Restaurant Rant – Guest Post

August 5, 2009 by admncc

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they’d like to complain about.  I’d like to welcome Steve with his first Guest Post.  His complaint addresses certain public behaviors.  Without further adieu, here’s Steve…

My wife and I went to a local Pizza Hut last Friday.  I had seen some new menu items that Pizza Hut was advertising on T.V. and wanted to give them a try.  My wife was not thrilled that we were going to Pizza Hut because of previous dining experience at another Pizza Hut in the area.  The other Pizza Hut was dirty, the tables were sticky and most of the other diners looked like people you might see at a red neck mud hole racing event, who sat too close to the mud hole during the racing.

We walk in to this other Pizza Hut and guess what, looks like the same scenario, the floors were cleaner, but the tables were sticky and the clientele looked about the same.  My wife insists on staying because we always go where she wants to eat and was feeling a little guilty about that.

While we are waiting for our food, the conversation from the booth just behind us starts to get ugly.  A young man (I think he was human) was relaying a story to his elderly parents, and his language was quite foul, he was dropping the “F-bomb” at least once or twice in each sentence, and used numerous other colorful words throughout his conversation.  Mind you, these were words that I would have never uttered in the presence of either of my parents.  If I had, I would have lost most of my teeth before I knew what happened.  Most people, especially in my age group (40-70), would not talk like that in front of their parents; it’s just a matter of respect and common sense.

Please note that I am not a prude.  I am a biker, I look like a biker, I dress like a biker, I was a power lifter in my twenties, I hold advanced degrees in three martial arts, I know numerous ways to kill a person with my bare hands, and my wife says that I can be very intimidating without realizing it when I get provoked.  I have a deep and loud voice that can carry quite a distance – I routinely yell at people who trespass on our river property (at least a few times per month) and have never had to resort to using a gun on them yet, using just my voice, I am able to make them leave in haste.

I turned around to face this man who was spewing this foul language in the presence of my beautiful bride and said “Would you stop using that word? I don’t appreciate it and I know that my wife doesn’t appreciate it either!” I turned back around to face my wife and the young man said “You could have asked a little nicer but I’ll stop, man, you could’ve have asked nicer.”  I turned back around and said “Thank you” and didn’t say anything else to him.  He continued to whine and complain for a few minutes and then he went outside to smoke.  Not once did I ever threaten him with violence or physical harm.

Of course, our food order came and everything was completely wrong and not what we had ordered, but at least it was fresh and hot, so we ate as fast as we could so we could leave right away.  All the while, the man behind us continued his story but stopped using the worst of the curse words and only occasionally used some minor, less offensive language.  Whenever he did curse, his mother would shoosh him and tell him not to cuss and would glance my way with fearful anticipation of my leaping out of my seat and ripping her son’s head off right in front of her.

When we left the Pizza Hut and got into our car to leave, my wife proceeded to tell me that I overreacted and yelled at the poor kid and scared him.  I said that I didn’t yell, I was just being loud enough so he got my point, my intention and clearly understood what I was saying.  My wife said that she appreciated my efforts and that it was very chivalrous, that she was grateful for my actions, but felt that I was too aggressive in my actions.  I was proud of that fact that I didn’t leave my seat once in order to deal with the little moron and didn’t hurt or damage anyone or anything in the process.

I do know that we won’t be eating at any Pizza Hut anytime in the near future.

What do you think?  Did I overreact or was I right in what I did?  Ladies, would you want your man to protect you in this manner or is this way too old fashioned?

All Posts / Business / Family/Lifestyle / General Moaning / Group Sharing / Guest Posts / Parenting Customer Complaints / Customer Service / Foul Language / Inappropriate Behavior / Parenting / Parents / Pizza Hut / Profanity / Rude Customers /

Comments

  1. You did not overreact. Your wife only said you did to keep you and your ego in check — so you don’t gradually become a proponent of vigilante justice. Secretly/subconsciously she’s turned on my your assertiveness I bet. That’s what I assume at least, but I don’t know you or your wife. Oh, and Pizza Hut sucks.

  2. Leo Nevoli says:

    You did not overreact. You went out, you wanted to have a nice meal, and you got some guy using language in a family dining place that you did not want to hear.

    I have often given looks at people in places, and then I say something.

  3. I’m thinking “WOW!” as I wish I had that kind of presence and courage to handle something like that. Since you do have a loud voice and look like a biker, you were probably very intimidating to the young man. You probably only had to ask in a soft voice but with a look that means business. 😉 On the other hand, if you had been nicer, he might not have stopped. It’s sad but sometimes you to be intimidating to make your point.

