“I Wish I Could Quit You”

Like everyone in the U.S. I heard about the JetBlue employee who quit his job in a blaze of glory. If you haven’t heard the story, please see link below:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/08/09/2010-08-09_talk_about_turbulance_jetblue_flight_attendant_drops_intercom_fbomb_bolts_down_e.html

This could be one of the best things I have ever heard!

For the record, I don’t condone the deployment of the emergency slide or essentially stealing beer. I am only commenting on his blow-up over the loud speaker.

I think that anyone who has had the pleasure of dealing with the public in a service type position (cashier, waiter, Disney cast member, project manager, bartender) would sympathize with this guy.

I definitely had visions of voicing my frustration over the loud speaker at CVS. One particular incident that nearly drove me to the edge was on Christmas Eve and a customer was literally screaming in my face because we had run out of gift bags. It was 5:30 on Christmas Eve, nothing like waiting till the last minute.....I digress.

Working with the “general public” is very challenging not mentally challenging but a never ending experiment with patience and restraint. Clearly this flight attendant had reached the end of that experiment and I can’t fault him for the blow up (again, not the deployment of the slide, just the verbal outburst).

I was watching a great show My Boys a few weeks ago and there was a quote that really rang true for me “Everyone should be forced to marry ketchup bottles, there would be less war”. If you don’t know what “marrying ketchup bottles” is, you never worked in a restaurant.

The point is (yes, I have one) that a person can only stand so much abuse and frustration. Being treated like crap by people gets old and eventually that frustration will come out and I think that it could be helpful for the customer who caused this situation to see and hear that. To see a flight attendant (waiter, cashier) as a real person not just someone doing a task for you.

We could all stand to be a little nicer and more polite. I will say that I always make a point to thank the person who bags my groceries. It won’t stop me from thinking they are moron when I find that they put all of the heaviest items I bought in one bag that ended up weight 21 lbs, but I was nice to her face. I am sure she won’t remember my saying thank you, but that is okay because I didn’t make her day any more difficult and she didn’t come over the loud speaker and curse me out. Everyone is a winner!

My Favorite Mistake

You are rude to me, sometimes you won't even see me, and often I have to bend to your will....but still I love you so....

Why do I keep coming back time after time against my better judgment? Because of your delicious food! Oh Druid your fish and chips are the best I have ever had. Your steak and potatoes are the things of legend and your beer selection-it is a pathway to my heart.

Your dark side, however is something that really turns me off. I would say I can only even get a seat 50% of the time and even when I do get a table, more than once I have been asked to move- either down to a table or to the bar--in the middle of my meal.

This past weekend was the most egregious of restaurant rudeness. We had finished our meal just paid the bill and were finishing up our drinks (I still had 1/2 a beer) and we were asked to hurry up and leave (by our server who we had already tipped-coincidence I think not) because other people were waiting for the table.

I have never had that experience in a restaurant before and I vow-Druid if I ever return (which I really would like to say I won't but I know the lure of your fish and chips will pull me in)--know this---that 23% tip-you will never ever ever see that again.

I have a good idea that the staff pools their tips so I can hurt the rude guy even if he isn't my server! There will be a debt paid to me---watch out Druid my day will come.

I wish I could quit you!