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Head shaker.....

5K views 45 replies 15 participants last post by  jimyra 
#1 ·
So yesterday, the wife and I go into a local café for coffees.  Girl at the front counter served us.  Attractive, 20-ish, wearing a work-appropriate top that ended at her waist and tight black leggings.  O.k. so far appropriate for a coffee place.  Strapped to her right thigh, with some kind of a mnfctrd elastic holster, was her cell phone......  James Bond, eat yer heart out....

Had to give my head a shake.  O.K., yeah most servers have their cellphone jammed in their rear pocket, never paid it much thought.  And, yeah, it figures, that with those tight black leggings, the girl has no pockets.

But-tumm,---ah the "old fart" in me would tell the girl to shove the phone in her locker, or wherever she keeps her coat and purse.  Owner was right beside her, so he must have o.k.'d the said fashion item. 
 
#2 ·
It's amazing how attached people have become to their cellphones, especially it seems the younger generation and by that I mean people in their 20s and younger.   Maybe it's the "old fart" in me but I wonder why they need to be so connected all the time?
 
#3 ·
Um....im afraid my viewpoint will be somewhat........tainted
my friend, even though Im older than you. This due to my
being, and having grown up in Sothern Calif, Los Angeles area.
The image you describe seems quite docile to me, as I prepare
to go about my day no doubt encountering school girls with
so much eyeshadow they look beaten, young guys standing in
line with their shorts around their knees proudly displaying a full
10 inches of their....boxer shorts, pulling up beside a classic chevy
with open windows while my own vibrate from the loud rap music
pouring into the open air, containing many words i couldnt bring
myself to say aloud even secluded in a forest...and of course a ....
colorful.... waitress or two trying to assert their individuality while
serving folks their coffee and vittles. There she stands, one in particular
at a ....family type restaurant we frequent, with her tats crawling
up her arm (and down a thigh) her lip piercings, her glitter nails, all
topped off with a 3 inch wide streak of bright purple hair running through the
dirty blonde. "Im sorry could you repeat that about the special?"
(because i couldnt understand a word of it due to that tongue
ring of yours. Its like learning a whole new language)
And yet, in the end....I find myself considering her kind of cute.
What is WRONG with me?? Oh yeah, Ive been in LA too long, that's all.
 
#5 ·
Foodpump, your in Vancouver BC, I know there is much worse than that. We go through Nelson BC to go up to Ainsworth Hot Springs. This is a small town with a hippy feel of the 70's. Nothing surprises me in todays world. When I really think I've seen it all I go through Portland, Oregon and it shows me more than I can handle.

leeniek, you are an old fart!
 
#6 · (Edited)
Um....im afraid my viewpoint will be somewhat........tainted
my friend, even though Im older than you. This due to my
being, and having grown up in Sothern Calif, Los Angeles area.
The image you describe seems quite docile to me, as I prepare
to go about my day no doubt encountering school girls with
so much eyeshadow they look beaten, young guys standing in
line with their shorts around their knees proudly displaying a full
10 inches of their....boxer shorts, pulling up beside a classic chevy
with open windows while my own vibrate from the loud rap music
pouring into the open air, containing many words i couldnt bring
myself to say aloud even secluded in a forest...and of course a ....
colorful.... waitress or two trying to assert their individuality while
serving folks their coffee and vittles. There she stands, one in particular
at a ....family type restaurant we frequent, with her tats crawling
up her arm (and down a thigh) her lip piercings, her glitter nails, all
topped off with a 3 inch wide streak of bright purple hair running through the
dirty blonde. "Im sorry could you repeat that about the special?"
(because i couldnt understand a word of it due to that tongue
ring of yours. Its like learning a whole new language)
And yet, in the end....I find myself considering her kind of cute.
What is WRONG with me?? Oh yeah, Ive been in LA too long, that's all.
Move to the sfv and hang out in BH. ;-)

It's a different world we live in now.

In the workplace, in my experience, personal phone calls were not allowed.
 
#7 ·
And yet, in the end....I find myself considering her kind of cute.
What is WRONG with me??
Nothing. I sometimes feel the same way. If they can do their job, then who cares? Maybe it's because I live in NYC?

Starbucks doesn't allow visible tats. I personally hate starbucks, but the woman I saw had bandaids all over her hands and wrists. I asked why and she said "policy." Tattoos are relatively ubiquitous nowadays. Why so conservative and stringent? For a coffee shop catering to hipsters and the lowest common denominator? Outliers should be embraced, not ostracized. Within reason of course, but that is where the confusion/ arguments start.

As far as phones? Again. As long as they do their jobs and are attentive. Even if you are working, it doesn't mean your employer owns you. You have the right to coordinate your life while at work. Within reason, of course. You are not a slave to the owner for the entire 8-10 hour shift. Todays method of communication is immediate. Not like in the old days when people would wait a 24 hours to get back to you and were more proactive about scheduling their lives.

