Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

[jdub]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

i can't stand dining with people i'd hate to have to serve...

[Mokihana]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Loud, crying and/or misbehaving kids with unconcerned parents

People talking on cell phones at twice the volume they need to. I don't know what it is about cell phones that people talk louder than normal volume on them. I don't want to hear about business deals and meeting plans and who said what to whom, and general chatter when I'm trying to enjoy a peaceful meal. I wonder if the "talkers" realize how much of their private lives I hear about.

And if I'm with someone who's talking on a cell phone in a restaurant... sheesh. Carrying on a conversation with someone by phone when I'm sitting right there as if I weren't.

Okay pau.

[tikiyaki]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Loud, crying and/or misbehaving kids with unconcerned parents

Oh, you just hit a nerve. I know that kids cry,scream and carry on...their KIDS. It's just when someone has an infant or young child at a restaurant (that ISNT a Chuck E Cheese) and their young one is SHREIKING that painful, steak knife thru the ears shriek kids do, and don't do anything about it, like take the kid outside to console him/her...THAT bugs me.

Basically, it just ruins it for everyone else in the restaurant.

Even worse is when it's in the seat in back of you on a flight to Hawai'i

[blueyecicle]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

As a parent of a screamer....(who's neighbors think we have schreeching birds!) I do not frequent resteraunts that have people in them!

My screamer is getting better but at 2 what are ya going to do? We eat at 3pm if we want to go out!
And I treat my kids like music only outside from 10am to 6pm. Strict noise compliance in this house!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

I think it's important that when your child becomes the focus of the restaurant it's up to those parents to take that child out or not eat there. That's the case with my family.

But until I can leave my 2-1/2 year old son Jesse with a sitter, our choice of restaurants were typically family style like Denny's. Far cry from my younger single lifestyle of romantic settings.

[Hope]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

i can't stand dining with people i'd hate to have to serve...

Yes, this is truly embarassing! Someone who nitpicks at things that are truly insignificant I want to crawl under the table!

I always treat servers with the utmost courtesy and respect, as everyone has their burdens to carry, and one less jerk makes their job a little easier. Even when I'm peeved, I tip accordingly...I just remember the experience when I am deciding where to eat next time.

The guy with the anti-tipping site is just that, a total jerk, who looks at servers as "underlings"...and a lot of times, that server may have more education than he does. Student loans are very hard to pay back when you have your basic bills, too.

My friend, Rick pointed out another peeve...he ordered an appetizer...ate, and when it came time to pay, the server said: "do you need change back"?
This has been a recent trend I've seen here in Las Vegas that is VERY bad!

A server should NEVER assume he gets to keep the change, under any circumstances! How rude and presumptuous!

[1stwahine]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

I dont understand, wouldnt it be worse if she said "arent you a bit young to have a baby"? I dont know who Kiana is or how old your daughter is, I'm just saying she erred on the side of caution. But then again she could have dropped the 'you are babysitting' part.

My daughter is married. He hubby is deployed. Kiana was born June 30th. My daughter just got out from the Army too. My daughter looks great. Kiana looks like her daddy ~ fair skin. Das why the stupid, ignorant waitress said wat she said. Now I getting moa mad!!!

Auntie Lynn

[hawaiidreamin]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

You guys touched a nerve with the screaming kids and the server's inappropriate comments. The other aspect on the kids part are the kids that the parents have running all over the restaurant and do nothing to stop them-why? Do they do this at home and you think it's ok for them to play while eating everywhere else? I don't think so, especially when they have to bump my chair constantly to do so. I don't care if this Friendly's, Denny's, Mickey D's or Chuck E. Cheese- "family" restaurants usually have designated play areas-seperate from the dining area. That is where they should be playing.

Servers making comments is a sticky one. It has happened to me and people I have been with-on different topics. I know you want to make polite chit chat and try to be friendly...but certain things should just never come out. But then again a lot of people speak b4 they think....

Being carded and questioned about having pink hair??? Bad, so bad...they probably are not even old enough to drink the liquor they are serving.

Oh, another peeve always assuming the man is paying for the meal-even though when you picked up the card it was sitting next to me-why would you give it back to the guy???

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Oh, another peeve always assuming the man is paying for the meal-even though when you picked up the card it was sitting next to me-why would you give it back to the guy???

That's one that causes my Alpha Female to decrease a tip. If she hands over the card...with a Japanese last name and a female first name on it...and she clearly looks Asian and female...and I clearly look neither...why would they hand it back TO ME?

[pzarquon]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

I've mentioned before "getting forked." I'm a local Japanese guy, my wife's a sweet haole from Florida, and when we'd go to some Asian restaurants, they'd set the tableware without asking -- chopsticks for me, fork for her. And the real kicker is, I prefer eating with a fork, and her, chopsticks. We found it more funny than anything, and always enjoyed switching them while they were at the table.

Tipping is always a hot topic. I start with fifteen percent minimum, but go wit twenty in most cases as long as we were happy with our service. With three kids, we don't eat at the fanciest places, anyway. We're talking Zippy's. But we do try to add a "messy kids" bonus where applicable.

But man, practices vary. I've observed, eating out with friends, that in one restaurant they'll happily overtip (for even mediocre service), but in a Chinese restaurant? It's a buck a head or so, no matter what! That's what, five percent? Less?

I don't pretend to understand, but no one's spit in their food just yet... at least, as far as I know.

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Gee...I haven't been out to eat in years and years (unless an annual trip to McDonald's with the kids counts). Keep talking, I am enjoying every bit!

[MadAzza]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Night two, I wanted a salad with the fish n' chips...the waiter brought it. Before I could chomp down four bites, he comes sashaying over with my dinner. Sigh. I told him to please take it back until I finish my salad. Sheesh!

You told the waiter you wanted a salad WITH the fish n' chips. So when the waiter brought your fish n' chips to eat with your salad, as you requested, you sent it back?

I don't get it.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Maddie - I hope "marriage with children" isn't on your wish-list.

[MadAzza]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

Maddie - I hope "marriage with children" isn't on your wish-list.

It certainly is not, but I don't understand your point. "Salad with dinner" means "salad with dinner," not "salad first, then dinner." My mom likes to have her salad with dinner, and when she makes that request, the waiter correctly brings her salad with her dinner, not before it.

What does that have to do with having kids?

[hawaiidreamin]

Re: Dining Out, What Are Your Peeves?

That's one that causes my Alpha Female to decrease a tip. If she hands over the card...with a Japanese last name and a female first name on it...and she clearly looks Asian and female...and I clearly look neither...why would they hand it back TO ME?

Boggles the mind, some have even taken the card from my hand, while the male party looked on so it was not as if the person stepped away and they could have even thought I was just giving it to them...just shows me that they have no attention to detail.

Much like the time I was given another diner's receipt even though there were only perhaps 3 tables that she was dealing with...would she have noticed had I just blindly put down my card and they overcharged me? While some else could have gotten and paid my much smaller bill? I have to wonder...