Marc Stamos

I was standing in line today, waiting to order french-fries and guacamole at the hotel bar. I overheard hear two people off to my right complaining about the hotel’s service. A minute later I placed my order.

Suddenly, the gentleman who was complaining marched forward and began berating the bartender.

“I’ve been waiting for 20 minutes, no one has taken my order, and you let 2 people go ahead of me,” he said.

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean to butt in line. I didn’t think you were waiting,” I said.

“Well, it’s chilly, so I was standing in the sun,” he said to me, pleasantly enough.

Then he returned his focus to Daniel, the bartender. Any pleasantness he mustered up for me was long gone. He proceeded to lace into Daniel, a seemingly nice 25ish-year-old young man, with venom and dripping sarcasm.

I should note at this point that off to my right, the lady (who the gentleman had been complaining with) was talking with another gentleman who looked like the manager. He seemed to be very service oriented.

But I digress, back to the gentleman barking orders and insults at Daniel…

Daniel, it seems, had reached a breaking point.

He said to the gentleman, “Sir, I’m happy to help you in any way I can. I’d ask, however, that you kindly change your tone.”

The gentleman was stunned, and obviously offended. He ratcheted up the sarcasm a notch.

“If any of this is a problem for you, your manager is right over there. We can speak to him.”

“Oh boy, I’d better stick around to be a witness,” was my first thought.

Daniel’s was better. “Actually sir, I’m his manager.”

I had to turn away to suppress my ear to ear grin.

Unfortunately for Daniel, it didn’t end there. The next 5 minutes was a scene from the worst-restaurant-customer horror movie, the stuff every waiter I’ve ever met has nightmares of. (I used to be a waiter, but that’s the topic of another post.)

After the gentleman left, I winked at Daniel and complimented him on the way he handled himself. The other guy beside me agreed. I turned to him and said, “Do unto others…” I also shared with him the story of a poster I had seen several years ago in the lobby of a grade school. The title was “The World’s Religions.” Listed on the poster was the main tenet of 50 of the world’s religions. Every single one had a version of “Do unto others as you’d have others do unto you” as their primary tenet.

“Imagine if everyone actually practised this one simple phrase.” I said, “That’s a world I’d like to live in.”

Daniel politely interrupted us to bring me my french fries. When I produced my room card to pay, he shook his head.

Thanks for the fries Daniel. You’re a good man in my books!