Bizarre and Disgusting Behavior by Hospitality Guests, #3
Working in hospitality isn’t always a bed of roses. In fact, very often it isn’t. You have to listen to the strangest requests (with a stoic expression), but worse: the disgusting things guests sometimes do and leave behind! More than once, I’ve decided after a shift: I’m never doing this again. One more shift like that and I’m quitting.
Throughout my hospitality career, I’ve really ‘had the pleasure’ of meeting the most disgusting, rude, and strange people. And I would keep trying to remain polite, even though I sometimes genuinely had a lot of trouble with that. There were also more than enough situations where I was too utterly dumbfounded to say anything at all. You can see that in the earlier articles we wrote about bizarre and disgusting behavior by hospitality guests. Be honest: you wouldn’t be able to handle this either, would you? Read on and shudder…
A Little Case of Diarrhea
About ten years ago, I worked in an incredibly lovely, romantic, and cozy restaurant in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district. I was innocently serving plates when suddenly a man in sweatpants came running inside… Straight to the toilet. Whut? I followed him, but sure enough: the door was locked. After fifteen minutes (FIFTEEN MINUTES. We timed it), he came out and wanted to leave the restaurant. That’s not how it works, buddy—the entire restaurant smelled so bad that I start gagging again just thinking about it. Fine, you can’t control your bowels, but this was so antisocial. Just rushing inside without asking anything. I gave him cleaning supplies and only let him leave once the entire toilet was sparkling clean and the smell had cleared up a bit. So, so disgusting.
I’ve Never Eaten Anything So Salty
I’m also always amazed by the intensity with which people can react. A regular guest, a fairly intimidating man, thought there was too much salt on his tournedos. Of course, that can happen. As it turned out, the gentleman had a heart condition, meaning he wasn’t allowed to have too much salt. Naturally, the waitstaff and kitchen can’t smell that on you. Instead of mentioning it, the man shouted straight in my face: ‘Do you want me DEAD or something? Well? WELL?!’ Uh, no, sir.
Stoned Tourists
Those tourists who only come to Amsterdam to get completely stoned. Ter-rible. In the best-case scenario, they sit there staring apathetically into space. Yes, that’s the best-case scenario. I got the worst case: a completely stoned tourist who thought he could inconspicuously throw up in the place where I worked. And then leave without paying. Well, I wasn’t about to let that happen. And even worse: he looked completely surprised by that! He felt ‘really bad’, so I could just forget about the bill and clean up his vomit?
Whistling
But even so, I don’t think any of this is the worst of it. At the very top of my list of the most disgusting behavior is something an unbelievably large number of people do. Locals and tourists, young and old… I’m talking about whistling. And snapping your fingers. Bonus points if you do both at the same time. Then you really are the boss, aren’t you! So disrespectful—and yet so many people do it…
Celebrity?
And finally, for the people who think they’re a Dutch celebrity or a real celebrity… No. We don’t know who you are, and no, you don’t get a table because of that. Just make a reservation next time. I always thought this behavior was typically American. But unfortunately, quite a few “Dutch celebrities” are guilty of it too.
Read also:
- Bloody annoying: those people who pay the bill separately
- 10 things hospitality guests do because they think it’s polite, but which are bloody annoying
- Bizarre and disgusting behavior by hospitality guests #2