I was at the METropolitan Museum cafe in New York, and I had to practically stand up and wave like I was stranded on an island to get the waitstaff's attention. They purposefully ignored customers, and stood by their station like soldiers guarding the palace. They had uniforms and looked all the same = Wactors or actor wannabees. They were too good to provide water or the missing butter. That was for the hispanic runners and busboys.

I'm far more concerned with people texting and driving, or texting and walking, or texting while in a movie theater. Or talking loudly on a bus or train.
 
#8 ·
LOL ... "The World of Entitlement".

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin' ... I don't know about Starbucks' policy, in general, but by my house lots of the coffee workers have visible tatts. Whenever I'm in place with a no service kinda attitude ... I just start tossing stuff around ... like launching stuff with a spoon-catapult. People start moving. My wife usually gets ready to walk out.
 
#9 ·
I guess I should clarify a bit...Its not the server's choice of clothing or how she wants to assert herself.Its just that she has her phone strapped to her leg....Now, I'm going to assume that she has some kind of house key, car key, or bike key, that she has some kind of wallet with some kind of money and some kind of I.D.But these aren't strapped to her leg, those are probably sitting in a locker or drawer.O.k. Yes I am an employer, and yes, I expect employees to work for me for the hours I pay them. However, like many employers, my employees have two coffee breaks and one lunch break per shift. It goes without saying, that what you do on your break is your business. In other words you have the opportunity to check your phone every two hours. I also have a soft spot for working Moms and know they have to check in with their kids, or employees who have elderly at home to look after. But a pretty 20-something?I dunno, seeing a phone stuck in a back pocket doesn't get me, but having a phone strapped to your leg does......
 
#10 ·
Todays method of communication is immediate. Not like in the old days when people would wait a 24 hours to get back to you and were more proactive about scheduling their lives.
As was said, I might understand if you are a working mom and have children at home or take care of a elderly parent. But 99% of the time texts and calls are complete BS. Cell phones have become an addiction as evidenced by people having to have a phone in their hand. I read awhile ago that some company is marketing a piece of plastic about the size of an iPhone that you can use to wean yourself off the addiction.
 
#11 ·
Hey foodpump ... All things being what they were ... did she at the very least ... have nice looking legs?!? Did she have some bit of a hot look w/ the phone strapped to her leg?!? I mean ... you know ... was it worth the effort?!?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Well then fp ... there it is ... If she can show it off ... she can show it off. Maybe she uses it kinda like a "sales tool".

Think of it this way ... Would you rather it be HER or ME serving you your coffee?!?
 
#15 ·
Well. You didnt say in your original post that she had great legs--
that changes everything!! :p

Seriously though, I think the problem at the core is that having it strapped to her
leg and easily accessible, sort of silently implies an intent to USE it.
To initiate a call sure, but much more likely to receive them.
Here you have a phone that at any time can ring 3 feet from the customers nose
when she's standing at the table.
If I got right down to it, I suppos I would find that distracting too.
 
#16 ·
Even in small town America, you'll find the pierced, tattooed, and colorful hair.

Things is, in these places people stare at you and refuse to be served by you.

Server with her nose, and eyebrow piercings comes to your table with her 8 month old baby in her arms, and her enlarged breasts staring at you to take your order.

Nothing new here.
 
#20 · (Edited)
As was said, I might understand if you are a working mom and have children at home or take care of a elderly parent. But 99% of the time texts and calls are complete BS. Cell phones have become an addiction as evidenced by people having to have a phone in their hand. I read awhile ago that some company is marketing a piece of plastic about the size of an iPhone that you can use to wean yourself off the addiction.
Frankly, none of us really know what this woman does "outside" the environs of her job at a coffee shop. Sure, a lot can be trivial, but then again, so can 90% of every conversation ever had. This woman might have other gigs going on, either with music or art or whatever. You simply don't know if she needs to respond to inquires in a timely manner. Today that means immediately. Give people the freedom to have a life, just like office workers do when they gab around the water cooler, take 1.5 hour lunches, or surf the internet for their next vacation. Service workers deserve the same liberties as managers and executives. I don't deny the addictive nature and how people sometimes use them like pacifiers, but I try not to make sweeping generalizations about people. Moms and care givers aren't the only reasons to be 'available.' Again, as long as she does her job and is attentive and productive.

I also wouldn't trust a BOH locker to protect an $800 computer. I'd strap it to my leg as well if I had no pockets. Surely being a waitress at a coffee shop pays enough to replace it if it gets stolen, right?

It also occurred to me that fashion designers are teaming up with tech to integrate computers with clothing. Maybe she was making a fashion statement.
 
