The Washington times., 1937-08-24

BOake Carter
Hostesses on Diners
Not Needed, Not Appreciated
Why Air Liners Need Girls

GONE bright personnel official
~ on the New York, New
Haven and Hartford Railroad
has decided that no one can
be comfortable or digest his
meal in the future without
being fused over by a bevy Of
mincing females, logged under
the title of "dining-car
hostesses."
Time magazine tells us that
the requirements of the job
are: Height, 5 feet 7 inches to
5 feet 10 inches; age, % to IS;
weight, lis to 1876 pounds.
Candidates must be unmarried.
College graduates preferred.
"They must pass a personality
test, must learn correct diction,
how to greet incoming diners,
how to make menu suggestions,
how to keep tabs on cooks and
walters"
Take look at those require
ments. If they do not consti-
tute a tacit admission that the
bright young railroad men are
not trying to supply SERVICE
but a sort Of glorified night
club air, then I don't know what
else they could admit.
There is no better service in
the world rendered than that
now given by dining-car
stewards, walters and porterS
on American railroad trains.
Their training schools are
exacting. Their years Of
apprenticeship are rigorous.
NOV, if it is basically service
~ that the bright young v-p'S
of "personality-plus" think the
railroads want from their
college blondes, then why de-
mand bust measurements, hip
sizes, and an unctious person
atty that makes one want to
leap out Of the window at the
next bridge to get away from
it all?
It seems to me that the
hostess racket has reached the
point where it has become
another characteristic national
ism. In a night club admittedly
one expects to be greeted by
a hostess.
But now you can't go any
where, it seems, unless some
mincing female, with person
atty plus, a mannequin'S figure
and frozen smile, comes
Waiting up to take you by the
hand-you're not supposed to
be able to walk alone-fusS
over you as you sit down and
tell you what you ought to eat.
If they are now to be scat
tered through the railroad
trains of America, then me for
the automobile again, notwith-
standing all the crazy galoots
who may run one into the
lamppost and break ones neck
passing on the corners.
x* X
7 THINK SO per cent of the
a. travelling population can
still take care Of itself. I object
to being forced to put forth the
effort to be polite, grin and
chatter imbecile inanities with
a bleached blonde who rattles
off diction.school "cawn'ts" at
a time when I don't want to
talk.
And yet, If I don't grin
and answer enthusiastically
"Rawther!" and intone "By
Jove, isn't it hot, Ell, what"
I'm marked down as rude, q
boor and q crouch and get no
attention. Against my will and
utterly unfairly, I am promptly
put on the defensive.
I'm quite well, able to ring
for the porter or the waiter If
I want him. I'm quite well able
to read the menu myself and
decide what 7 want to eat,
without being told that I've got
to eat something else. And I
dare say 80 per cent Of the rest
of the railroad travellers Of
America are Just as capable and
probably more so.
~
WOMEN are always personal
w in their relationships, be
they either with men or women.
And hostesses are women. In
addition they go out Of their
way to be Superpolite to the
gents. To put forth the effort
to return the play is bad enough
in a night club.