This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
Bitter Old Servers
Bitter servers in the restaurant business over a “certain age”…..GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS! If I have to be served by another surly, inconsiderate, aloof, hung over, 30+, waiter/waitress who treats customers like a bother more than a source of income I’m
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Ok, there are more than one sick person in town that needs an ambulance. If you were up to date on what is going on in Canada as a whole, there is a major lack of funding for ambulance service, which is why it probably took 28 minutes. Why don’t you bitch at the right people, our wonderful gov’t.
Actually ambulance service was privatized a few years back. FYI
Either way, there’s something messed up with the system.i sympathize. i was in a car accident earlier this month, my 3-month old nephew was in the backseat.i would have REALLY appreciated an ambulance NOT TAKING TWO HOURS to get to the scene. By the time they showed up, the cops had shown up, surveyed the damage, taken statements and information, and were on their way out.The police took an hour to show up.Shows how much we need more people on the scene.
Valid Bitch, but also a valid comment. Let’s redirect this to the minister of Health, to Rodney MacDonald, to Steven Harper. They won’t care. But it’s worth a try.
And who voted in the government? I certainly didn’t. My guys lost the election (again).
That is appalling. What’s worse is that if she had been taken to emergency, she would have been there for at least nine hours.
Last month my kid broke an arm, and I got a call from the school telling me the ambulance was there, and get myself to the IWK. I did, and then waited, pacing at the emerg entrance for 45 fucking minutes. I could have gone and picked him up myself (technically enough time to do it TWICE!) and saved myself some stress, time, and money. The medics were great, but the wait…fucked up. Whether this is the fault of the ambulance service or the government…still fucked up.
Before someone jumps all over what I posted, in the first sentence it should have read, “telling me the ambulance was ALMOST there”.
I fully understand the upset with having to wait 28 minutes for an ambulance – and I agree that it should have not taken so long. I also feel sorry for the lady who had to wait. However the paramedics – NOT ambulance drivers, as everyone on an ambulance is a fully trained paramedic – are working very hard at there jobs. There are many possible reasons that it took the ambulance that long to get their – perhaps they were stuck behind someone who would NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY! I did not hear any complaints about the quality of care given by the paramedics once they arrived on the scene…so maybe you should not critize the people who are doing all they can…at least until you know the whole story.
Really what has this country come to when someone who needs medical attention adn has to WAIT teo freaking hours or 28 minutes for some damn help. I’m sick of this bullshit medical health we’re supposed to be getting in this province. I’ve been a victim of this as well when I needed medical attention and took like 6-8 hrs just to see someone and ano9ther 2 hrs after seeing a freaking doctor.This pisses me right off when I hear of such things. The gov’t won;t listen and people need help. I’m outraged!
To Pissed Off Nova Scotian…Start paying for medical care if your sooo dissatisfied. You’re probably one of the imbeciles who crowd the ER on any given day due to a cold or a sprain. Work the other side of the glass window twit. Emergencies are always priority, but are also prioritized. If you’re waiting that long, get a clue and GO HOME!!!!
I agree with Tired of Treating Sniffles. There are WALKIN Clinics for sniffles and minor aches and pains. Leave the ER for emergencies PUHLEEEEEEEESE! I’m a middle-aged lady who suffered a DIA today (minor stroke) and was grateful for the priority and attention that I received in the ER. These people are fabulous and work extremely hard. That includes everyone from the guys at the desk that thanked us for visiting WalMart (grin) to the triage people and the medical staff. I was terrified as this all came on so suddenly and I was completely numb from head to foot on my entire left side. I not only got help fast, but excellent referrals and follow-ups that are timely. I saw a lot of people in my 9 hrs. in ER that did not belong there in the least. Half of them were only there for attention. They needed to be referred to the phsych ward instead of tying up ER. Once I was evaluated and deemed not critical, I had to wait, but I did see two neurologists, two GP’s and had an MRI during my visit. They left nothing to chance and put my mind at ease. I am very grateful to them all.
Cars will not get out of the way! i’ve seen this on several occasions, once right outside the hospital with cars not moving an inch for an ambulance or fire truck! Recently I was out in Bayers Lake when fire trucks were trying to enter the park for an emergancy, and cars just kept driving and parking and the poor firefighters were honking their horns ontop of the sirens. I couldn’t believe it. halifax needs some severe training about how to deal with first responders.
