The union times., 1946-03-30
AFL Local Members
 List Pet Reeves

There are some things custom CTS ought to know for their own good, according to the patient, long-suffering waitresses who serve them in hotel dining rooms. These girls, members of Local 6, Hotel & Club Employees Union (AFL), gave Federated Press a list of pet peeves that would make the average guest sit up and reach for mirror. In the in terest of science, we can classify these specimens by type:
 CAFE CASANOVA: The guy who comes in trying to pick up a date. They wouldn't think of asking every secretary they see for a date, but they seem to think they can always date a waitress.
 TRAIN CATCHER: The party who wants quick service because he has to catch train. So you rush and serve him and then he takes up your table for an hour and half. All he had to catch was the subway.
 THE SUPERMAN: The super man feels, like Hitler, that he shouldn't have to eat in the same room with a member of a race he feels is not his equal. Typical: NI feel so sorry for you, such s nice girl to have to wait on col ored man."
 EPICURE: The character who keeps sending you back for this and that-who would like a soupcon of basil for his salad or, after you have brought it, maybe thyme is what it needs.
 DUTCH TREATERS: These are often women. They never order alike and they want everything tal- lied on separate checks. They each want a $lO changed and then each slip in a nickel for the tip.
 THE STIFF: This is a large and diversified category. There are all kinds of breeds, from the shamefaced ones who slink out when your back is turned to the ones who pick a quarrel to justify themselves. But they don't leave tips. Some avoid tipping by get ting their own drinks at the bar and carrying them to a table Then there is the wife who protests the tip is too big and takes away Soc out of 75c and the husband says: "Yes, dear."
 THE WALKOUT: This breed is probably the worlds meanest. Most of them don't know that the wait ress has to make good when she doesn't collect their check. Many are professionals and have devel- Oped the trick of leaving without paying to a fine art.
 THE MYSTIC: They expect you to be mind-readers. They will order fried eggs and when you bring them, they thought you knew they wanted them turned over
 INDIVIDUALIST Another name for this class might be s'skeptic. 5 They won't believe the menu or they prefer not to look at it. 'sAll I want is an artichoke," they say. "A large one, with butter." When they are reminded it is not on the menu, they become more insistent. Or they want a la carte items on the regular dinner. They ask what kind of ice cream you have and you tell them vanilla, chocolate and but ter pecan. They invariably say: ''I'll take strawberry
 THE REGULAR: Usually a man this character wants his friends to know he has been here before. "Hi, Nellie he will say to May, with an affectionate gesture, "how's the girl? p He is apt to order: Bring the usuap' and is mortified if the waitress has to ask what is usual.
 Summing up, the waitresses say of customers: ''In general, we dis like their bad manners. The ma jOrity haven't yet learned to treat waitresses as people who are doing them a service, and not as their personal maids"
 All of this doesn't mean that the ideal customer is one who mouses in, carefully lodging the waitress with her tray, takes back table, says, "I'1l take the same," gulps it and leaves pronto after deposing a good sized tip. Just some approximation oi such a mythical character makes a waitress very, very happy.