Syssi wrote:

> Another response when 'told' to H.A.N.D.... say "NO, I don't want to." You
> can even carry it further by saying, "and you can't make me!" So Nah!!
> <blowing raspberries is hard to do when laughing and drinking coffee. FYI,
> you know>
>
> Whew. I feel better. Thanks!
>
>
>

My husband always says, "Don't tell me what to do!"

CJ

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
>
>
> The ex's surname is "Schiele" (pronounced "Shee-lee") and I always
> used the psuedonym "King" at Asian restaurants :-)
>


No matter how many times or how slowly I spell it, no reservation-taker
has ever managed to write Puester on their list and they then claim we
didn't call. For the past 20 years at least, I have always given DH's
first name which sounds enough like a last name to make it onto the
magic reservation list.

gloria p

pgluth1 wrote:
> 1. I worked at an Apple-Friday-Benne-Houli-Outback place for a while and
> the company mandated that the FIRST thing we said to anyone who came in the
> door was "What brings you in here today?" I worked at the bar and saw some
> of the same customers 6 days a week and I still had to say it.

wanting to eat? Why else would anyone come there?


>
> 2. I have a store rebate card from about 10 years ago when I used to buy
> for my college fraternity house. I still get amused when the checker says,
> "Thank you Mr. Pi." I usually just tell them to call me "Alpha."

LOL, cute I'm a Delta Chi mom. I don't think our local liquor stores
have rebate cards. I'm sure my son would know though? <sigh>

"Old Mother Ashby" > wrote in message
...
snip
> Have you read "Nickled and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich (think that's the
> correct spelling)? And the *******s are trying to make industrial
> relations like that here.
>
> Christine
No, I'll put it on the list. Thanks
Janet

wrote:
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>
>> I'm replying to no one in particular and I'm not going to make myself
>> popular either.
>
> You've earned a lot of points in my book. I feel that the "American
> dream" is becoming more difficult for many people, if not disappearing
> altogether.
>
> Derek Juhl
>

But perhaps also the drive to work for it is too? I see a lot of
"instant gratification" things that our grandparents wouldn't have
imagined being necessities as young people do? We don't just want a
home, we want more home than we can afford. We buy too much on credit
and then whine when our bills take over us. So what is the solution?
Goomba

"Bob Terwilliger" > writes:

>Cathy wrote:

>> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
>> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
>> name when they hand you the receipt.

Stores around here used to say, "Thank you, Stacia" -- using my first
name, not my last. It did tick me off because it was false
friendliness. Nowadays if you use a credit card you swipe it, not the
checker, so they never get a chance to read your name.

>If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.

Uh, are you suggesting someone get a credit card under a false name?
Ha! Is Cathy a troll or something? You all are kind of hostile...

Stacia

On Sun 12 Feb 2006 08:35:04p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Glitter
Ninja?

> "Bob Terwilliger" > writes:
>
>>Cathy wrote:
>
>>> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
>>> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
>>> name when they hand you the receipt.
>
> Stores around here used to say, "Thank you, Stacia" -- using my first
> name, not my last. It did tick me off because it was false
> friendliness. Nowadays if you use a credit card you swipe it, not the
> checker, so they never get a chance to read your name.

In the stores where I shop, swiping the card produces a name printed on the
receipt. They never see my card, but they do address me by name.

>>If it really bothers you, simply get a card under a different name.
>
> Uh, are you suggesting someone get a credit card under a false name?
> Ha! Is Cathy a troll or something? You all are kind of hostile...
>
> Stacia
>
>



--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

On 11 Feb 2006 20:28:18 -0800, "LipglossJunkie"
> wrote:

>I'm Marge Simpson on my Safeway shopper card. The cashiers are usually
>on autopilot and don't even notice when they say "Thank you Mrs
>Simpson"
>
>melanie

And your phone number goes to Dial-a-Prayer, right?


jim

On 11 Feb 2006 22:11:03 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>aem wrote about making restaurant reservations:
>
>> I usually pick a name that's been in the news and add "doctor." I've
>> been Doctor Bryant and Doctor Jackson in honor of the Lakers and Doctor
>> Woods for Tiger. I was Doctor Huxtable for our best local restaurant
>> once and the hostess did a double take when I arrived with that name (I
>> look nothing like Bill Cosby). Next time we went there I called and
>> said, this is Doctor Huxtable but tonight call me Doctor Bunker. When
>> we got there it was wasted, as it was a different hostess. -aem
>
>
>I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
>Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
>was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
>allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
>"Tommy.")
>
>Anybody else do this?
>
>Bob
>

