Saturday, November 28, 2009

Restaurant Etiquette...

I went to breakfast with the Mrs. this morning, and was reminded of the lack of restaurant manners inherent in today's society.

A guy's cell phone rang (on full volume of course), and he answered it....

Loudly.

Only after people shot him dirty looks did he elect to take his phone call outside.

People somehow fail to realize that the other patrons in the restaurant do not care to hear their telephone conversation. This happens nearly every time we go out to eat.

If it's not the cell phone, it's the jackass taking flash pictures in the restaurant.

Folks with cameras again fail to realize that those around them do not care to be flashed by their camera.

Then there are the "parents" who allow their children to run rampant in a restaurant, or who allow their child to shriek at the top of its lungs to the detriment of every other diner in the establishment.

And the restaurants who turn the music up, causing people to talk more loudly to be heard over the music, thereby making the business seem more "full".

And the people who push two tables together so they can have their large group at one table, but forget to leave an aisle for people to pass,

Geez! I sound like a crotchety old bastard, don't I?

Maybe I should just stop going out to eat...

11 comments:

Sister Copinherhair said...

Dunkin' Donuts?

I jest...I jest... ;)

*Goddess* said...

The ones who let their kids run around are my FAVORITES. They sit there, totally clueless to the fact that their kids are annoying the hell out of everyone. Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of these clueless parents attend the same church I do. They don't seem to know the meaning of a "crying room" or how to use it...

Carteach said...

You are just voicing what most of us think. Hang in there. Just remember that jerks tend to attract crappy days like flies merging on a cow pie.

Snigglefrits said...

Don't forget the restaurants who have televisions now that are on full blast along with the "music". I say "music" in quotes because it always seems to just be a beat that is loud enough to make one's liver quiver, not actual music.

Why do we need to watch television to eat??

I think that's the main reason I'd just as soon eat at home.

Anonymous said...

Ah, the loud music thing... I never thought of it that way. So annoying.

Mad Jack said...

You said about all of it. The unsupervised primates are the worst, followed by the adult unsupervised primates.

The Sicilian said...

As for brats, three words: Corporal punishment needed. It needs to be applied to the parents as well as to the children.

Goddess, Two of our wealthier parishioners never used the crying room for their youngest child, who, more often than not, would make a fuss during Mass. I never noticed our regular priest look over their way at those times, but when we had a neighboring priest fill in one weekend, he definitely shot the family a look.

I had to use my cell phone in public on Friday and I felt quite uneasy - rude, in fact - doing so. I'm rare in that I hardly use my cell phone; it's off most of the time.

WW said...

You're gonna have to stop shopping if the kids bother you that much as well. I work at a store (a kids toy store) and the parents let their children run free all over the store, I've had kids younger than five come over because they're parents are getting cash for their payday check or getting their hair cut and they think we're a babysitting service. And the parents think I'm in the wrong when I ask their kids to stop climbing on out stuffed animals or not to throw the boomarangs to see if they work, or even to pick up the race cars and put them back.
My brother has the giant annoyance to use his phone while we're eating. At least he did a lot when he had the bluetooth headset and you would never know if he was talking to us or whoever was on the phone.
I use my phone out in public if I don't care if anyone hears my conversation though never while I'm eating, and I like to think that my volume isn't up so loud that people can hear both sides of the conversation. I like to be courteous to everyone else even though it seems they rarely return the favor.

Front Porch Society said...

And this is why I hardly go out to eat anymore. People's "out in public restaurant" manners SUCK!!!

Front Porch Society said...

Oh, and I have had the balls to confront a mother or two about her lack of parenting skills. I have pretty much reached my limit with stupid people. ...it could be the lack of sleep or it could just be that i am sick and tired of moronic parents allowing their children to get away with murder! Either way, I tend to speak my mind more and more frequently.

Pittsky said...

sounds like you were eating at chili's...