i could not disagree more with the whole age segment. i personal find it is the 20 something servers/bartenders/supervisors who are completely out of the service /hospitality loop. this new generation have not an idea of proper service and feel it is their god given right to receive tips regardless. now i have had bad service from 30+ servers- who by the way – in any other area are not considered old but the norm- we just have ALOT college students – hense the overabundance of younger servers- and i have good service from 20 something servers, but honestly there have only been a handful of servers who really know what they were doing in regardless of their age.a Gentleman by the name of Mike Anderson- at Alfredo Wienstien & HO was definitely the best server i have EVER had- and those of you who went to Alfredos in the middle and late 90’s know EXACTLY who I am talking about!!!! He could teach any body in the service industry alot! and for the record he was in his 30’s when he was in his peek of service!another example is Maggie Phillips at Fid- she was actually voted in the Coast as the best server, she is also in her late 30’s- by far the most knowledgable, pleasant, and proper servers i have been fortunate enough to have wait on me.Ian Curlette from the restaurant that is now called Fiasco’s – in his 30’s, also a fantastic server!Now i have at least 5 names of server’s in their 20’s who i could list a whole page about the crappy service i received/ or the fact that they stood at the bar gossiping while a group of ladies waved their arms trying to get the refills they had ordered when the server was last the table- 45 minutes ago!!!!age is not the argument, common sense is…either you belong TO this industry or you are just in for the tips- either way it is always obvious!
Yeah, I’m sure there are a few decent older servers around sure but you can’t be going to that many places because the evil bitter ones with the look of last night’s party in their eyes are all over the place. And the suck the life and fun out of going out.
i eat out alomst 2x’s aweek, Jane’s, Bish, Quincy’s, Cousine’s, Jack Astor’s, 5 Fish, Fid, Chives, Montana’s, Eastside Mario’s-( which i will never eat there again- piss poor service- by 20something servers at every location!!!!) MacAskills, Kempster’s, Stayner’s, on and on, and these are the places i have gone in the last six monthes. Seriously if you think it’s about the age- then you have not been going out enough yourself! I refuse to name the servers but i will say this – the places that had the majority of younger servers are the places that the service was the most inconsistent!
I’m just sickened by the fact that all servers feel entitled to a tip. Whatever happened to the tip being a reward for gracious, prompt, knowledgeable service? There are lots of great servers who deserve their tips, but too many times do I find myself at the counter adding a tip to my bill for someone that barely deserves their job, let alone an added reward. And don’t give me that “servers don’t make any money without there tips” BS, it still shouldn’t be an entitlement.
I’m with you Choke on Your Lemon.I’ve been everywhere in the city and the young ones are just as bad and usually worse. At least the older ones are competent – I’d rather a competent older server that can’t give me a smile, than a young dippy hungover server where the only thing he or she can do IS smile. The young ones just laugh their dippy way through their incompetence- thinking a laugh will get them a tip -Here’s a tip – efficiency and knowledge will get you further than a dumb fuck smile.
smile – don’t smile – I don’t give a fuck, just… I totally agreeand I agree w/ the other 2 poster’s who talk about the younger servers service sucking! seriously -“lemon water” where do you eat? the only good servers who are under the age of 30 work at Mac D’S!”lemon Water” you need to put something stronger than lemon in your H20 :0
There young and old servers. If you go to fast food, lounges, or family restaurants u will see young ones. Sometimes u get good service some times u don’t I’ll tip anyway but if the service is half-assed then they won’t get as much.
Hey Water with Lemon, I am a 42 year old waitress, and I can tell you this about servers with 20+ years of experience: They’ve been doing the job long enough to know that they don’t need your money badly enough to take your crap. Maybe you get bad service because you’re a tool. Twenty-somethings smile through your abuse because they haven’t yet figured out that it’s not part of their job to be treated like shit.
Hey BOS,You sounds just like the bitter ones I’m talking about. You assume servers “take crap” from me or that I enjoy dishing out “abuse”. Well, I don’t but I also don’t feel the need to cater to the desires of self inflated server egos or their little idiosyncrasies either.When I come into a place to spend money I’m the customer and dealing with crotchety old servers muttering about having no one order drinks at lunch or whatever is crap. Don’t treat me like that and I won’t treat you like it.
Enough with the hate, don’t go there again or put in a complaint with the manager or even better request another waiter the next time.I will say this,just had a outstanding meal of munchies and beer last nite at the Keltic Corner pub waitress 20 something excellent, her tip reflected the service which was excellent. So enough about the bad waiters/waitresses lets here about the good ones. cheers.
You sound like a bitter person yourself. Who are you to judge someone on their age? I found this post both discriminatory and tasteless.
discriminatory…….stop, you’re making me cry. Just calling it like I see it. As some have pointed out, there may be good older servers in town but it hasn’t been my experience that there are very many and I know for sure there are certainly some quite bitter older ones who really need to get new jobs.
You are quite judgemental for an office worker. You probably give lousy service yourself. It IS discriminatory to put others down because of their age.
