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Public Behavior
Jul. 25th, 2005 08:05 am
Yanno, sometimes I wonder what happened to plain ol' mannerly behavior... I am not the nicest human in the world, but I can at least be civil towards others in public. Especially after so much experience being the service-industry person on the wrong side of the counter. When I go out, I am actually quite pleasant to clerks, cashiers, tellers, etc. I am patient, I am understanding, I am above all, civil. I may not get into life stories or anything, but if they're having a hard time, I don't stand there & drum my fingers on the counter, or ask repeatedly, "How long will this take?"
Unfortunately, for my exposed-to-the-public coworkers, not every guest is decent. A couple of nights ago, altho I am scanty on details, some guy having a problem w/his car at valet shot at Jeff & then shot himself. (And no, no one saw it in the papers - a little hush money goes a looong way when it comes to the tourist industry). And last night, a woman spit at Enrico & Shirla. She wanted to use the phone behind the desk to make an outside call & wouldn't believe that our phones out there do not dial outside lines. So instead of simply asking for a supervisor or going to a payphone, she resorted to name-calling and spitting. I wonder if she realizes that if one of her loogies had actually made contact she could have been arrested for assault? If it had been me, I would have made sure she hit some innocuous part of my uniform & that Metro had been called. Spit on someone because you can't use the phone. Real nice, lady, whoever you are. You kiss your mom with that mouth?
My parents, if nothing else, taught me some manners. Hold the door open for others, don't spit on people, don't throw temper tantrums over nothing... A little honey will catch far more flies than vinegar. You can't always get your own way, but much like unruly dogs, people who act like asses in public DO get their own way, and every time they get faster service or a comp or some money off their room, that horrible behavior just gets reinforced.
I really need to get out of this business. I am so disgusted by my own species.
Unfortunately, for my exposed-to-the-public coworkers, not every guest is decent. A couple of nights ago, altho I am scanty on details, some guy having a problem w/his car at valet shot at Jeff & then shot himself. (And no, no one saw it in the papers - a little hush money goes a looong way when it comes to the tourist industry). And last night, a woman spit at Enrico & Shirla. She wanted to use the phone behind the desk to make an outside call & wouldn't believe that our phones out there do not dial outside lines. So instead of simply asking for a supervisor or going to a payphone, she resorted to name-calling and spitting. I wonder if she realizes that if one of her loogies had actually made contact she could have been arrested for assault? If it had been me, I would have made sure she hit some innocuous part of my uniform & that Metro had been called. Spit on someone because you can't use the phone. Real nice, lady, whoever you are. You kiss your mom with that mouth?
My parents, if nothing else, taught me some manners. Hold the door open for others, don't spit on people, don't throw temper tantrums over nothing... A little honey will catch far more flies than vinegar. You can't always get your own way, but much like unruly dogs, people who act like asses in public DO get their own way, and every time they get faster service or a comp or some money off their room, that horrible behavior just gets reinforced.
I really need to get out of this business. I am so disgusted by my own species.