  4. Holly says:

    I don’t think you overreacted. I drop the f-bomb and other similar words in my own home, but they are never appropriate in that type of situation! But people have lost all respect for those that are around them! I get tired of people who are selfish like this! It doesn’t matter if we’re OK with talking like that, it matters how other people feel! Many people don’t like hearing language like that! Thank you for standing up to him!

  5. TallElf says:

    I don’t think you over reacted, as a matter of fact, I would have done the same thing. My favorite is that I live in PA, and work in NY (Both of which have smoking bans in restaurants) and NY is within so many feet of a door. I always voice my opinion that they have a skewed vision of distance when they are within 5 feet of the door. They scowl but move on. I do not think I carry an intimidating presence. 5 ft 11, Skin bald and slightly athletic build, but not muscle bound. I just speak assertively.

    Home is home, public is public, and you need to be aware of your surroundings.

  6. Jenny says:

    I don’t think you overreacted in the slightest. I’ve been known to ask people to shut their mouthes or watch their language when I am out and I bet you I’m not nearly as intimidating as you are!

    I’ll admit that I curse in front of my parents but you have to remember that my parents are fairly young (48/58) and they have 31/28 year old children and we are very open with each other. Instead of saying Good Morning to each other we say “Fuccccckkkk Yooooou” in a high pitch voice and flip the bird. This isn’t something we did when we were 18, it just started happening recently (because apparently my parents took a major chill pill) but its NOT something we do when other people are around. Don’t get me wrong, my sister and I totally respect our parents we just have a unique relationship with them and people outside of our walls are unaware of this relationship because we obviously don’t yell fuck you at them. When telling stories we don’t censor our language because we KNOW that our parents don’t get offended.

    But we’ve never cursed AT our parents. I’ve never told my parents FUCK YOU or FUCK OFF or anything of that sort. I do think that generations are changing because just last week my nephew told his mother to fuck off, oh and he totally meant it. He was upset with his mother over something and didn’t know how to properly talk to her. My husband and I were there to witness this and I saw my sister in law get upset so of course we spoke to our nephew.

    So after all of this yapping, I don’t think you over reacting to asking someone to stop using colourful language, especially in a public place. I wouldn’t want to be our with my family and hearing someone have a super loud conversation that was vulgar and ghetto.

  7. MajorLeague09 says:

    I don’t think that you overreacted.
    You have the right to enjoy a meal out and not have to listen to foul-language that would ruin your evening out.

    I had a similar situation a couple years ago. My husband and I went to see the Rocky movie, I wasn’t thrilled to begin with, but I figured I’d give it a shot. We went to the matinee and there was only about 9 people in the theather, and 4 of which were teenagers. During the previews the teenagers were making loud comments and using foul language. I told my husband that I wasn’t about to sit and listen to this throughout the movie, especially considering how much we paid for tickets and popcorn. So without standing up, I raised my voice just loud enough so the teenagers could hear me and told them they better get this out of there system during the previews cause I didn’t pay money to hear there comments, I paid to watch the movie and they better be quite once it began. the boys didn’t make another sound and they ended up leaving half-way through the movie. Much of today’s youth doesn’t have any respect for anyone or anything.

  8. The Constant Complainer says:

    OMG, I have to admit, I was laughing hysterically at this post. I say that in a good way. I was laughing, because it was one of the best stories I’ve ever heard.

    Steve, you are my new hero. You and Scott, who I mentioned in another post, for his battle and getting Verizon to concede over a phone bill. You two are fierce consumer advocates and I respect that.

    But yeah, I hate people acting out in public. MajorLeague09 makes a good point about the movies too. You all know that’s one of my pet peeves and I’ve written posts on customer movie etiquette more than once. Steve, you did what I would have done and what many readers of this blog would have wanted to do.

    That guy’s parents should have told him to quiet down, whether he was an adult or not, anyway. Good for you!!!

  9. Debbie says:

    Nope. You did not over react. You did what that young man’s parents should have done many years ago. I can’t say that I would expect my man to do the same as I am always worried that the recipient of criticism is carrying an Uzi, but I applaud you for taking a stand. I have a 22-year-old son and the strongest word out of his mouth in my presence has been “damn”. The regular beatings seem to have kept him in line all these years.

  10. Jane says:

    You did the right thing, Steve.

