Why I only order Chinese food over the phone . . .

[Leopardmadcat]

There's no need to be rude, but they definitely need to be told off. Body language can work a lot better than "colorful vocabulary".

That's my point, YOU HAVE TO BE RUDE TO THEM! Otherwise they ignore you. And the only 'body language' I know that can get there attention is a swift kick to their ass. Anything less and you may as well try teaching math to a tortoise...

[Antisocial_Worker]

To also touch, tangentially, on the thrust (tee hee -- I feel so naughty) of the OP, I can report in on the goings-on of restaurants in a tourist town.

Just as tourists, especially from larger cities, should not immediately assume that anyone of (ethnicity) lurking in the vicinity of (ethnic) restaurant works there, they also shouldn't assume that there are no good ethnic restaurants in a given city just because it doesn't have a large population of that particular ethnicity.

To do so is insulting to the hardworking owners and employees of such restaurants. It's not like they're back there in the kitchen playing pretend. Granted, perhaps you wouldn't expect to find excellent Chinese in a smallish city in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, but it's here. We also have excellent Mexican, Thai, Jamaican, Greek, and Indian, among many other selections. You really don't need critical mass to have good ethnic restaurants. You just need restaurateurs, many of whom employ their large extended families as waitstaff, who are here for the same reason everyone else moved here -- they like the weather, the city, and the scenery.

(Bonus tangent -- I think it's also really cool when you see a Chinese buffet get popular with Mexicans, because then you get to listen to the owner and the waitresses switch effortlessly between Mandarin, English, and Spanish.)

[Samaliel]

That's my point, YOU HAVE TO BE RUDE TO THEM! Otherwise they ignore you. And the only 'body language' I know that can get there attention is a swift kick to their ass. Anything less and you may as well try teaching math to a tortoise...

I would have thought that just poking your forefinger on their chest would be enough to get your point across. Hopefully, even stupid as they are, they will be able to factor this with the fact that almost none, if any, employee would react like that with a customer and conclude that you don't work there.

Yes, we've seen some terminal cases of Stupiditis Improbabilis where the customer will insist that you work there and should be fired, but not even an atom bomb would get through their skull.

[Record Store Tough Guy]

Let's see, did I miss anyone?

The Scots. I missed it too. Didn't notice it until it was pointed out by my sheep girlfriend.

[AdminAssistant]

Let's see, did I miss anyone?

Everyone from the American South is a racist, unwashed, inbred hillbilly with no education who loves Toby Keith and votes Republican.

It hurt me to type that sentence.

Seriously, I love telling people a) I'm from rural Arkansas, the delta, no less b) I grew up in a trailer c) I'm starting work on my Ph.D. in August. The last part blows the Yankee city folks circuitry.

[draftermatt]

who loves Toby Keith and votes Republican.

And ironically, Toby Keith is a registered democrat.

[Lace Neil Singer]

You missed out the Welsh and Irish, too. You know, that the Welsh are short and troll like, and shag sheep; and the Irish are thick and spend their entire time eating potatoes and drinking Guiness. Scots too; you know how stingy they are and how copper wire was invented by two Scotsmen fighting over a penny? Of course, you could bypass that by lumping us all together and calling us "Brits" like a lot of Americans do. XD Is that a stereotype of Americans? I have seen it happen on many a message board.

In my village, there's a brilliant Chinese/Thai restaurant and a chippy that are connected and run by this Chinese family. They are great at cooking both kinds of food and run both places really well. ^^ I'm sure that there are a lot of visitors who wouldn't straight away realise that the places are connected, which would be good for laughs.

[Jester]

And ironically, Toby Keith is a registered democrat.

Also OT, but related to that comment: Toby Keith is also an asshole with the personality of a rusty doorknob, who drinks his Michelob Ultras with salt in them.

No, I don't like the man. I still want that (thankfully short) time spent drinking with him back. Idiot.

You missed out the Welsh and Irish, too.

I most certainly did NOT miss the Irish. Look:

...all Irish are loud obnoxious drunks...

See?

[vloglady]

I always have an overwhelming urge to say something like all dishes today are 50¢. we close at 4pm. soda is free. hardware is over there (pointing in the totally wrong direction).

Weird stuff. after all, what can they do to you?

Susan

[Chanlin]

I live in the midwest and have never seen it. So its probably a much more local thing.

Maybe. I have yet to visit a sit down chineese restaurant in the area that does not have curry on the menu in one form or another.

Not all of them serve it the same either and for some of them calling it curry is an insult to curry.

[Jester]

I ordered chicken curry from my favorite Chinese place today, and while it was good (not great), they should have renamed it onion curry. Tons of onions, not much chicken. I LIKE onions, don't get me wrong, but they kind of missed the mark on this one.

[Exodus212]

Idiotic, moronic, EW-ish, and kinda racist. Two of my friends, who are obviously not Aisan both work at a Chinese restaurant. Stuff like that sometimes happens. One time, the following happened.

A = Friend
SC = Stupid customer in this case.
Me =

A: Welcome to <restaurant>, this is A, how may I help you?
SC: Can you get me an employee?
A: I am an employee.
SC: No you're not.
A: Sir, I am wearing the uniform, wearing a name tag, and am working behind the counter. I am an employee.
SC: Noooo, only (I hate typing racist terms) chinks work at Chinese restaurants.
A: Sir, leave this restaurant now.
SC: And what if I don't, bitch?!

NOTE: A is a girl.

Me: Then the police will be called.
SC: Oh, fuck you fatass!

Now, I have a few red buttons that are easily pushed. One of them is my weight. I snapped.

Me: GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I BEAT YOUR ASS!
SC: MAKE ME!

At this point, A tries to calm me down and tells SC to get out.

SC: Get your fucking hands off me!
A: LEAVE. NOW.

SC grabs the front of A's shirt and pulls her. The uniform shirt buttons up all the way, so this opens A's shirt somewhat. She yells at SC to let her go. He had grabbed onto her bra as well, so she was covering herself and screaming her face off.

SC: And what if I don't? Maybe I'll just do this...

And SC does the unthinkable. He actually PULLS DOWN A's pants, and snaps her thong. I go completely APESHIT and totally deck him. At this point, the manager had sprinted out and called the cops. He checks on A while I grapple with SC.

Long story short: I break SC's jaw and I get two black eyes and a broken nose. SC get hauled away on several charges of sexual harassment and assault. A is visibly shaken, and gets two paid weeks off and has to go to counseling. I get 10 hours of Community Service for breaking SC's jaw.

Wow. That was a bit longer than I thought.

[cinema guy]

I have to say this, Exodus:

[Evil Queen]

Wow, Exodus, you rock for protecting your friend that way.

[Record Store Tough Guy]

I'd consider that a fair trade.