That is very clever! I don't know how you came up with that. Clever and cruel but clever none the less. I bet she had a good time cleaning that mess up.

Back home, the insult is to leave a penny tip. It leaves the clear message that you could leave more, but the server isn't worth it. They don't get it anywhere else, though.

Well said, Melissa. My husband is a smoker and I know what you mean about the "wilderness journeys" lol. But my husband will also go without too when he has too. But I do agree, smokers are paying customers too, so why do they get the view of the dumpster? lol.

Anyways. Both my husband and I have worked in fast food, not the same as being a waiter or waitress, although I was trained to be one as my very very first job and I chickened out when it came time to actually "Do it". It is a very hard job and my husband and I try to give them the benefit out the doubt, but like you said, there is no excuse for bad food or service. People are paying their hard earned money so they deserve to get the best. Its sad though that not everybody thinks that way. ;)

Misti In Seattle: Yeh it could be just the individual locations because theres another Chilis here in my city and they usually have really good food and service.

Hubby's a smoker, and I used to be, so I see it from both sides. And now here in our county, it's a non-smoking county. So there aren't any smoking sections. The problem isn't caused by smoking, but by people.

It's caused by the stupid non-smoker who once sat in smoking in a restaurant where I was already sitting and began complaining loudly to her husband about the smoke (we were the only two tables currently filled in the smoking section). Then she proceeds to take a small paper fan from her purse and makes a show of fanning smoke away. Ask for the non-smoking section fer cryin' out loud.

It's caused by the smoker who will light up right under a no smoking sign, who will blow smoke right at non-smokers just for the fun of it, who throw their butts all over the ground for someone else to clean up, who feel like their rights supercede those of the non-smokers.

It's caused by the restaurant owner who thinks that putting a half wall between smoking and non-smoking is an adequate measure.

If people used common sense, second-hand smoke wouldn't be the issue it is.

I had the Chili's experience myself. With a very large (25 people) group, Bachlorette party, all of which where 30+, the eldest of us all had forgotte her ID at the hotel. They REFUSED to serve her....She is 50 YEARS OLD!!! Ridiculous. I asked the manager what type of establishment puts so little faith in its management that he is not qualified to determine a 50 yo woman is over 21? Also had an Olive Garden experience. 2 years ago, SIL birthday. Your typical new overwelmed server forgot the extras, drinks, appitizers, is gone for 30 min at a time ,blah blah... The Rest Manager just happens to be doing his rounds at the tables asking "how was everything?" And of course I say "Its definetly been better"(we go there alot) he instantly apologized picked up dessert, and gave us coupons for $50 off our next visit. Way to make it all better.

BTW~ I'm in California....NOBODY smokes indoors, at all, period.

There was a law passed in Oklahoma a while back (when I lived there.) that the smoking sections in public restaurants had to be in separate rooms with proper ventilation...so a lot of restaurants just did without smoking sections because creating a new one would be too costly. So..nobody could smoke in restaurants, basically.

I've walked out of a lot of restaurants too because of the clouds of cigarette smoke. Fortunately we don't have to worry about that in Washington state any longer since it is now illegal to smoke in public buildings or within 25 feet of a public doorway... yay!!!!

Virginia has a Tobacco Heritage personalized licence plate available. I remember telling my husband when we were getting plates for the van that it ought to have a blackened lung on it instead of a tobacco leaf.

Hawaii also has a no-smoking in restaurants ordinance. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I encountered it the first time. You're not allowed to smoke anywhere indoors. The problem with this is the previously noted one that folks congregate around doors to smoke. There is a new law, which will go into effect in October, that will ban smoking within 25 feet of doors, and also in open-air malls (which is great, since the big tourist malls are almost all open-air). Hopefully the beaches will also be made no-smoking soon. Throwing butts on the beach doesn't exactly speak well for malama the aina. :nono: (Stewardship of the land.)

San Antonio has a separate-ventilation smoking section requirement now. Only, they left a hole big enough to walk through. Literally. Smoking sections have to be walled off, but they don't have to have doors.http://www.smileypad.com/v221/Angry/BashHead.gif

Such a law is due to people like the ones who were smoking in front of the mall yesterday. They stand RIGHT smack in front of the entrance and I'm pushing a stroller while they puff smoke right where I have to pass the baby through. Maybe I should've been as rude as that one "lady" was to me and started fanning the air dramatically. But of course they could have been less rude and moved aside, or even have been standing to the side. They don't need to block the entrance. What? Is it some kind of statement they're making?

California is no smoking indoors in restaurants and bars, no smoking within 25 feet of entrances of public buildings, and in at least one city, no smoking anywhere but in a private home (I think the last one is a bit extreme, myself).

I think if everyone was considerate and understanding of other people's needs(smokers and non-smokers alike) we wouldn't have to spend our time passing such laws. That goes on both sides - the smokers who toss butts on the ground, blow smoke in peoples faces, and don't make reasonable efforts not to smoke around other people's children are unreasonable, as well as the non-smokers who complain about smoke when they have reasonable smoke-free accomodations (and I'm not talking a "non-smoking" section with smoke drifting into it, or picking another restaurant, or anything like that. I just remember being very frustrated at two women once complaining to a smoker about her smoking in a casino (already an environment that is smoky by nature - just take a trip to Vegas and you'll figure it out. Don't know why, but casinos are smoke factories) that not only was brand new and very well ventilated, but also had a huge smoke-free area on a completely separate ventilation system...)

I've seen lots of smokers crowding around entrances for a couple reasons - usually weather (you're in the rain and the only overhang is by the door) or stupid businesses who put ashtrays by the entrances. But I agree its absolutely inexcuseable to blow smoke in the faces of people who don't want it there, or worse, children.

laughs- ok this happened the other day and i just couldn't help but laugh .. i went to subway .. and you have to pull up to the window cause their speaker doesn't work which is no big deal i hate those things anyways .. so i pull up ..after a couple minutes the girl comes and gets my order...now i can see inside..there is NO ONE inside the store ... so i give her my order and then my phone rings so am talkin to a friend waiting for my sandwich .. tick ..tock... nothing .. all i ordered was one of those 4 inch deli rounds ..whats taking so long??! ... there are 3 girls in there!! the same girl that TOOK my order to begin with walks up to the drive thru window after about 5 minutes and goes... has anyone taken your order? uhm yea ...YOU! she goes ..oh .. and walks off ... about 5 minutes later i get my sandwich .. my friend and i were jus dyin laffin on the phone ..am like oh look .. she remembered!

Yup! We sat at our table for 15 minutes in a half empty restaurant and didn't even get a menu given to us - we got up and walked out, they never noticed. :shrug: