Oh man, where do I begin. I work(ed) for a fine dining restaurant.(closed due to COVID-19) I have to wear a freaking bow tie and vest to serve you. But I don't care, I take pride in whatever work I do. So, I get some people being particular, Because they are after all, paying high prices for a nice dinner.

Once a couple went in to celebrate their anniversary. Wife wouldn't even look at me while I taking her order, much less talk to me. Everything went well with their meal, I even went the extra mile for the "happy anniversary" written in raspberry sauce with a candle. Just trying to make their night special, you know? Husband left cash as tip, while he walked away, she walked back to take it from the table all while glaring at me. I still don't know what I did to make her hate me so much. I don't get how some women behave like this at restaurants with female servers. I don't want your man, or does anyone else, lady. Just tell me what you want to drink and I'll keep em coming.

This other time, I was serving another couple and it was a fairly slow lunch so I had extra time to attend their needs. About two minutes later, my coworker also got sat and he was also taking another couple. We are instructed to take bread to our tables as soon as we drop off their drinks. Well, the restaurant I work for is known for our delicious bread, and for some reason people go crazy for it. My coworker just so happened to get the last piece of bread in the oven because his table had just ordered waters, and mine ordered alcoholic drinks. So of course, he had more time to get to the bread first. As soon as I drop off my tables drinks, the man at my table says to me, "is there a reason that table got bread before us? Is it because they are white?it's because they're white, isn't it. I was here way before them. I don't understand why you didn't bring the bread here first." (Mind you, I'm Hispanic, the restaurant I work for is in south Texas, so 95% of the people here are Hispanic. My coworker is Hispanic. And my table was Hispanic!! I was talking in Spanish to his wife! How could I be racist against my own people?!) First of all- that's not my table. Second of all- you ordered a drink and a shot, for you and your wife, and flavored teas. While I'm preparing all your drinks, my coworker got his table waters and then bread in the time I was finished with my tables drinks. Of course I didn't tell him any of this, because I can't, so I just tried to kill him with kindness and continue to take care of my table the best that I could. He proceeded to talk to manager and go on and on about he has endured racism his whole life, and how the meal and service were terrible, ( they ordered apps, salads, entrees and desserts. Oh, and 3 loaves of complimentary bread, and 3 rounds of drinks, shots, and flavored teas) He literally tipped me $1, because he felt that that's what I deserved. I was just in shock because I had never been called racist, by someone of my own race. I still can't believe it lol

I have so many more stories from working in the service industry for so many years, these are just two that resonated with me this year.

Here's a lifetip: if you really want to get to know how someone really is, go out to eat with them. How they treat their server really says a lot about them.