Pop quiz

[pauamma]

You're a waiter at a cafe or bistro with a sidewalk area for smokers or overflow customers. The sidewalk is about 8 ft wide, and the tables and chairs eat something like 5-6 ft of it, depending on how people are sitting at each table, bags sticking out, etc. There's 2 rows of tables with a gap in the middle for people to use, both in getting to and from the tables and in passing the area where the cafe is.

Poll #10813

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 24

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You notice someone in a wheelchair going through the gap, navigating carefully because they don't have a lot of clearance. Do you:

View Answers

Try to clear the way ahead of them, making sure they can go through quickly, safely, and without bumping into your customers and possibly causing them to spill drinks or food?
20 (83.3%)

Stand by the entrance to the inside area, making sure no waiter comes through and bumps into them, but not assisting them actively?
1 (4.2%)

Block their way and insist they find another route, because they might otherwise inconvenience your customers?
3 (12.5%)

Do something else (comment)?
0 (0.0%)

(If standing in the wheelchair user's way) You see cafe customers who also noticed them start clearing a way by themselves. Do you:

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Help them?
19 (86.4%)

Ignore them, because you have some important way-blocking to do?
0 (0.0%)

Hinder their attempt to clear the way, or insist they should be good customers and let you handle it alone?
3 (13.6%)

Do something else (comment)?
0 (0.0%)

(If hindering or discouraging their effort) When the customers object to your behavior and ask to talk to a manager. do you:

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Relent, let them clear the way, and go sulk?
14 (77.8%)

Start arguing loudly with them and try to undo their actions, dragging chairs or tables back if they push them, etc.?
3 (16.7%)

Do something else (comment)?
1 (5.6%)

(If arguing with customers) When the manager on duty arrives on the scene and the customers complain about you, do you:

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Accept that perhaps you went too far, apologize, and stop hindering or maybe even start helping?
14 (77.8%)

Keep objecting, blaming the customers, the passer-by, and your manager (who are all starting to look pissed off at you by now)?
3 (16.7%)

Do something else (comment)?
1 (5.6%)

(If arguing with your manager) When your manager disciplines you, sending you home, do you:

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Leave quietly?
14 (77.8%)

Leave, protesting loudly?
0 (0.0%)

Refuse to leave, demand police intervention because everyone else is conspiring to deprive you of your wages and tips, and resist attempts to remove you?
4 (22.2%)

Do something else (comment)?
0 (0.0%)

Extra credit optional essay question (comment): when it turns out 2 of the customers are (off-duty) police officers who restrain you until you can formally be arrested, what is your reaction?

Comments

[laceblade]

omfg, is this a thing that actually happened??

[pauamma]

Yes. (FWIW, I wasn't any of the parties involved. I just happened to walk by as the incident started to unfold, and started observing it, because it quickly became clear that the only person at any risk was the waiter, and they were only making their own bed.)

[willow]

At a certain point when it become clear the asshole points were winning, I started clicking those answers in startled laughter BELIEF that it would result in 'I HATE YOU ALL! YOU WILL RUE THE DAY!'

And then I saw the extra credit.

[pauamma]

Yeah, that's the cherry on the cake...

[exor674]

Is it bad that I want to respond to this poll in the worst possible way [ even if that is an exact opposite of what I'd actually do... ]

[pauamma]

Well, I didn't word it that way, but it's not unreasonable to answer it trying to guess what the waiter actually did. (Not that it would be difficult to guess. I'll readily admit each question hinted at the previous answers.)

[amadi]

That's how I answered it, I put myself in the shoes of an asshole. :)

[pauamma]

I'm unsure whether that was assholishness or stupidity (or maybe both).

[amadi]

The argument in the end kinda put the final checkmark in the asshole column for me.

[pauamma]

Hmm. Maybe, although IME assholes are better at self-preservation.

[archersangel]

i really don't understand people sometimes.

[pauamma]

If it's only sometimes, you're still ahead of me. :-)

[sasha_feather]

OMGosh the police officers!! Did the waiter fight them?

[pauamma]

I didn't pay close attention then, I was too busy laughing and shaking my head. If they did, it didn't achieve much.

[jecook]

Wow, and I thought snooty waiters were just a thing from the movies. Good luck collecting unemployment for that one...

[pauamma]

I'm not an expert on French employment laws. but getting arrested may well earn the waiter firing without notice or severance pay.

[staranise]

Damn! That is some intense denial of the "I am perfect, everyone else is screwing up MY PERFECT SYSTEM" school!

[inoru_no_hoshi]

... WOW. That is truly impressive levels of... IDEK. I admit I laughed at the extra credit, because that is just perfect.

[pauamma]

Yeah. :-)

[automaticdoor]

The ending is just classic.

[ironed_orchid]

I'm guessing this is something that you witnessed... UGH

[pauamma]

Correct.

[ironed_orchid]

I saw that after I posted my comment. Wow.

[azurelunatic]

So what *was* their extra-credit answer?

My guess involves some form of resisting arrest.

[pauamma]

Complaining of hmm, I think "entrapment" would be the closest US equivalent, and of police brutality (nope - bruised feelings don't count).

Threats of legal retaliation against everyone involved, including me when I made a "What have you been smoking?" comment aloud after the mention of police brutality. (Police officers then advised the waiter that threatening potential witnesses was a Bad Idea. There were more words exchanged, including "blackmail".)

[jesse_the_k]

Alright, if we saw a animation of this, we'd all be, "That's horrible and funny, cause the waiter is so going to regret this, but it's totally over the top because, really?" and yet it happened.

I ... I ...

...

.

[watersword]

*jawdrop*

That's....quite something.

[ladyvyola]

In my family, we call this sort of thing instant karma* and cling to it as a reason to not be completely depressed by the world.

* So dubbed after being stuck in backed-up traffic and watching a car in front of us pull into the wrong lane, pass a long line of cars, and make a turn around the stopped cars to continue merrily on their oh-so-more-important-than-ours way.

Then the police car a few spaces behind us flipped on its lights, pulled around traffic and chased that motherfucker down.

No lie, we cheered and punched the sky.

[pauamma]

You'll probably enjoy http://sailorjim.livejournal.com/374906.html as well.