She was crackers!!

[customersruinmylife]

I forgot about this lady...

So, over the Christmas period, we get a lot of parties in. Most of them are people who have just come straight from work and want a bite to eat and a drink. Some people ring ahead and book tables, which we simply shove together and put "RESERVED" signs on. But one group wanted something a little more special. Something a bit more Christmasy. They booked a week in advance, and the very nice lady who was organising it came in and gave us money to buy things like napkins, table cloths and crackers. Very nice of her.

So, it was the day of the booking. And I took on the task of getting it together. The booking was for 30 people, so I set aside an area of the bar and started work on it. It was great fun. Very relaxing spending my time decorating tables, lighting candles ect ect rather than dealing with customers.

Then the family came along.

It was a large family. Grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, brother, sister and six children. They decided it would be best to position themselves right next to the large booking, and proceeded to be as disruptive and noisey as possible. I ignored them and carried on making oragami napkins. I have my back turned to the family.

I turn around to start putting the napkins on the tables, and I see the mother. She has three boxes of christmas crackers and several unlit candles in her hands.

Husband: Quick honey!

The wife drops the candles, but proceed to run back to her table with the crackers! She then dumps the boxes of crackers in front of the six children, who attempt to tear open the boxes.

Me: Excuse me!!
Wife: What??
Me: I need those crackers!
Wife: What about the kids? Can't the kids pull a few crackers?

The kids looked at me with huge puppy dog eyes.

Me: No, I need them.
Wife: Surely you don't need them all!
Me: I don't. But you were rude. If you had asked me for a few spare crackers, I would have been happy to give you them, but you didn't. So you're not getting any.

I picked up the crackers up off the tables. The children looked as though they were about to cry. I walked back and carried on what I was doing.

Wife: You're really mean! You know that!
Cool Grandfather: It serves you right. I told you to ask.

As I worked, I heard her mutter:

Wife: Well, we nearly got away with it, didn't we kids?

Yes, that's right. You teach your kids that stealing is OK, and teach them how to "nearly" get away with it.

[MadMike]

Wife: Well, we nearly got away with it, didn't we kids?

And she would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling waitresses!

[corporateslave]

As I worked, I heard her mutter:

Wife: Well, we nearly got away with it, didn't we kids?

I just don't understand.. Why steal crackers? Wow.. Geez. I don't know why these things still surprise me sometimes.

[Nakajo]

I just don't understand.. Why steal crackers? Wow.. Geez. I don't know why these things still surprise me sometimes.

I'm pretty sure she means these crackers:



Not these:



I can understand the lure of the fun crackers, but I'd NEVER steal them, geez. Lady's got some nerve.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I was confused too. I was all, "Crakers? Are they good like ...uh... fortune cookies? You tear those apart too..."

Craziness!

[friendofjimmyk]

I turn around to start putting the napkins on the tables, and I see the mother. She has three boxes of christmas crackers and several unlit candles in her hands.

.

We are missing that it wasn't JUST the candles...this gem of a mother was ALSO trying to take the candles. What would've been her reasoning for that? Candle wax on the nipples later for her and hubby?

[bainsidhe]

I might've pointed out that they weren't the bar's crackers to give out. You mentioned the nice lady with the party already gave some money for these items. So basically this woman was stealing from other customers. I don't think I could've held back pointing out that stealing is WRONG. Then mutter a few choice un-Christmasy phrases under my breath. Will the nerve of people ever cease?!? Good grief.

[persephone]

Will the nerve of people ever cease?!? Good grief.

I'm sure to HER there was nothing wrong with her behavior. People are being taught from a very young age now that nobody should be allowed to have anything that everyone else doesn't have. I won't go too far into it because it's Fratching territory but ask your kid about those nice school supplies you bought him or her before school started.

Chances are, if they went to a government school here in the US, those supplies were all put in a box for "the whole class" to use because why should one student have more or better stuff than any other?

We're just teaching people that it's okay to forcibly take something you want from someone else. It really gets under my skin.

(steps back before she REALLY gets going and makes the mods mad. The above practice is why my kids go to private school)

[Cat]

Its stories like these that make me realize how well brought up my lil cousins are!!


They love those crackers, but noone in my fam would swipe 'em from another party!

[wagegoth]

My kids go to public school and have to bring in a lot of supplies, but their supplies are their supplies. Local businesses donate supplies for the other students.

[Arcade Man D]

ask your kid about those nice school supplies you bought him or her before school started.

Chances are, if they went to a government school here in the US, those supplies were all put in a box for "the whole class" to use because why should one student have more or better stuff than any other?

That *never* happened at the schools I went to, and I went to public school from K-12.

[otakuneko]

That *never* happened at the schools I went to, and I went to public school from K-12.

Ditto.

Then again, things change.

[persephone]

That *never* happened at the schools I went to, and I went to public school from K-12.

It didn't happen to me, either, but it's happening in a lot of the local and government schools now. Students are carefully being taught that they shouldn't have things other people have. At my son's day care, they tried to take the few pieces of candy I'd sent with him right after Halloween because "he didn't have enough to give everyone some." No, he didn't. The candy was for HIM with HIS lunch, not for everyone else. You better believe I raised a stink there and that he's in a different day care now.

The school supplies thing happens in every one of the public schools where I live as far as I know and it happened to my nieces and nephews in their schools (different cities and states than mine). Okay maybe it's not every school, but it does happen in a lot of them when the children are in elementary school.

Again, let's not get on Fratching subject here, I was just saying how it seems that people are being trained to think more and more that they have a right to what other people have, even if what "other people have" is private property they have purchased. It's like the "right" to internet access or a large TV. People are becoming more and more EWs.

[One-Fang]

I can sort of see where the family are coming from. If they'd assumed your bar supplied these things for booked parties they could have guessed that, as other paying customers, they had a right to some too.

But they should have asked. Whereupon you could have explained "The customers who booked this table paid for and provided these. They are theirs, not ours."

What a sucky way to be bringing up your kids. Sounds like cool granddad probably did things right, but look what he ended up with. Either a son or daughter that does this and teaches their kids too. Guess cool grandad didn't do quite the job he could have, either.

[Hyndis]

Chances are, if they went to a government school here in the US, those supplies were all put in a box for "the whole class" to use because why should one student have more or better stuff than any other?

I've had a teacher try to do this to me when I was in school.

I asked the teacher why she was trying to steal my things. I pointed out that they had been purchased by my family and that you can't just take another person's items without their consent.

I was never "volunteered" to share things again.