Christina+C’s+OpEd+Article



Just because someone is waiting your table or taking your bags at a hotel doesn’t mean they’re somehow “below” you. Perhaps it's time you came down from your lofty self-proclaimed pedestals.

This isn’t 16th century aristocratic France; this is 21st century democratic America.

It could easily be you working as a waiter, or a bellboy or girl, a janitor, or any other lower level job we seem to subconsciously associate with a lower stature. The fact that you find yourself better off and they happen to be doing their job by catering to your needs in no way entitles you to take advantage of their situation. I’ve seen people ordering their waiters around, witnessed the uncomfortable atmosphere in the restaurant as a lady bombards the server with complaints about her less-than-satifactory meal, and demands it be taken away immediately, when she could have just politely asked, and any mishap was more likely on the part of the chef. And then to top it all off she has the audacity to leave without tipping.

I think how you treat staff actually says a lot about you. It’s how you treat someone when you aren’t necessarily obligated to be polite, you do so simply because it’s the right thing to do, and that’s who you are. It's a test of character. Because that bellboy doesn’t have to be dragging your over packed suitcases around; I’m sure he’d rather be anywhere else. And really, you wouldn’t be doing any better. So next time you go out to eat, or are at any public place really, respect the staff; they’re just as worthy, or even more worthy at times, of our respect, doing the jobs that someone has to do, even if no one wants to.