So, the bar I work at opened back up last night, and I gotta say, y'all: Just fucking don't go to restaurants right now. Just don't do it.
I understand that people want to support restaurants that they love, but there's a level of nonchalance here that really betrays how poorly America is dealing with this pandemic.
America has a considerably higher rate of COVID cases and fatalities in relation to our population than most other countries. What seems like "progress" to us, currently, is what would seem catastrophic to other countries.
And, to zoom in smaller: yes, you want to support your small businesses. I appreciate that, I know your heart is in the right place. But you're putting me in danger, and my loved ones in danger --- as well as yourself and your loved ones.
Everyone who came in last night seemed like they were just cosplaying four months ago.
With everything that's going on right now (COVID, BLM protests, governmental abuse of power, climate disasters,) nothing goes away because you get tired of it, or tired of thinking about it.
"B-b-but patio seating!"
So fucking what. I'm changing gloves / washing my hands every single time that I grab anyone's plate or cup or anything to make sure that nothing cross-contaminates. I'm sanitizing constantly --- but I'm a human, and there's only so much I can do.
I'm creating this illusion of normalcy for you in order to pay my bills, and it's fucking awful.
A surgeon literally came in last night and said, "oh, you have better masks than we do!" and it was fucking awful.
If that's a fine environment for you to enjoy a meal, be my guest.
We're letting capitalistic gears drive what should be an empathetic decision.
Just don't go to restaurants right now. Support in other ways. Just know that things aren't normal, even as much as we all really want them to be.
(Oh, other small note: nobody tipped any more than usual, even though they "want to support us." V cool.)
"B-b-but patio seating!" So fucking what.
griffincandey:
Tags: conspiracies, corporations, doomed, plague
8 Responses:
And if you can order directly (ie. not with an app), do so.
What really sucks about this is that I want to order directly for pickup—assuming they have a safe situation for pickup orders that doesn't require me to stand in a crowd—to not screw over restaurants with commissions, but I also want to order and pay electronically (including a tip! so many apps don't let you tip on pickup orders and neither side of the transaction truly wants to handle cash these days) to limit my contact to a quick exchange at the doorway. Sometimes you can give a credit card number over the phone, but beyond that, it's painful that the safest options with the least physical contact are the ones that destroy restaurants.
I've seen a few restaurants work out good solutions for this using systems like Square or Tock or Toast or the (mediocre UI but serviceable) online ordering system that Aloha has, which I understand don't charge the giant commissions the delivery giants take. I hope things like that become more widespread; online ordering is useful, and there's no rational reason outside of VC growth crap why it should cost restaurants a fortune to connect an HTML form to a ticket printer or tablet.
And Google has a big role to play there too: if a restaurant has a preferred ordering mechanism that doesn't rip them off, that needs to come up first in the search results so customers actually can find it.
This is a good point. Stay home.
Went to a newly opened lunch place for a reservation. Sat outside in sun. No cash accepted, so no cash tipping. Ordered food off a stupid app, typed 500 numbers and had to create and account, type in my phone, age, zip, SSN, mothers maiden name, and preferred porn style. Ate off paper plate. Beer was a can in a bucket, warm. Other than “hi, me, 12pm”, didn’t speak to a human the entire time.
It was about as fun as a wake organized by Facebook.
I think I’ll just drink in my car.
Don’t go to restaurants.
I don't know man, this comes off kind of thoughtless and entitled, just like the diners coming like NBD. The clients are presumably under the same kinds of financial and emotional hardships.
Please, allow me to be the first to say "fuck you, Jack."
Dave. Whatever.
If you're under a financial or emotional hardship, don't go out to eat and sit down in a restaurant.
I'm not sure how you get 'entitled' out of someone suggesting you do something that earns them less money in lieu of threatening their lives due to your own carelessness.
Are they? If you really were in a tough spot, would you go to restaurants, or would you stay home and cook?
Yeah, sit for an hour near a bunch of people not wearing masks and non-stop talking? I don't think so. Take-out is fine.