness of an alarming percentage of the public.
ReplyDeleteFor examples of abuse, not just of wait staff but of all sorts of folks in the service industries, check out
ReplyDeletehttps://notalwaysright.com/