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If there are any members of the unwashed masses here, I'd like to give you a little FYI :
When you walk into a Chinese restaurant and see a person standing or sitting near the door . . . The fact that said person is Asian does NOT automatically mean that he/she must work there!
There used to be a really good Chinese restaurant near the store I work at. (Sadly, they went out of business a while back.
) On a few occasions, I would eat there, or stop in to get a take-out order.
More often than not, though, I avoided doing that. Instead, I would call them and have an order delivered to my house. (I knew that this placed an extra burden of work on the restaurant, so I always made sure to place a good-sized order, so it would be worth their while. And I also made sure to give the driver a good tip.)
Why did I insist on having it delivered to my house? Because I was really tired of explaining to other customers that just because I'm Asian does not mean that I work in the restaurant, or that I personally know any of the people who do.
During the times when I went to the restaurant in person to place a take-out order . . . It always seemed like there would be at least one customer who would walk in and see me there (waiting for my food), and start telling me what he/she wanted to order.
Usually, all I had to do was tell them that I didn't work there, and they would say "Oh, sorry" (or something similar). But even then, they always seemed to assume that I must personally know the people who did work in the restaurant, and that I could go get somebody to help them. <Sigh>
One time in particular . . .
I had just placed my order, and sat down next to the door to wait for it. The lady working the front counter had to go in the back for a moment, so there were no employees out front for a little while.
This guy comes in and sees me there. The following dialogue ensues :
Idiot : Hi. I need two platters of . . . [starts rattling off his order]
Me : [Interrupting] I'm sorry. I don't work here.
Idiot : [A bit huffy] Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a customer?
Me : *Blink, blink* I'm a customer, too. I don't work here.
Idiot : Oh.
He turns and looks toward the kitchen door, waiting for somebody to come out. Seems a bit impatient . . . After a few moments, he turns to me again. I was thinking, Great, here we go again . . .
Idiot : Can't you go get somebody? I mean, what are you doing here?
(First of all, I've already told you twice that I don't work here.
Second, I'm wearing street clothes and carrying a video camera bag. So even if I did work here, I'm obviously off the clock and I don't have to do diddly-squat for you.
Third, you can go
yourself.)
Me : I'm a customer. I'm just waiting for my food.
He huffs a bit more, and continues waiting.
Idiot : Look, I don't see why you can't at least go get somebody to help me. I mean, I've been a good customer here for years -
At that exact moment, the kitchen door opened, and the lady came back out. She sees the guy and walks over to him.
Lady : Hello. I'm sorry if you've been waiting long. We were a little busy back there. Can I help you?
Idiot : <Sighs> Fine. I need . . .
In retrospect, it really is a good thing that she came out when she did. If I had to deal with that guy any longer, I probably would have said something I would have really regretted.
A few moments later, another restaurant employee came out and handed me my order. I thanked him, and left. Couldn't get out of there fast enough . . .
To this day, I still prefer to have Chinese food sent to my house.
When you walk into a Chinese restaurant and see a person standing or sitting near the door . . . The fact that said person is Asian does NOT automatically mean that he/she must work there!
There used to be a really good Chinese restaurant near the store I work at. (Sadly, they went out of business a while back.
) On a few occasions, I would eat there, or stop in to get a take-out order.More often than not, though, I avoided doing that. Instead, I would call them and have an order delivered to my house. (I knew that this placed an extra burden of work on the restaurant, so I always made sure to place a good-sized order, so it would be worth their while. And I also made sure to give the driver a good tip.)
Why did I insist on having it delivered to my house? Because I was really tired of explaining to other customers that just because I'm Asian does not mean that I work in the restaurant, or that I personally know any of the people who do.
During the times when I went to the restaurant in person to place a take-out order . . . It always seemed like there would be at least one customer who would walk in and see me there (waiting for my food), and start telling me what he/she wanted to order.
Usually, all I had to do was tell them that I didn't work there, and they would say "Oh, sorry" (or something similar). But even then, they always seemed to assume that I must personally know the people who did work in the restaurant, and that I could go get somebody to help them. <Sigh>
One time in particular . . .
I had just placed my order, and sat down next to the door to wait for it. The lady working the front counter had to go in the back for a moment, so there were no employees out front for a little while.
This guy comes in and sees me there. The following dialogue ensues :
Idiot : Hi. I need two platters of . . . [starts rattling off his order]
Me : [Interrupting] I'm sorry. I don't work here.
Idiot : [A bit huffy] Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a customer?
Me : *Blink, blink* I'm a customer, too. I don't work here.
Idiot : Oh.
He turns and looks toward the kitchen door, waiting for somebody to come out. Seems a bit impatient . . . After a few moments, he turns to me again. I was thinking, Great, here we go again . . .
Idiot : Can't you go get somebody? I mean, what are you doing here?
(First of all, I've already told you twice that I don't work here.
Second, I'm wearing street clothes and carrying a video camera bag. So even if I did work here, I'm obviously off the clock and I don't have to do diddly-squat for you.
Third, you can go
yourself.)Me : I'm a customer. I'm just waiting for my food.
He huffs a bit more, and continues waiting.
Idiot : Look, I don't see why you can't at least go get somebody to help me. I mean, I've been a good customer here for years -
At that exact moment, the kitchen door opened, and the lady came back out. She sees the guy and walks over to him.
Lady : Hello. I'm sorry if you've been waiting long. We were a little busy back there. Can I help you?
Idiot : <Sighs> Fine. I need . . .
In retrospect, it really is a good thing that she came out when she did. If I had to deal with that guy any longer, I probably would have said something I would have really regretted.
A few moments later, another restaurant employee came out and handed me my order. I thanked him, and left. Couldn't get out of there fast enough . . .
To this day, I still prefer to have Chinese food sent to my house.
I've never seen a chinese place with Curry on the menu.
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