You, and several others, are too easily entertained.


jim

Puester wrote:

> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> The ex's surname is "Schiele" (pronounced "Shee-lee") and I always
>> used the psuedonym "King" at Asian restaurants :-)
>>
>
>
> No matter how many times or how slowly I spell it, no
> reservation-taker has ever managed to write Puester on their list and
> they then claim we
> didn't call. For the past 20 years at least, I have always given
> DH's first name which sounds enough like a last name to make it onto the
> magic reservation list.
>
> gloria p

Something all this has made me wonder about is, do American restaurants
call back and confirm the reservation?

We're getting very set in our ways, don't often go anywhere new, so
booking under an assumed name would be pointless. Can't see the point to
it anyway unless you're a restaurant reviewer. All this about booking
under funny haha names is just going over my head, though I suppose it
gives the management fair warning that they've got a bunch of ratbags
coming in and they know not to seat them near any of the regulars.

Christine

sf wrote:
>
> It's childish and stupid.
>
A lot of humor seems childish and stupid to the cheerless. But missing
the fun doesn't make them mature or smart -- just dull. -aem

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
> that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
> potato chips.

Hey, after abdominal surgery I was *damn* glad to have the help,
eventough all I had was a few things - you just never know!

<snip>

>
> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
>
> None of the other markets I shop at do this. Anyone else have this
> kind of experience? (I think it's a policy for all Safeway stores).

Yes, almost every store does that here - even when you pay by check. I
don't mind so much because I know almost all the checkers because we
shop so often at the same stores.

You just never know who may or may not need help - not all physical
problems are apparent, initially.

-L.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
>
> I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as "Senator
> Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I thought "bibulus"
> was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for the "Dunwich Group" (an
> allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain James Walker" (from the rock opera
> "Tommy.")
>
> Anybody else do this?
>
> Bob

All the time. Usually use an easy name to pronounce because they
mangle ours.
-L.

sf wrote:
>
> It's childish and stupid.
> --

Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce. Hostesses aren't
usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...

-L.

Goomba38 wrote:
>
> But perhaps also the drive to work for it is too? I see a lot of
> "instant gratification" things that our grandparents wouldn't have
> imagined being necessities as young people do? We don't just want a
> home, we want more home than we can afford. We buy too much on credit
> and then whine when our bills take over us. So what is the solution?
> Goomba

It's a huge problem in our society. People aren't willing to trade in
their posh lifestyles and live within their means - and are forever
tied up in "getting more stuff". Also there are many people who think
themselves too far above a min wage or $10/hr job at McDonald's or
wherever - these jobs are then being scooped up by the immigrants who
are happy to have them and happy to ride a bicycle to work every day,
rain or shine, to get paid. Then the "average joe" bitches and
complains that he can't find a job - well, he can, but it isn't the job
he *wants* to do.

I have this problem with my nieces - neither one wants to pay their
dues to get into a better job, they want the high-paying job and they
want it NOW, to support their extravagant spending. I about shit when
my one niece showed up to a party in brand-new $165 pants - yet she
can't figure out why she owes so much on credit cards and can't pay her
bills.

But I'm extremely frugal, I guess. I'm not a consumer. I don't care
about "things" - I just want to be comfortable and afford to "do"
rather than "have".

-L.

I once used a friends name for the reservation and didnt know that he was
there too.. When they called the name, I went to the desk and so did he...
talk about confusion and laughs.. Now he uses my name and I use his..
We did end up sitting with him.--

-L. wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>>
>>
>> I've never appended "doctor," but once I made a reservation as
>> "Senator Marcus Bibulus." (It was for a wine-tasting dinner, so I
>> thought "bibulus" was appropriate.) I've also made reservations for
>> the "Dunwich Group" (an allusion to H. P. Lovecraft) and "Captain
>> James Walker" (from the rock opera "Tommy.")
>>
>> Anybody else do this?
>>
>> Bob
>
> All the time. Usually use an easy name to pronounce because they
> mangle ours.
> -L.