When did poor service become age specific??? Ever eat at a truck stop? The usually older ladies are working their arses off and generally do a good job. It’s hard to generalize someting like this and expect people to agree with you. So you’ve had a bad experience … move on already it’s only Water w/ lemon! It’s not like you needed an ambulance or anything. What happens when the paramedic looks at you with last night’s party in their eyes?I find it a little ironic that you are coming across as bitter and jaded. Exactly the same thing you have taken the time to complain about.
I’d just like to know where you are going. Seriously I myself go out quite abit, and find ANYONE who is waiting on me under the age of thirty to a complete moron! and half the time I swear they still reek of the weed they were smoking five minutes before work. I have yet to have ANYONE under the age of thirty be able to recommend a decent bottle of wine let alone pair a half drinkable GLASS to be appropriately w/ my meal. And really don’t even get me started on proper working attire, when has it ever been appealing to witness some girl’s G string sticking out of her ass as she bends down to speak to a table!When we go out to business lunches it is common practise if the server looks 20 or so to order 2 drinks, because we all know the the poor sap will never remember to do a quality check upon which we may refresh our drinks. I am not saying EVERY server 20 or so was horrendous but mway more time than not i have had a memorable experience with the server who HAS the experience. I will agree W with L on that there are some people who should look for a job that makes them happier.i suspect “Water w/ Lemon” may have been turned down for their dream position as the bartender at some well established spot and just wishes to be bitter about it, because they have finally realized that just because they are legal to serve it they just haven’t aquired the talent to do yet!
Water with Lemon, Whether you’re a jerk or not, you sure are making yourself sound like one. I agree with the comment that your post was “discriminatory and tasteless”. If you are a business person, you must be educated, right? Well, haven’t you learned that judging someone by their age is both unfair and completely inaccurate? Perhaps the service was poor, but keep it to the individual. There is no need to attack the so-called group of “30 something” servers. By the way, I’ve been in and out of the service industry since I was 16. I’m 24, and I’ve seen my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly from both servers and customers, regardless of age. A lot of servers in this city work very hard, and do not deserve your harsh and ignorant comments.
water with lemon- seems to be just as bad as those retail workers who followed you around the store just because you were under the age of 16 without an adult. I used to really resent them, and now I resent WWL for grouping older servers together and labeling as crotchety. Let’s face it working in the Service industry is Stressful- it is listed as one of the Top 5 most stressful occupations, believe it or not. Of Cource there will be people who look a little bitter- they are every where. lets try not to be overly critical but show them a little kindness, if they don’t respond and the service is awful- comment to management- and do so in a constructive/mature manner. Otherwise people will continue with the most successful method- if they don’t have to expend energy to be hospitable and still manage to get a tip out of you, then of course they will not change…
I don’t know about being bitter but if you care to see servers (some older for sure) that are probably the worst in the city, try going to the Economy Shoe Shop.What a complete bunch of a-holes.
To Water With Lemon – After being in the service industry for at least the last 15+ years ( yes i am one of those 30+ servers)i want to let youknow, that I am experienced, and yes bitter enough to see someone like you coming from 10 miles away. You reek of it and I can smell it…no matter how hard I smile, no matter how fast I run for you, no matter how accommadating and pleasant I am, you will find a reason to complain and leave a ‘lesser’ gratuity due to any percieved indignity you may have suffered..it is after years of serving people like yourself, that I, and the other ‘whiny, bitter and past their prime servers’ do not feel as though you deserve anything more than your most basic requests, and yes, it is unpleasant and a bother to serve you..Bitter old server was right, the young ones have not yet learned that they do not have to take your demeaning and servile treatment for your sad little $2 tip. Furthermore, before everyone starts shooting thier mouths off hear me on this “IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE TIPS!!!!!” We are just happy to be treated human most days and appreciate beyond words when someone actually views us as more than ‘the thing that brings our food, drinks’ whatever…I, and i am sure many others in this industry have gone way beyond the call, to help or provide exemplary service to people who actually derserve it, even when our server senses are tingling and tell us that there is no money to be made. Also, what is this ‘hung over look’ you speak of…i am guessing it is not last nights party, but maybe the fact they (me/we)have a family situation (cause some of us in our 30’s have those!!If you seen us as more than vending machines that might actually register..)either way that is a ridiculous speculation. So, let me serve this up to you, and don’t worry about the tip..it’s my pleasure…GO FUCK YOURSELF!! P.S. i bet you get more than lemon in your water!
the bitchy airport waitress,You’re so right and I was obviously so wrong. After reading your sun-shiney post I am sure you are absolutely the most amazing, happy and overall just freakin dandy waitress on the planet without a bitter old bone in your aged body.Yes, if I knew where you worked I would be the first one in line every morning just to experience your uplifting and decidely “non-bitter” attitude. Your post just proves that while perhaps I erred in suggesting that many were out there, there is certainly a degree of BOS’s in the industry.