The Pilkerton’s and I were eating a little dinner at the new IHOP in Wallingford. We waited 15 minutes for a table; the place was PACKED. Waitresses were running around breaking a sweat, the manager was even in the kitchen helping move things along.
Our waitress came and apologized for the wait, took our order, and we sat talking (as one would assume you might when going out to eat with family/friends). The family behind us was getting frustrated with the wait. Before I knew it, a large, NASCAR loving, Dunkin Donuts regular was walking into the kitchen. I kid you not.
He began yelling at all of the workers in back, demanding his pancakes. He had been “waiting for over 35 minutes for some damn pancakes!” That was not actually true, but to someone like that, 15 minutes seems like forever.
He continued his rampage by yelling at his/our waitress and eventually having a supervisor come over.
He explained that he was “used to yelling like this” to get what he wants. None of us were surprised at that quote.
What would you have done? Kicked him out? Punched him in the face with a crepe? Any of those might be what he deserved, but IHOP decided to save their business and give his entire family their meal for free. Yep. All 5 of them, clones of their asshole leader.
We shared our disgust with our waitress, who informed us that he did not feel it necessary to leave any sort of tip, even after getting $50 worth of breakfast treats on the house as a reward for acting like a child.
It might have ended there, with all of us a little more disappointed in society. But instead, the scent of justice moved through the air a few days later.
Derek and I were at the Wallingford Stop and Shop (one of my top 5 favorite places ever:)) checking ourselves out when we saw a large man lumbering around the exit. Derek recognized that novelty hat anywhere; it was that pancake stealing asshat. We convened at the bagging area. What should we do? This asshole was waiting for his wife to buy and bag all the groceries while he stood around impatiently. I suggested a few words that could hit him where it hurt, and Derek stepped up to the plate.
We headed towards the exit and came within feet of this large buffoon. Derek stopped him.
“Excuse me sir, were you at IHOP the other night?”
“Oh yea! That was me!” (obviously proud of his tantrum)
“Oh yea? Well, don’t worry about your waitress, we took care of her tip for you, since you didn’t feel the need to do so.”
“What? Uh… the waitress was part of the problem.”
“NO. The problem was that they were busy. THAT was the problem. But don’t worry about it, WE took care of it FOR you. Have a good day.”
We walked out triumphantly as the man stood there, calculating some sort of retort that never came.
JUSTICE.
paaaannnncaaaaaaaakeees!!!
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MadrasJustice 