"Old Mother Ashby" > wrote in message
...
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>
>>"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
>>
>>
>>>LOL nope. The one that stands out in my mind is a Italian restaurant in
>>>Olathe, Kansas. I can't remember the name of it. Zee's? Something like
>>>that. The servers who weren't busy were lined up along the line where
>>>the
>>>orders are placed, apparently with their eyes glued to the front door.
>>>As
>>>the host/hostess was walking us to our table they all yelled a greeting
>>>at
>>>us simultaneously.
>>>
>>>As we got our drinks and perused the menu, we kept hearing this over and
>>>over. It got to be pretty annoying.
>>>
>>>Jill
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>My son worked at a small locally owned place where the owner had a policy
>>I liked. He said that if he heard any server use the word "guys" outside
>>of the kitchen, the dishwasher would get their tables and they'd take the
>>dishwasher's job for the night. No tips for the server that night, in
>>other words. Never mind that the dishwasher (my son) was too filthy to go
>>near customers. Didn't matter, though. The idea of taking over his job was
>>enough to stop the "guy" nonsense. You know: Server comes to a table with
>>women sitting there, and says "Would you guys like to start with something
>>to drink?"
>>
>>
> Well, I wouldn't do it to a group of middle aged or elderly ladies, but
> what's wrong with a server using the term with people of their own age?
> It's the collective noun they use for both sexes anyway.
>
> I presume this wasn't a fine dining restaurant of course, where you get
> addressed as "Madam" anyway.
>
> Christine

It's a dumb way to address a table of women, or a mixed group. May as well
call the women "staplers" or "carburetors". Wrong.

It wasn't so long ago that the "guys" thing didn't exist in restaurants, and
servers were able to address a group without the word. Do you remember how
it was done? And by the way, the place I'm referring to is around the
upper-center of the dining spectrum. Blue-hair clientele who show up same
night each week, and pay a bit too much for "chicken French", "veal parm" -
stuff like that.

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:53:10 -0500, "Dee Randall"
> connected the dots and wrote:

~> But now I work next door to a Super Stop & Shop. I mean, how
ridiculous
~> is it that at Shaw's you can rarely find more than a tiny little
sprig
~> of rosemary, but at SS&S you can get full on skewers of rosemary,
along
~> with several other things that Soviet's doesn't seem to want to
stock.
~
~In CT in all the New Haven area, Shaws was the only place I could
find
~Cel-Ray soda.
~It's a gotta have item for me.
~Dee Dee
~

The new Shaws near me has one of the better international aisles in
the area. This hasn't helped the attitude of the employees, or
management, which seem to be the same ones who were in the old store a
couple of blocks away (which by the way, is still open so that they
won't have to sell the building to Whole Foods that want's to open a
store in the neib). Long lines, check out procedures that seem
directed to make checking out take longer.

It's only their specials that I purchase there, and a couple of items
that SS&S doesn't carry. The rest I buy at Pricerite, the Shoprite
warehouse store.

maixne in ri

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:54:40 -0600, "jmcquown"
> connected the dots and wrote:

~Exactly. What difference does it make if the reservation is in your
own
~name? It's not like you gave them your SSN or a credit card number.
It's
~just a reservation. My last name is difficult to pronounce so I
either know
~when they call it out and they're stumbling over "Mc-Mc-Mc" they mean
me, or
~I just make the reservation in the name of Jill.
~
~Jill
~

Do I assume wrong that it's pronounced Mc-Kwan? or Mc Kow(a)n?

maxine in ri

Goomba38 wrote:
> wrote:
>
>> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>
>>> I'm replying to no one in particular and I'm not going to make myself
>>> popular either.
>>
>>
>> You've earned a lot of points in my book. I feel that the "American
>> dream" is becoming more difficult for many people, if not disappearing
>> altogether.
>>
>> Derek Juhl
>>
>
> But perhaps also the drive to work for it is too? I see a lot of
> "instant gratification" things that our grandparents wouldn't have
> imagined being necessities as young people do? We don't just want a
> home, we want more home than we can afford. We buy too much on credit
> and then whine when our bills take over us. So what is the solution?
> Goomba

I know many people (my husband and myself included) who have a strong
work ethic and a realistic take on credit, who still are just barely
getting by. It's hard to make it even on two incomes these days, even
without McMansions and Shopping Utility Vehicles.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

Lady Lazarus wrote:

