Good thing: I went to see "Brokeback Mountain" today, as part of a birthday celebration for Ed. I was wary of the film because of all the buzz, but I can say I really enjoyed it. A simple story (as I believe most good stories are), but it was quite affecting and well-acted. I've never seen Heath Ledger in anything else, but he impressed me here.
(BTW, those of you who don't know Ed are missing out. He's super-smart, and knows a little bit about a lot. If I were a Westerosi lord I would definitely want Ed as my maester.)
Bad thing: After the movie, we got Chinese food. The service was so-so; they kept us waiting a fairly long time to order, and the server just wasn't very good. Accordingly, we tipped only 10%. Well, the guy who took the check with the money actually came back to the table with the change and - get this - informed me that a standard tip is 18%. Unable to believe what I was hearing, I asked him to repeat himself to make sure I understood. Is that gutsy or what? I don't have to leave a tip at all, and if he'd wanted more he should damn well have treated us better. At that point I wanted to take the 10% and walk about, but Ed and Mike persuaded me that it was kinder to leave it. I bowed to their judgment, but that is the last time I'll go to that place.
I will admit I'm a bit of a Nazi about tipping. I don't buy into the conventional wisdom that a server is due a tip regardless of the level of service. Of course, I am often told, "Well, if you had ever worked as a waiter you'd feel differently." Maybe I would and maybe I wouldn't, but I'll tell you this much: I don't expect to be rewarded when I do a crappy job. Nor should anyone waiting tables.
5 comments:
Which place was it?
- Mike V.
It was Pagoda, which is next to the Ritz East. I had been there before and thought it was OK in terms of food, and it still was. The service however...well, I'll not soon forget it.
Wow. I've always had good service and a good meal at the Pagoda. That's too bad.
I had some indifferent service there once, but never any service I'd actually qualify as bad.
Trust me, it's not the quality of service that will make it unforgettable; it's the fact that they told me my tip was insufficient. Man oh man...I still can't believe it.
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