Another Restaurant Tale
By SaintAnne
@SaintAnne (5453)
United States
September 13, 2008 11:36pm CST
Boyfriend took me out to my favorite Chinese restaurant this evening. I had a wonderful time for the most part. After not having had Chinese for what seemed like a long time, I finally got to indulge my cravings with Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken and chow mein. They served our food promptly and I was happy to show off my passable skills in chopstick holding.
Then they sat this older guy behind our table while Boyfriend and I were quietly and rapidly cleaning our plates. My back was to him so at first, I thought he was talking on the phone. I finally realized he was muttering to himself when he started complaining about how long it took for his food to arrive, after just a few minutes of having his order taken. He started cussing, "f-, f-, f-, I'm not going to f-ing leave them a f-ing tip... come on, I am f-ing starving here... f-, f-, f-." He kept on saying this repeatedly and I swear to you, I'm almost quoting him word for word.
I tried to signal to Boyfriend what was going on but he was too busy overhearing another table's conversation to focus on what my eyes were saying. I was so relieved and happy when they finally gave us our change and leftovers. I was starting to think that I will be in the news tonight, having one disgruntled patron smash his water glass on my head, in spite of what was optimistically written in my fortune cookie.
Have you had a similar experience where you're enjoying your meal and another customer/diner/eater (almost) ruined it for you? I still had a good time. I just blamed the full moon for that guy's behavior.
6 people like this
10 responses
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
14 Sep 08
Well first of all the food you had sounds great and I am quite jealous! lol. Some people are just completely oblivious to others around them and can't be made happy no matter what other people do for them. I have worked in the hospitality industry during my school years and when I first left school and it never ceased to amaze me how difficult some people could be for little or no reason at all! The "customer is always right" becomes very hard to respect sometimes! Probably the most disgusting behaviour I have ever witnessed was at a restaurant in Hong Kong. A man sitting at a table near mine cleared his throat and SPAT on the floor! It was absolutely horrendous and no-one seemed bothered by it at all! I was horrified and couldn't wait to get out of there.
3 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Honestly speaking 
, James, Eeeww, not to you but to what the man did. I guess no one was eating oysters around him and that is why they weren't bothered at all, Thanks for sharing and giving me a visual, I guess...
, James, Eeeww, not to you but to what the man did. I guess no one was eating oysters around him and that is why they weren't bothered at all, Thanks for sharing and giving me a visual, I guess...3 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Grilled, with barbecue sauce and a few lemon drops. Yummy!
3 people like this
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
14 Sep 08
After hearing this story I am inclined to suspect that your tears while driving were tears of extreme frustration, as we attract to us situations that match our own emotions. And that is very good if that is the case because boredom and hopefulness is just a short jump up from frustration! Whew! I am very relieved to know you are not swimming around in the depths of despair!
2 people like this
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Hahahaha... I like your attitude!! I was afraid you were going to delete me from your friends list after reading my post here!
1 person likes this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Let me get this right, you're saying my own frustration attracted the man to sit behind me and act like that? Aack, I don't want to be attracting people of that sort. You may be right about the tears of frustration, I guess one of the reasons why Boyfriend took me out after getting home red-faced from crying was to make me feel better too. I'm feeling better zigzag and I'm getting hopeful. Thanks!
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
I can take it zigzag, don't you worry. Besides, I'd rather have people be honest with me (with good intentions). But next time, please be gentle. Ahahah.
2 people like this
@tammytwo (4298)
• United States
14 Sep 08
I have never experienced this. But one time many years ago my husband and I went into a restaurant in the middle of the day. There was no one in the whole place. The next couple that came in just had to sit down right next to us which would ahve been fine in a normal circumstance. However, the elderly lady decided she needed to belch really loud and repeatedly. This continued for about five minutes before hubby and I just left. We were so disgusted and couldn't believe the rudeness.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Sep 08
tammytwo if a belch or two is the most disgusting thing '
you have heard or seen you are lucky.working as a nurses
aid I saw much more disgusting things. a belch. aburp and
a fart are human reactions that really cannotbe made to
happen or diverted either and in a few moments I am sure'
your belching neighborwould not be doing it any more. I
'am amazed over how sensitive some people are to things
that humans cannot help yet dont mind smoking their lungs
out and coughing and spitting until it sickens us around'them. yet a belch will send them screaming . It is not rude if your body makes you belch in spite of youself. what do you want the belcher to do, say pardon me, belch, pardon me, belch.What is rude in my eyes is letting this make you leave as the poor belcher did not do this intentionally at all. shame on you.
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Thank you Hatley for your point-of-view. I started this discussion so other myLotters can post about their own similar experiences and tammytwo is entitled to her own as you are to yours. The first thing that came to mind when I read about the repeated belching was that there may have been something medically wrong with the elderly lady. But sometimes one can't help one's reactions if one is seated right next to someone doing so while one is trying to eat. 
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
You don't think there was something medically wrong with the lady? Repeated loud belching would turn me off too, especially in a restaurant, and I am sorry that you and your hubby had to hear that (and smell?) even if it's just for a few minutes. I hope you guys had a good meal though. Thanks tammytwo.