>>My teenage daughter, DD, was ranting about clerks and cashiers chirping
>>"Have a nice day" when they obviously couldn't care less about her day.
>> So I told her to reply "Mind your own business." It's the perfect
>>inappropriate response. She laughed.
>>
>>A few days later when she and her mother went through a drive-thru fast
>>food place, and "Have a nice day", she mentioned the mind your own
>>business thing to Mom. Bad idea. Now everytime someone says H.A.N.D.,
>>DD giggles and Mom scowls at her, and the poor clerk has no idea what's
>>going on. I think it's kind of funny.
>
>
> Oh yes, it's so funny to stand and smirk and giggle at the poor widdle
> clerk that needs that job, and is just performing a needless function
> of his/her job. Get off your ****ing high-horse, ****. I agree "have
> a nice day" is the worst phrase in the English language (besides "it's
> malignant") but the tone and manner of your post make it appear as
> though you enjoy humiliating people for your own little jollies. ****
> you.


I'm not a ****, I'm a prick. That's a rather important detail.

Or maybe you were trying to say that I screw horses and you got the
comma in the wrong place?

I love you too,
Bob

Doug Kanter wrote:

> "Old Mother Ashby" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Doug Kanter wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>LOL nope. The one that stands out in my mind is a Italian restaurant in
>>>>Olathe, Kansas. I can't remember the name of it. Zee's? Something like
>>>>that. The servers who weren't busy were lined up along the line where
>>>>the
>>>>orders are placed, apparently with their eyes glued to the front door.
>>>>As
>>>>the host/hostess was walking us to our table they all yelled a greeting
>>>>at
>>>>us simultaneously.
>>>>
>>>>As we got our drinks and perused the menu, we kept hearing this over and
>>>>over. It got to be pretty annoying.
>>>>
>>>>Jill
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>My son worked at a small locally owned place where the owner had a policy
>>>I liked. He said that if he heard any server use the word "guys" outside
>>>of the kitchen, the dishwasher would get their tables and they'd take the
>>>dishwasher's job for the night. No tips for the server that night, in
>>>other words. Never mind that the dishwasher (my son) was too filthy to go
>>>near customers. Didn't matter, though. The idea of taking over his job was
>>>enough to stop the "guy" nonsense. You know: Server comes to a table with
>>>women sitting there, and says "Would you guys like to start with something
>>>to drink?"
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Well, I wouldn't do it to a group of middle aged or elderly ladies, but
>>what's wrong with a server using the term with people of their own age?
>>It's the collective noun they use for both sexes anyway.
>>
>>I presume this wasn't a fine dining restaurant of course, where you get
>>addressed as "Madam" anyway.
>>
>>Christine
>
>
> It's a dumb way to address a table of women, or a mixed group. May as well
> call the women "staplers" or "carburetors". Wrong.
>
> It wasn't so long ago that the "guys" thing didn't exist in restaurants, and
> servers were able to address a group without the word. Do you remember how
> it was done?

Lemme guess. "Good evening. Are you ready to order?"

Best regards,
Bob

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>
>> "Old Mother Ashby" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>Doug Kanter wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"jmcquown" > wrote in message
t...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>LOL nope. The one that stands out in my mind is a Italian restaurant
>>>>>in
>>>>>Olathe, Kansas. I can't remember the name of it. Zee's? Something
>>>>>like
>>>>>that. The servers who weren't busy were lined up along the line where
>>>>>the
>>>>>orders are placed, apparently with their eyes glued to the front door.
>>>>>As
>>>>>the host/hostess was walking us to our table they all yelled a greeting
>>>>>at
>>>>>us simultaneously.
>>>>>
>>>>>As we got our drinks and perused the menu, we kept hearing this over
>>>>>and
>>>>>over. It got to be pretty annoying.
>>>>>
>>>>>Jill
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>My son worked at a small locally owned place where the owner had a
>>>>policy I liked. He said that if he heard any server use the word "guys"
>>>>outside of the kitchen, the dishwasher would get their tables and they'd
>>>>take the dishwasher's job for the night. No tips for the server that
>>>>night, in other words. Never mind that the dishwasher (my son) was too
>>>>filthy to go near customers. Didn't matter, though. The idea of taking
>>>>over his job was enough to stop the "guy" nonsense. You know: Server
>>>>comes to a table with women sitting there, and says "Would you guys like
>>>>to start with something to drink?"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>Well, I wouldn't do it to a group of middle aged or elderly ladies, but
>>>what's wrong with a server using the term with people of their own age?
>>>It's the collective noun they use for both sexes anyway.
>>>
>>>I presume this wasn't a fine dining restaurant of course, where you get
>>>addressed as "Madam" anyway.
>>>
>>>Christine
>>
>>
>> It's a dumb way to address a table of women, or a mixed group. May as
>> well call the women "staplers" or "carburetors". Wrong.
>>
>> It wasn't so long ago that the "guys" thing didn't exist in restaurants,
>> and servers were able to address a group without the word. Do you
>> remember how it was done?
>
> Lemme guess. "Good evening. Are you ready to order?"
>
> Best regards,
> Bob

