There Is No Parking Space For Your Argument

(The restaurant I work in opens at 11:00 am. Across the street is a diner that’s open 24 hours. The diner shares a parking lot with a hotel, and it’s hard to maneuver larger vehicles in it. We often have people park their RVs and trailers in our parking lot early in the morning so they can go across the street, taking up several prime spots and leaving our customers nowhere to park. If my manager sees a vehicle like this still in our parking lot after we’re open, she calls the diner and tells them that we’re calling the cops to ticket them if they don’t come and move their car. On this occasion, the customer parks his truck and his trailer across eight of our parking spaces, just 15 minutes before we open, and goes across the street. After we’re open, and his trailer is still there, my manager calls the diner.)

Manager: “Hi, [Diner Manager], one of your customers has parked their trailer in our lot again. Short, balding, wearing a Broncos t-shirt. I’m giving him fifteen minutes to come and move it before I call the police. Thanks, hun,”

(Fifteen minutes goes by, and the trailer is still there, so my manager makes good of her word and the cops come to give him a ticket. The owner doesn’t show up for another 45 minutes after he is given the ticket. When he does return, he storms into our restaurant.)

Me: “Hello, sir, how can I—“

Customer: “I WANT YOUR MANAGER RIGHT NOW!”

(Luckily, my manager is standing with me at the host stand.)

Manager: “Right here, sir. How can I help you?”

Customer: “Why did I get a parking ticket from your s***ty restaurant?!”

Manager: “Sir, you parked in our parking lot without the intent of coming into our establishment.”

Customer: “You weren’t even open at the time! What do you expect me to do, wait until you open?!”

Manager: “Most people do, yes. Regardless of that, you took up so many of our spaces that our own customers didn’t have much of a place to park. And you were warned that you were going to get a ticket if you failed to move your vehicle.”

Customer: “I thought they were kidding! They told me my trailer would be towed! There’s no way you could do that!”

Manager: “You’re right, but if I had a way, I would have towed you.”

Customer: “Well, I’m not paying for this f****** ticket!”

Manager: “Have fun losing points on your license, then.”