Irritating Moments that Leave a Mental Rash

October 9, 2012 by 32 Comments

handling your irritationWhat irritates you to the point that you feel you may just commit an act that could have you facing a judge, pleading not guilty by reason of insanity? At any point throughout the day, there are any number of events that could set me off. Sometimes it is as simple as my husband forgetting to replace the toilet paper. Other times it is lights.

Good gracious, I cannot stand light in the mornings when I first wake up. Natural sunlight is welcomed, but artificial light peeking underneath doors and glaring in my face as I stumble to the kitchen for breakfast is absolutely uncalled for. My light aversion could be the cause of my inexpertly applied make-up, but let’s not go there.

I didn’t start off writing about what irritates me. No, I actually began with the intention to write this article about Pinterest. My heart was happy, my head filled with creative thoughts. I wanted to share with you a pin I recently tried and detail the lovely experience that I had while experimenting with that pin. Eventually, I will get around to writing that and you will be able to view it here.

What happened, you ask? What happened was that while sitting at a table at a local eatery two things happened that have managed to throw me off my game and make me incredibly irritated.Which in turn leaves you, my faithful reader, at the other end of one of my hissy fits. One, the free WiFi is being cantankerous, leaving me disabled and discombobulated. Unable to move any faster than a snail’s pace, I quickly gave up the notion that I would be able to get anything done online. Even as I type this, I am using my computer’s word processor…UNCONNECTED! Incredible. Unheard of. How do we live without the internet and technology.? What would happen if my computer deserted me all together this evening? I would be forced to write to you in Neanderthal ways using a notebook and pen. I don’t even want to entertain that thought for a second longer.

Losing access to technology was brutal, but then came the icing on the cake. The one thing that could irritate me more than my husband watching the same episode of Dr. Who ,over and over again, happened. Actually, as I write this it is still happening. One of the restaurant staff began to vacuum the floor. That’s fine. I want this restaurant to be clean. Clean anywhere you want, but why do you insist on vacuuming underneath my table, around my feet, next to my purse? Why is it absolutely necessary that you invade my space? It absolutely cannot wait until I leave?

Yep, I admit. I sound pretentious, spoiled and uptight. Usually, I would have made an effort to take a restroom break or a drink break. I probably would have even picked up my purse and feet. Maybe I was still bitter about the WiFi. Who knows? Sometimes I can’t  reason my actions.

Tonight I will post this and tomorrow I will be embarrassed that I shared these trivial insecurities with you, but for now I don’t care. Perhaps you will find the humor and have a little chuckle at my expense. This is my gift to you.

What irritates you to the point of bad behavior? How do you handle situations that threaten to unleash your inner demon?

Filed Under: Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , ,

Are You a Bad Tipper?

October 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Study Shows Higher Tips The New Standard

tipping your waiterYou may be a bad tipper and didn’t even know it. While 15% – 20% has been the standard that many restaurant patrons follow when settling up their bill for dinner or drinks, the New York Post is reporting that some Manhattan waiters are now expecting more than 20% in tips for their services. Anything less makes you a bad tipper.

Why a New Tipping Standard?

This new tipping standard debate comes on the heels of a study done by a Cornell University professor who studied 9,000 credit card receipts from a Poughkeepsie, New York restaurant. His findings? Over 30% of restaurant patrons left more than 20% for their waiter or waitress.

Does this seem outrageous to you? For a $60.00 restaurant bill a 30% tip would cost you $6.00 more than if you left the traditional 20% tip for average, expected service. That is the equivalent of a small appetizer.

Servers, for the most part, do not receive the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. They rely on your generosity and recognition of a job well done to pay their rent, utility bills, etc. However, there are some that argue that servers have the opportunity to make well over the minimum wage per hour, especially on busy nights  and that raising the tipping standards surpasses the average 3% cost of living wage that many American workers receive each year from their companies.

Still many more restaurant patrons expressed that setting a “standard” discourages wait staff from performing their jobs at a superior effort. Instead, shifting the expectation the patron has for excellent customer service to the expectation that the patron will automatically pay a high tip regardless of service.

It Is Still Your Choice

No matter what new tipping standards emerge from the general public’s tipping habits, the choice is still yours to make when tipping your waiter or waitress for the night. Recognizing a person for a job well-done, acknowledging that your waiter has gone above and beyond to fulfill your request, whether a modest request or an extravagant request, is simply being polite and you should tip appropriately in a manner that makes sense. That’s just common sense and good manners. So here are some questions that we pose to you.

How do you determine how much you should tip your waiter or waitress? When would you tip more than 20%? Should the tips we leave reflect inflation and cost-of-living?

Filed Under: In The News Tagged With: , ,