Holy smokes! You figured it out too? :-)

maxine in ri wrote:

>
>
>
> The new Shaws near me has one of the better international aisles in
> the area. This hasn't helped the attitude of the employees, or
> management, which seem to be the same ones who were in the old store a
> couple of blocks away (which by the way, is still open so that they
> won't have to sell the building to Whole Foods that want's to open a
> store in the neib). Long lines, check out procedures that seem
> directed to make checking out take longer.

Hmmmm... sounds like the staff at one of our local stores. When another
grocery chain came along and bought out the store people were concerned
about the staff losing their jobs. I had had so many bad experiences with
some of the staff that I was just as happy to see them go. My wife
learned the hard way not to ask for Worcestershire Sauce or Angostura
Bitters because what you get is a puzzled stare and then a very rude
correction about how to pronounce them, and the guy was wrong n both
counts.

The store where I do most of my shopping is going downhill. There are some
things that I used to get there that they no longer carry. they no longer
have any type of mint sauce, and no more pearl tapioca. I have been
buying Free and Clear sugar free soft drinks in cases of cans for my
wife. About a month ago they no longer had them. I asked the stock clerk
last week and he said that it never came in cans, just bottles. I had been
buying it by the case for at least two years, and in that store. The guy
in the frozen foods departments told me there was no such thing as Hagen
Daz mango gelato. I had had it before and really liked it. I found it the
next week in another store. The guy seemed not to understand the
difference between a product not being available and not being on their
list of approved products.

I agree , This is so mundane..D'ont. you people have something else to
do that is really important or at least helpfull instead of constant
complaining

"Lady Lazarus" > wrote> Do stop shopping there. Those
clerks that are forced to perform
> humiliation techniques such as calling you by your name and carrying
> out a friggin bag of potato chips need liberation. Power to the
> people! lol

Yessss, sister! 8*)


*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
*** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from http://www.SecureIX.com ***

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:36:28 -0600, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> sf wrote:
>> >
>> > It's childish and stupid.
>>
>>
>>
>> You said that like it's a bad thing. What's your point?
>> (hint: you're not our mother)
>>
> My point is it's in the same league as answering your work phone with
> "City morgue., you stab 'em we slab 'em." I'll leave it up to you to
> connect the dots.
> --

Precisely. Anyone who is amused by reservation pseudonyms - excepting those
with difficult names - needs to get a life.

And, I have heard it as "City morgue, you kill 'em, we chill 'em."


--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Old Mother Ashby wrote on 2/12/2006:

> Something all this has made me wonder about is, do American restaurants
> call back and confirm the reservation?

<snip>

Some do. some don't. For example, when I am in Portland (Oregon) and I
make a reservation by phone at a nicer restaurant, it's fairly common
for the restaurant to call to confirm. But I was in Boston a couple
weeks ago and no one called to confirm, or if they called, they didn't
leave a message on the hotel answering system.

In the last year, I've started to use OpenTable to make reservations
(more when I travel than at home). I leave contact information, but I
don't think anyone has ever called.

I've never used an assumed name to make a reservation and I don't plan
to start. If others like to do it - for whatever reason - I don't
particularly care.

Peter Aitken wrote:
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:36:28 -0600, zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>>
>>> sf wrote:
>>> >
>>> > It's childish and stupid.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> You said that like it's a bad thing. What's your point?
>>> (hint: you're not our mother)
>>>
>>
>>My point is it's in the same league as answering your work phone with
>>"City morgue., you stab 'em we slab 'em." I'll leave it up to you to
>>connect the dots.
>>--
>
>
> Precisely. Anyone who is amused by reservation pseudonyms - excepting those
> with difficult names - needs to get a life.
>
> And, I have heard it as "City morgue, you kill 'em, we chill 'em."
>


I would say the one who's incapable of being amused needs to get a life.