  11. Extreme John says:

    You couldn’t have handled it any better, I was right along with you until the point the like prick decided to tell you how you could have asked nicer. Thats snapping point for me, I have very low self control and can snap in an instance, I think it’s better off that you were in this position than me. Now that I am not involved in the situation directly I can say you handled it in a very courteous and mature way, screw him.

    Onloy two days left until UFC 101!!!

  12. […] of the Landscaper « The Constant Complainer on Consumer Power – Part IExtreme John on Restaurant Rant – Guest PostJane on Restaurant Rant – Guest PostDebbie on Restaurant Rant – Guest PostThe Constant […]

  13. Sugar says:

    I don’t think you overreacted. The guy should know better. Shame on his parents for not teaching him to talk appropriately in public.

  14. C. Princess says:

    Like everyone else I don’t think you overreacted one bit.

  15. Zig says:

    Let me ask you this… If the kid were your son, would you want another adult to talk to him as you did? I think what you did was great. But, there is no way I would ever let another “adult, ” especially a biker adult, talk to my son that way. The kid’s parents should have stepped in and told you (where to go) and that only they can direct their son’s language…NOT YOU!

    I am not a proponent of using bad or inappropriate language, but if you ever speak to me or my son like you spoke to that “KID,” Steve, I will tell you to FUCK OFF! It doesn’t matter if you are riding a bicycle, a moped or a motorcycle. I wouldn’t matter if your head was shaved, you had ear rings in each ear, hear down to your waste, had 5 tatoos or were wearing only your leather chaps, I would still tell you to FUCKOFF and mind your business! My next play would probably be to steal your wife…

  16. pizza hut is going the way of KFC and Wendys these days. i refuse to step foot in that place.

    I will, however, allow them to deliver a PANORMOUS to my door. cus that way, i can pretend it was made in cleanliness.

  17. Hal says:

    Zig, you are pretty tough behind your computer screen. Based on your other comments, something tells me that you wouldn’t have stood up to Steve.

  18. London Wisdom says:

    Hey Hal,

    I have to agree with your ability to spot a keyboard toughguy – it would seem clearly that Zig would no doubt break Steve’s chin with a swift blow from his iron fist and then proceed to win his wifes physical affections with consumate ease whilst walking her to his Porsche Cayenne (with dark 20 inch rims) in the car park.

    I guess the reality would be more like he would say nothing to Steve and quake in his Walmart bought work boots the minute that any guy said anything to his son, probably hiding behind his bearded wife as he dreamt about what he was going to type once he got back to the safety of his basement computer dreamland – where he has the hair of Chuck Norris and the deadly stare of an SAS hero.

    By the way Steve, what pizza did you have?

  19. Zig says:

    Hey, Londoner, if the English are so smart, why can’t they learn to use a period? London is a city of 11 million wanna be Americans… And that Queen of yours…she and her brood are a real piece of work!

    AS far as Steve’s wife goes, I have move on.

    Hal, what about my other comments make you beleieve that I wouldn’t have stood up to Steve? Was it the comment about my 29 inch pipes, my 44 inch chest or my 13 inch cock which leads you to beleive that I wouldn’t have stood up to Steve? And you are a real “tough guy” to call me out as you have…Thanks! You, Hal, like the wise old Londoner who doesn’t know how to use punctuation, are a slimy, wet Puff! Look it up, Hal!

  20. NeoConDon says:

    Wow Zig…for someone who seems to hate the British so much, you really want their communist healthcare plan. And what’s with all the hate. Why don’t you become a conservative? You don’t have to hate anyone, and you’ll smile more. Life is more peaceful and you don’t have to rely on the gov’t for anything but killing terrorists. I know life is all cushy for you in that union gov’t job you have where you can steal money right out of the drawer and still get your job back, but there is certainly life after gov’t indoctrination.

  21. Zig says:

    NCD, I love the British. I love their healthcare. I love London. I love everything and everyone. Can you say the same Mr. Reborn Catholic? I know what the British healthcare system does and promises. Do you, NCD? Can you say you know anything aboiut the British Healthcare system? I have spoken to an Englishman about his healthcare. Have you? Can you say the same? Life is better when one knows about what they speak…

    Thanks for making this a conversation about politics, asshole (this is me rolling my eyes)! I bet my British friend won’t talk politics (he’s above stupid conservative Americans’ bumblings) and, therefore, you have ruined the whole conversation, asshole!

  22. ZXT says:

    No I don’t think you over reacted but the kid has a point too and you could have ask a little nicer. I can imagine it already…you have a deep voice and loud…that will looked like you are over reacting.

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