I have the most exciting LJ EVER.

[kiaxet]

One philosophical dissertation, one meme, and I'm back to recapping work. Hell yeah.

Though something different did happen today! I managed to piss off my section partner. I think.

My section partner today (RED SECTION HURRAH) was Laura. Laura...never smiles. Never. She's pessimistic and passive and seems like she's perpetually having a bad day, and this makes me crazy because I'm the Doctor Laura type and hate to see people having bad days.

Although I did once ask a coworker if Laura was doing alright (on a day when I thought she looked particularly melancholy), and said coworker told me this was one of Laura's good days. Melancholy is her default mood. This makes me insane, and while Laura can be a pretty cool person, I still don't like being partnered with her too often.

So I snaked a table today. To teach a bit of restaurant lingo, snaking a table is when the server greets the guests at the host stand (which is the I'm-bored-and-have-nothing-to-do hangout), seats them in their section, gets them chips, and pretty much takes the table from beginning to end. I snaked a table and tried to seat them in my section, but they wanted a booth. Okay, I sat them in Laura's section and went to chip them. In the meantime, Laura came to take their drink order. Oops.

Cue a small tiff in the kitchen over who exactly would be taking this table. By this time, it's around two p.m. and any lunch rush we had has long since died, and the few tables Laura and I have left are getting ready to pay and leave. Laura wants this table because it's technically in her section and she really wants money (she's behind on her rent and is asking to pick up shifts - she asked for one of mine later this week and I gave it to her). I want it because I snaked the damn thing and it's my turn. I wound up taking it and feeling kinda guilty, so I went to the hostess and told her in no uncertain terms that the table in Laura's section was actually mine and to please seat Laura next. Problem solved, right?

Nope. Ten minutes later, the hostess comes to find me and tell me I've been sat again. Evidently she tried to seat this table in Laura's section, but they wanted a table in mine because it was "less crowded" (despite the tables being the same size). Whups. Laura's right there, so I asked her if she wanted the table.

She turns it down, saying she "doesn't want to mix sections in red." Okay, first of all, it's not like we've never mixed sections before and it's come out okay. Secondly, nobody else is coming in. This is one of maybe four or five tables we've had in the past hour or so.

But alright, I have two tables. They were all wonderful people (I especially loved the four-top that was my last table, and I'm glad Laura didn't take them), and I made money, hurrah. Good times, we're done, I'm not feeling guilty because I gave Laura the option to take them and she said no.

Then - epilogue time - we found out that one of our servers who was working a double couldn't come in that night on account of being in the hospital (evidently he collapsed - hopefully it was just the heat), so Les asked me to work. I couldn't - we had an epic barbeque tonight and she needed my help - so I went out to the porch, explained the situation to Laura, and asked if she wanted the shift.

"Well, I don't think I can, but I know I'm going to get roped into doing it anyways so I might as well stick around."

This from the girl who is trying to pick up more shifts because she needs more money. What. Whaaaaaaaat.

TL;DR version:

Yes, I greeted and sat that table myself. No, you can't have it.
Turning down a table because you "didn't want to mix sections" in a dead restaurant is not a good plan if you "need more money" like you told me.
Turning down extra shifts, especially if you were just trying to get more shifts, is an especially stupid plan.

I sincerely wish her the best of luck with making rent this month, but no way am I putting up with her whining and perpetual bad mood. With any luck, I'll get paired up with somebody happy tomorrow night (which is 95% of the rest of my coworkers, so my odds are good).

Comments

[tafkae.livejournal.com]

It's times like this when there is only to say: CHEER UP, EMO KID!

[kiaxet]

...I should totally do that sometime. I think she'd kill me, but it'd be awesome.

[tafkae.livejournal.com]

Seriously, though... I wonder if she really hates the job, but doesn't feel like she can quit because she needs the money for rent. It'd certainly explain the counterproductive misery-misery holding pattern she's apparently locked in.

[kiaxet]

She told me she'd been at OtB for either months or years, I don't remember which. If she's spending this much time here, I sure hope she doesn't hate the job. >_>

It would explain things, though.

[nalina.livejournal.com]

Oy vey.... I wouldn't feel bad. Sounds like nothing woulda pleased her.

[kiaxet]

There's a reason I prefer not to partner with her. |D;;;

[ooshatielf.livejournal.com]

I can totally understand you! I have one coworker like that....she drives me batty. She has the tendency to yell at people too, I told her if she yells at me one more time then I'd take her infront of the manager to have her written up. So good luck with your girl!

[lunarwhirl.livejournal.com]

... What the hell. I probably would have bitched at her. :x