(You don't need to remind me that we were making fun of Sheldon just a
few days ago about his richardhead.com link)

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

<snip>

> Same thing with restaurant reservations. I'm quite happy with opentable.com,
> but why do they need my real name to reserve a table for me? So all my
> opentable.com reservations are made for "James Bond."

I like OpenTable and am starting to use it more. I use my real name.
Offhand, I don't know why they "need" my real name any more than the
dry cleaner needs my real name to clean my clothes. I suppose that if I
were traveling and had made a restaurant reservation under an assumed
name and the restaurant called my hotel to confirm, they might be told
that there was no such person registered and I might lose my
reservation, which could be awkward if I were hosting a business
dinner (or other occasion, for that matter).

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Peter Aitken wrote:

<snipped>

>> Precisely. Anyone who is amused by reservation pseudonyms - excepting
>> those with difficult names - needs to get a life.
>>
>> And, I have heard it as "City morgue, you kill 'em, we chill 'em."
>>
>
> I would say the one who's incapable of being amused needs to get a life.
>

Not at all. It's a matter of what you are amused by. To use a culinary
analogy, being amused by restaurant reservation pseudonyms is akin to being
thrilled by the taste of velveeta. There is so much better available in both
humor and food.


--
Peter Aitken

In article >,
wrote:

> I agree , This is so mundane..D'ont. you people have something else to
> do that is really important or at least helpfull instead of constant
> complaining

pot kettle black

Thank you for your advice. Please take it.


You've made three posts. Three complaints, no recipes and no food
advice. Just complaints. I know how to do that myself, and don't need
your help.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.

so if you protest! let them carry your bag of potatoe chips to the car
for you.
enough people doing this...will put an end to that silly question
"need help getting to the car" Unless it is obvious
OTH: yule be old and dusty one day...yule look back on your years of
protest and wonder why you "broke" them of the courtesy!!

have a laugh, have a life.

IS THIS ALL YOU HAVE TO POST ABOUT!!1

GOOD HEAVENS!!!

SHOULD I POST MORE PICTURES OF STARVING LITTLE CHILDREN
LITTLE BELLIES SWOLLEN?

A LITTLE BABY IS SUCKING ON HIS MOMMAS TIT BUT THERE IS NO MILK FOR
HIM.

YOU MAKE ME ANGRY NOW


> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".

PAY WITH CASH AND CARRY YOUR BAGGIN BUTT HOME!

Toodles Cathy!

"-L." > writes:

>It's a huge problem in our society. People aren't willing to trade in
>their posh lifestyles and live within their means

My husband and I just bought our first house, and were amazed that
even though an estimated 22,000 people are flooding into town (soldiers
transferred near here or back from Iraq, mostly) no one wanted this
house. Our realtor was ecstatic we bought it, even at the obviously
reduced price. Turns out no one wants a 3-bedroom anymore, everyone
wants a McMansion with 4 stories and a Hummer in the driveway, even if
they don't make enough to afford it.

>But I'm extremely frugal, I guess. I'm not a consumer. I don't care
>about "things" - I just want to be comfortable and afford to "do"
>rather than "have".

My vice is music and movies, and kitchen appliances if needed.
Otherwise I don't like to buy stuff. I was cranky all day yesterday
buying curtains. We need curtains, I just didn't want to have to buy
any!

Stacia

Dave Smith > writes:

>Hmmmm... sounds like the staff at one of our local stores. When another
>grocery chain came along and bought out the store people were concerned
>about the staff losing their jobs. I had had so many bad experiences with
>some of the staff that I was just as happy to see them go.

Sounds just like this crazy woman who used to work at a Food 4 Less
here in town. She was a nosy busybody, rude to people she didn't like,
and accused all college students (including me and my husband) of being
shoplifters. She was constantly complaining about her carpal tunnel
syndrome and other illnesses and was never very clean. I was glad she
didn't stock food.
She was let go during a reorganization and the local newspaper
actually had an article about it, because she was so "well loved"!
Small towns are insane. I was glad to see the woman go, if for no other
reason than the cleanliness issue. She looked like the bus driver on
"South Park".

