The Tip, Like The Waiter, Will Just Pass On By

(My boyfriend and I attempt to eat at a restaurant we used to frequent when we first started dating. We go for lunch; they are pretty slow, just an elderly couple, a family with a baby, and another couple who came in with us. When we go in we are told to sit wherever we want, so we sit in full view of the staff. Ten minutes in and we’d watch our waitress chat with the elderly couple and play with the baby. At the fifteen minute mark we try to flag her down, and see her look directly at us, turn on her heel, and go into the kitchen. At twenty minutes she walks out of the restaurant, on her cell phone, and the other waitress goes as far as to ignore us calling out to her to just so we could get our drinks. So after a half hour my boyfriend and I decide we’ve waited long enough and got up to leave. As we’re walking out the cashier stops us.)

Cashier: “Excuse me, you two need to pay before you can leave.”

Me: “If we had received any form of service, then yes, we would pay.”

Cashier: “But I heard you ask for drinks. Those aren’t free you know.”

Me: “Yes, I did ask for a drink, and our server walked away from us.”

Cashier: “Well, she’s new and still getting used to this. Can you at least leave her a tip so she’s not discouraged?”

Me: “We just sat here for a half hour being ignored by both of your waitresses, driving us to go somewhere else for lunch, and you want us to reward her?”

Cashier: “Wait, you’re leaving? What if I give you half off a breakfast order?”

Me: “So I can wait even longer? I’ll pass.”

(My boyfriend and I haven’t been back since.)