Upper Class Does Not Mean Having Class
I used to work as a server in a very high-end restaurant. During my time there, I learned from the other workers how to spot an actual wealthy person from someone who was either pretending or exaggerating how rich they were.
In my restaurant, we regularly had business leaders, A-list celebrities, and political figures all dine there. Usually, these people would be dressed in normal or business-looking clothes, would not draw attention to themselves, and did not want to cause a fuss. They wouldn’t always be friendly, but they would usually tip well.
Then, we got the other side (Z-list celebrities, reality stars, trust fund kids, influencers, YouTubers, etc.), who would normally show up wearing fancy clothes and expensive accessories. They would be rude, arrogant, and entitled, and they’d demand obscure things. Then, they would frequently yell, scream, or demand free things, all the while bragging about how wealthy they were. These were the nightmare customers we had to deal with.
One day, I had a group of regulars arrive at the restaurant. These five guys were all local businessmen who were all very wealthy thanks to some very successful ventures. However, none of them came from wealthy families, and they never forgot their working-class roots. They were some of our favorite customers as they were always super polite and friendly and tipped amazingly well. Whenever they brought their families, they always made sure that everyone thanked us and that they were well-behaved.
This day, they showed up with a new member, and I immediately got some pretty serious “exaggerating wealth” vibes from him. He had all the tell-tale signs: expensive watch and clothes, loud and expensive sportscar, designer shades, and a really superior air about him. In contrast, his friends wore ordinary-looking clothes and drove mid-range cars and SUVs.
Almost immediately, their new friend set about being a jerk and began demanding off-menu items. He was derogatory and rude, and when we couldn’t accommodate his requests, he then began demanding to know about the quality of the ingredients. From there, his requests just became ridiculous as he was demanding his food be cooked to particular specifications, and then he started yelling that he wanted his food cooked in front of him to “make sure you don’t screw it up!”
Thankfully, his buddies immediately began clapping back at him and told him to knock it off! Their new buddy clearly hadn’t been part of this group for long. Usually, these five would talk quietly about their lives, sports, or whatever normal stuff they liked. The new guy started loudly bragging about his wealth, all the expensive holidays he was going to take, how important he was, and all the things he could apparently afford. His friends were clearly embarrassed by him, and I heard them frequently telling him to quiet down. Every time I came to serve or check on them, he would have some rude remark or criticism to share.
Later on, another regular of ours arrived. This one was also well-liked by the staff. You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he was extremely wealthy and successful. He and his wife came into the restaurant a few times a week, and they were always a delight to serve. The moment they came into view, the new friend began scowling at them like they were a bad smell. He then whistled at me (another thing servers REALLY hate) to come over.
Me: “Yes, sir?”
Rude Guy: “Can you seat those people away from our table, please?”
Guy #1: “[Rude Guy], what for? They’ve done nothing wrong.”
Rude Guy: “Just do as I say, or I’ll have your job!”
Guy #2: “What the h***, man? Stop being so rude!”
Rude Guy: “This is supposed to be a top-class restaurant for people who can afford to be here!”
He looked over toward the couple, who looked slightly amused at this.
Rude Guy: “Just because you have a voucher or some kind of gift card for this place, it does not mean you should be here.”
The whole table looked utterly appalled at this guy, and at least one of them clearly wanted to hit him! Suddenly, one of the group got a look of recognition on his face, and his eyes went wide in shock!
Guy #3: “Holy s***! Isn’t that [Billionaire]?”
Guy #1: “You’re right, it is! Wow. I didn’t even recognize him! That’s awesome!”
Rude Guy: “What?!”
Guy #4: “Dude… that’s [Billionaire]! He owns [Tech Company]!”
Rude Guy: “No, no, no… That’s impossible!”
Guy #1: “Nope, last I checked he can definitely eat here!”
Rude Guy: “But… but…”
He was trying to think of how to say, “But he looks poor!”
Guy #2: “Are you f******* serious? Not everyone who has money likes to show it off! Now, can you please keep quiet and stop making an idiot of yourself?”
Immediately, I went to our regular, who looked very amused at this whole thing.
Me: “Mr. [Regular], I really apologize about this. It was completely unacceptable. I will make sure your meal is comped today!”
Regular: “Do not comp my meal today. You guys work hard, and you deserve every cent! Some people don’t seem to understand that money doesn’t equal class!”
He gave a pointed look at the rude guy, who visibly shrank in his chair.