I am with my boyfriend at a chain restaurant where you make your order at the till and pay up front. My boyfriend always orders the same thing and I have gone up to put in our usual order.

When our food arrives, my meal is correct but my boyfriend’s is not. I check my receipt and realise that they have taken my order wrong; they have given us a new meal on their menu I’m not familiar with. I figure that I should have checked my order at the till, and even small arguments really stress me out, so I really don’t want to make a fuss. I turn to the server who took my order as he walks by our table.

Me: “Hi, sorry, I asked for the [correct meal] but you must have misheard me because I realise is on the receipt… but I should have checked it at the time, so I’ll pay for it. Can I please come up and order [correct meal]?”

Server: “No, this is the one you asked for.”

Me: “Um… no… I actually didn’t even know that this was on the menu, but I get that it’s loud in here so I understand that you probably didn’t hear me properly.”

Server: “You asked for .”

I am getting stressed already because I’m not sure why he’s arguing with me when this was specifically what I was trying to avoid.

Me: “No, look, I’ll pay for the order. It was my fault for not checking the receipt; I just want to order the correct meal.”

Server: “This is the one you ordered.”

I’m freaking out slightly because I don’t understand how else to explain myself, or why this guy won’t let me get my boyfriend’s food. My boyfriend seems as much at a loss as I am, so I decide to just ignore this guy and go and try to order from another server, although he is standing directly in my way to the tills. I stand up.

Me: *Voice raised and kind of squeaky from stress* “Look, I just want to go and order the right meal!”

The server is suddenly in de-escalation mode, relaxing his posture and smiling at me, speaking in a calming voice.

Server: “Whoa, whoa, caaaaalm down. No need to make a scene! I’ll go get [correct meal] for you. It’s all right, it’s all right.”

The manager came over a few minutes later to check that everything was okay and they ended up not charging us for the wrong meal, but years later I still think about this often, partially because I’m embarrassed at my own inability to deal with the slightest hint of conflict, but also because I’m baffled as to how that guy not only misheard my order, but apparently also misheard me explaining several times that I was prepared to accept the fault for it and pay for the replacement meal.

I’m applying for medical school and require three As to get a place. Naturally, I’m quite stressed as I got AAB in one of my mocks. My dad is testing me on my chemistry syllabus in a cafe.

Waitress: *Bringing our drinks* “How do you remember all that?”

Me: “Stress makes me work hard.”

Waitress: *Smiling* “Oh, sweetheart. I think you’re going to do well.”

Me: “Thank you. I hope so.”

Waitress: “Tell you what: after you’ve done your exams, I’ll give you a free coffee. As a reward for getting through them!”

Me: “Really? Thank you so much!”

Waitress: “No problem. I remember what it’s like. I had to get an A* and two As for my engineering degree. I wish you all the best.”

Every time I go to that cafe, the waitress gives me a thumbs up and mouths, “You got this!” I haven’t sat my exams yet, but that waitress has really made a difference for me the past few months. I hope to pay her kindness forward someday.

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for March 2021!

Read the next Feel Good roundup for March 2021 story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for March 2021!

I’m on a trip to London with my girlfriend. We’re on the tube. I’m reading; she’s on her phone. Someone sits down opposite us, who happens to be a Muslim man. I’d like to tell you this is irrelevant, but…

My girlfriend leans over to me and asks if we can get off at the next stop because she’s realised there’s a shop she wants to check out. I agree, and we get off at the next stop. I make my way to the station’s exit, but she stops me.

Girlfriend: “We can get back on the next train.”

Me: “What? But I thought—”

Girlfriend: “I just needed an excuse to get off that particular train.”

Me: “What? Why?”

Girlfriend: *As if it’s obvious* “Well, I was scared we were going to get blown up!”

Me: *Thoroughly confused* “What are you talking about?”

Girlfriend: “The man opposite us. You never know.”

I stare at her.

Me: “That’s— That’s pretty racist!”

Girlfriend: “I’m just being realistic!”

I didn’t know what else to say at that point, so I left it. Our remaining days in London were nice, but this and some other difficulties we’d been having caused me to break up with her soon after we got home.

I work as a checkout operator at my local supermarket. I’m helping a mother-daughter combo with their shopping, and behind them is another lady customer.

While I’m helping the mother, her daughter goes to put their basket away, but as she walks away, she accidentally taps the basket on the lady customer’s shoulder.

The lady is livid and glares at the two women but doesn’t say anything. The mother and daughter finish their transaction and walk away, with the lady customer watching them.

She then leans over the till towards me and says, rather menacingly:

Customer: “I hope she gets mugged on the way home.”

I just sat there and continued doing my job, while silently fearing for my life.

I work at a popular London tourist attraction, on one of the entrances. I get approached by a visitor who is struggling to find the main part of our attraction: the Prime Meridian Line.

Visitor: “Excuse me, can I ask you a question? Where is the Meridian Line?”

I point to where it is.

Me: “You see where the different paving stones and metal tiles on the ground are? Where everyone is taking photos? That’s the Meridian Line.”

The visitor wanders over to a point closer to the line so he can see it better. I continue to deal with other visitor enquiries until he wanders back over, looking puzzled.

Me: “Hello again, sir, how can I help?”

Visitor: “I still can’t see the line. Could you come up and show me?”

I walk over to the better viewing point with him and begin explaining again.

Me: “You see the tree over there? It’s the metal line underneath the tree.”

Visitor: “Ah, so the Meridian Line is the tree?”

Me: “…”

Related:
No Fortitude For Longitude, Part 15
No Fortitude For Longitude, Part 14
No Fortitude For Longitude, Part 13
No Fortitude For Longitude, Part 12
No Fortitude For Longitude, Part 11