1 person likes this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
15 Sep 08
How sad that that man is so miserable. I feel bad for people like that. can you imagine how high his blood pressure got during all of this.
I am sorry for you having to hear it. just put it out of your mind and be thankful you are not like that!
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
15 Sep 08
I hope he got happier when he got his food. It was just worrying having to not see him but hear him say those things. Thanks laglen!
@shiloh_222 (5479)
• Philippines
14 Sep 08
hi... if i am in your case, i would definitely be turning blue...from holding my breathe... waaaaaahhhh... it means, i would continue cringing for every word that i hear... really really.. or i guess, i would transfer to another table... hahahaha.... happy mylotting... i am online in ym... pls buzz me...got some update... LOL...
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Ahaha. I think I was turning blue too... from not knowing what to do and hoping the check comes really soon. I'm online, miss buzzy buzz.
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Hey anne! I'm so jealous! My damn f....ing cheap azz bf
wouldn't even get me takeout and I was dying for some
Chinese and he's been promising me some for 3 weeks. He such
a damn f.....ing liar! Anyway, I love Mongolian Beef and
I haven't seen that on the menu around my way in a very
long time! Well, then again I haven't even seen any Chinese
food menu in a very long time! Honestly, I hate to go
out sometimes for that very reason. There are so many things
that you have to deal with when you go out to eat. You just
never know who or what's going to sit near you and what
might happen, just like what happened to you! You pay so
much money to go out and enjoy yourself only to have it
spoiled by some idiot like you described! I'm afraidn I
might have lost my temper and said something to the jerk!
That is downright rude! Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself
and now I'm going to smack the bf upside his stupid head,
just because!
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Was it you last night, Opal, under disguise as an older man? Ahaha.
I looOoove Mongolian beef! And the place is actually affordable. That is why it is my favorite Chinese restaurant. It's very casual, the prices are affordable and the servings are huge. I just actually had some more of the leftovers today.
I hope you get your Chinese food soon, for your bf's sake.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
14 Sep 08
The full moon!!!??? How about bad breeding? I realize people act out more on a full moon than usually. Police and hospitals, and even teachers will confirm that, but that behavior does seem extreme, and I cannot imagine what your boyfriend was doing eavesdropping on another table's conversation intead of making sure you were comfortable. I guess the full moon must have had some influence on him, too!
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Boyfriend couldn't hear what the guy was muttering and I was too afraid to tell him and be so obvious about it and aggravate the situation even more. The other table was being rowdy too. One guy in that table kept on loudly criticizing the boss of someone he knows and denouncing the other wrongs of the world and his companion kept on telling him to "stop yakking and start eating".
Boyfriend and I howl at the full moon! AwoooooooOOooo...
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Sep 08
hi SaintAnne wellmine was a six year old who kept kicking the
back of my booth,whop whop whop. HIs parents did not seem to
see anything wrong in it at all. then he got down, came around
to my side and proceeded to take a piece of meat off my plate."
I grabbed his hand and took the meat then said, go to your parents, now. I sort of bellowed it. the kid started to bawl then told his dad I had hit him. oh my G. The dad was in my face but the manager had seen the whole thing, so he grabbed the father and made him sit down. then he told him that You ever let that kid bother my customers again I will refuse you service in this restaurant. the three of them went off in a huff without paying the bill but an off duty policeman was eating there and the manager told him the people had stiffed him and described them, so here c ame the three upset peopleplus the police officer .the grumpy man did pay the bill. I never s aw that family in there again thank goodness for that.
1 person likes this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Thanks for sharing your experience Hatley. I haven't had this happen to me in a restaurant but a few times while watching a movie. I think the parents needed to have taught their kid ( I don't really know how, I don't have kids myself) how to act around strangers and touching their food. And to top it all, to lie about you hitting him!!! It was good that the manager saw what happened. I have a feeling that he may have been observing what was going on from the start, sensing there might be trouble with how the kid was acting.
@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
14 Sep 08
I have a similar story but it was not another customer but the waiter that ruined the experience and we never went back to the restaurant,I was little,and my cousin was staying with us because my aunt and uncle had gone to Mexico on a trip,and me,my parents,and her went to this Chinese restaurant to get something to eat,first off the waiter had an attitude when he was taking our orders,and then I accidentally knocked my drink over,and the waiter yelled at me,keep in mind I was little probably less than ten years old,so he should not have yelled at me.
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
The whole experience must have left quite an effect on you to have you remember it until now. I'm sorry, Cowboy. Did your parents say anything to the waiter after that? Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
14 Sep 08
I don't eat out that much. I have seen and heard disgruntle customers but that was down right rude and disrespectful. That was uncalled for if he was that hungry he should have left and went to a fast food joint. Where he could have gotten waited on faster. His cussing did not make the food come any faster it just made him look dumb and stupidand disrespectful.
2 people like this
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
14 Sep 08
I guess he was craving and starving for Chinese food more than I did. His cussing actually had one server approach him and assure him that they will have his food out in the soonest possible time. He got his food just as we stood up to leave. Thanks Chevee.
1 person likes this