>wife. About a month ago they no longer had them. I asked the stock clerk
>last week and he said that it never came in cans, just bottles. I had been
>buying it by the case for at least two years, and in that store.

That probably upsets me more than anything. When I buy something
unique at a store, and they later claim they never sold it, I know
they're just trying to get me to shut up and not ask them to order it
again.

Stacia

"Glitter Ninja" > wrote in message
...
> "-L." > writes:
>
>>It's a huge problem in our society. People aren't willing to trade in
>>their posh lifestyles and live within their means
>
> My husband and I just bought our first house, and were amazed that
> even though an estimated 22,000 people are flooding into town (soldiers
> transferred near here or back from Iraq, mostly) no one wanted this
> house. Our realtor was ecstatic we bought it, even at the obviously
> reduced price. Turns out no one wants a 3-bedroom anymore, everyone
> wants a McMansion with 4 stories and a Hummer in the driveway, even if
> they don't make enough to afford it.
>
>>But I'm extremely frugal, I guess. I'm not a consumer. I don't care
>>about "things" - I just want to be comfortable and afford to "do"
>>rather than "have".
>
> My vice is music and movies, and kitchen appliances if needed.
> Otherwise I don't like to buy stuff. I was cranky all day yesterday
> buying curtains. We need curtains, I just didn't want to have to buy
> any!
>
> Stacia

Tee Hee, I have to laugh -- one might think I'm a big consumer, but I don't
have curtains in my house after 13 years here. I bought a sewing machine
(not my forte) and made most of them, but they looked like hell so I bought
cheapie lace curtains and let it go at that. I know, I'd be cranky too if I
had to buy them for the house. I like to spend money on food and drink and
kitchen things and all the foreign movies I can watch. I guess that's what
my life's come down to.
Dee Dee

"Dee Randall" > writes:

>Tee Hee, I have to laugh -- one might think I'm a big consumer, but I don't
>have curtains in my house after 13 years here. I bought a sewing machine
>(not my forte) and made most of them, but they looked like hell so I bought
>cheapie lace curtains and let it go at that. I know, I'd be cranky too if I
>had to buy them for the house. I like to spend money on food and drink and
>kitchen things and all the foreign movies I can watch. I guess that's what
>my life's come down to.

Simplifying is great. I don't think it's a bad thing to have a few
hobbies and to not have to spend money all the time. Some people are
really caught up in appearances, and think less of someone who buys a
modest home or has a 5 year old car. Hey, my car runs, it looks good,
and my home is clean and solid and affordable. I consider myself lucky!
I got cheapie lace curtains for the kitchen after getting too tired to
look for any more. We spent an hour at Penney's looking for curtains
during a curtain sale. It was a freakin' war zone.

Stacia

Glitter Ninja wrote:

> Simplifying is great. I don't think it's a bad thing to have a few
> hobbies and to not have to spend money all the time. Some people are
> really caught up in appearances, and think less of someone who buys a
> modest home or has a 5 year old car. Hey, my car runs, it looks good,
> and my home is clean and solid and affordable. I consider myself lucky!
>
And I bet you sleep easier at night knowing that you're in a much better
place financially than those who over extends themselves and have more
of a monkey on their back, eh?
Goomba

RoR wrote:

> I used to be upset when I heard HAND, but I decided to change my response
> to it. Now I reply, "Thanks, I will." It usually leaves the person
> offering this bit of courtesy, whether forced or not, smiling.

Try, "You can count on it. I'm going home for a nooner!"

Bob

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 17:50:37 +1100, Old Mother Ashby
> rummaged among random neurons and opined:

>Something all this has made me wonder about is, do American restaurants
>call back and confirm the reservation?

Not in my experience, although most request a contact number.
>
>We're getting very set in our ways, don't often go anywhere new, so
>booking under an assumed name would be pointless.

<snip>

We have so many restaurants here in Southern California (Orange
County) to choose from that we can go *months* and *years* without
visiting the same restaurant twice. That is both good news and bad
news. The good news is, the plethora of restaurants from which to
choose and the bad news is, we don't get well enough known at a single
restaurant to rate the, "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Burd - your usual table?
Your usual cocktail?" etc. So many restaurants, so little time...

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"