#21 ·
Originally Posted by jake t buds

Again, as long as she does her job and is attentive and productive.
Everyone that carries a cellphone at work thinks that they fit into this category... not everyone does though...abuse does occur...how do you draw the line and
Give people the freedom to have a life
??? It is a difficult conundrum to solve. People can't deny black and white policies; gray areas they can abuse the hell out of.
 
#22 ·
. This woman might have other gigs going on, either with music or art or whatever. You simply don't know if she needs to respond to inquires in a timely manner.
Precisely my point. See, I'm "one of them", the employer. I sign the paychecks, I hump 18 hr days looking for contracts and marketing opportunities, mainly to keep my staff employed. Because I know if they get less than 30 hrs a week I'll lose them.

When I was at the Marriott in S'pore there was this waiter who sold insurance on the side. Every one knew enough to stay away from him in the lunch room, but the guy would hit you up at work. H.R. gave him a warning after people complained, disciplined him after the second violation, and canned him after the third. It wasn't the p.i.t.a. factor, it was that he was using company time for non-company purposes.

Last summer my 16 yr old kid wanted a new bike, nothing the matter with his old one, so I told him he could work for me. Slave labour at $11.25/hr. Every time I turned around he was in a corner texting. Took him aside and told him he could text all he wanted on his breaks. After a week I canned him. He gets a job washing dishes down the street, they made it very clear that his cellphone stayed in his bag.

Two months ago I canned our barrista. Her shift started at 10, she'd come in at 10:10, lock herself in the bathroom and yap on her phone for 15 minutes, she'd sign in for 10 am. Day I canned her, I caught her signing in for 10 am, asked her to pull out her phone and note the time, she refused to acknowledge the phone said 10;30-ish.

So I dunno...If I'm paying for your labour, I expect it. I don't negotiate for 2$ an hour cheaper if you can text or call during your shift about your p/t gigs.. Yes you can yap with your co-worker, chat up guests, but if you use your phone to earn money on my time, or to discuss your evening plans--or god forbid read your all-important texts regarding your current score on call-of-duty, you're outta here....

You didn't get my point about the girl's other items like wallet, keys, I.D. that didn't get strapped to her leg, but her phone did.

Fashion designers, deschmigners, whatever you want to wear on your time off is your business, just not at work.
 
#23 ·
@foodpump I most certainly did get your point about the other items, but find it irrelevant. What you described is behavior NOT within reason. I suggest that if she took a call or a text for 20 seconds while NOT ignoring her duties, then all ok. If it happens every three minutes, then its not ok. The people you describe were fired for abusing the privilege, and I would have fired them as well. I never denied that abuse occurs, but people do have the right to coordinate their life, even freelance gigs, regardless if it's on the employers time. Its called human dignity, especially if there is no conflict of interest. This is hard for owner/ operators to understand because they see labor as a liability. Therefore, every minute you pay someone entitles you to own that person's minute. Or all 8 -10 hours(and sometimes more). It abstractly affects the bottom line, even if it doesn't. It's seen as a distraction, even if it isn't. Black and white rules are just as abusive as grey ones that are open to interpretation.

We're talking about a waitress in a coffee shop, ffs. If she takes 20 seconds a few times a day to answer texts but still does her job above and beyond the call of duty, why would you as an employer care? But I must re-iterate in case you missed it the first time. Within reason.
 
#24 ·
WOW. Mix and match-amundo. Generally speaking now, and not at all an all the time thing, but it's my experience that all those employees I've dealt with that "do there job above and beyond the call of duty" , just don't give me any reason to notice them doing things that would get so much on my nerves. I'm sorry, but I'm in the camp that believes that you do not need to be on the phone when you are at work. Break and lunch time ... NO problemmo ... but ON THE JOB ... lose the phone. Really good stretch to call anything in this conversation "human dignity". Maybe see if you can find a political group that will back you on that thought.
 
#25 ·
Uh-huh....

Lets do a 180 here...

You pay X $ for concert tix.  In the  middle of a set, one of the musicians slides out her cell and stares at it for 20 or so seconds.  During this time she loses her beat, and it takes her well over 10 minutes afterwards to catch up.

Do you stop and think wtf?  Can't she do this inbetween sets?  I mean the concert is only 2 hrs and there's set breaks every half and hour.  Do you feel somewhat cheated, or not getting your money's worth?
 
#26 ·
Within reason- "reason" depends on who you are talking to. People today think it's their God given right to carry a phone and be in constant contact with their friends. Ok, if they are responsible enough to understand that they have a job to do and not let their phone interfere then I wouldn't have a problem. But that would be very unusual. Just look at the driving while texting or talking on the cell phone stats. If they made cell phone use while driving a felony punishable by a $250,000 fine and 6 months imprisonment I don't think it would do anything. The only thing that would make a difference is to stop cell phones from working when used by the driver of a vehicle but not the passengers. If I could figure out a way to do that I would be the next Bill Gates.
 
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