Have you ever met people who will cheerfully spend thousands on a meal and then leave a few coins behind for the waiter? If you live in India, I am confident that you know what I am talking about.
Eating (and often even wasting) prawns or chocolate cake that you don’t want is acceptable in my country but tipping is considered shockingly extravagant. Often, while dining with people who believe that tipping amounts to throwing money around, my friend and I have had to scramble through our bags and sneak some money in so that the tip is half decent.
The other practice widely prevalent here is be-rude-to-your-waiter. There are people who will assume a peremptory tone while placing an order. They will whine at regular intervals that the food is taking too long and they will complain loudly about the food once it arrives.
I once knew somebody once who liked to entertain his guests by embarassing his waiter – he would ask the waiter utterly silly questions in his most patronising voice and enjoy it tremendously as the poor chap squirmed in his uniform resisting the urge to empty a bowl of spagetti over his interrogator and tried to answer the silly questions in the most dignified maner possible under the circumstances. The jerk I knew was convinced that he was making friends and that the waiter and the others at the table found him extremely funny. Needless to say everybody thought he was a jerk.
Little annoys me more than rude and patronising behaviour where waiters are concerned. And so I was delighted upon reading this. The entire blog is treat, but news that poetic justice has been delivered is particularly satisfying.
Of Cabbages and Kings 