an open letter to my waiter from your "princessa"

[davidthegnome]

36. Should have talked to his manager.

They might have even offered you a free meal for the inconvenience. I can understand the fear that is the result of living in this society of so many murderers, violent sex offenders - and pure idiots. Has it gotten so bad that a waiter can't flirt (well, flirt POORLY) without a woman wondering if he's a dangerous lunatic? Being a man, maybe I just can't understand these things.

Still, that comment might have made me a bit nervous too. Spike the diet coke with tequila? I'm sorry, what? Uhm, manager?

Seems to me that this guy was either poorly trained, or is socially awkward, or maybe just really awful at flirting. Then again, for all I know, he could be a lunatic with a gun. He could be a violent sex offender waiting to happen. I get that terms of endearment like Princessa/dear/honey/sweetie/whatever can be looked at as condescending. I think it's usually meant in a friendly or slightly flirtatious manner as opposed to something deliberately insulting or condescending... but, hell, I don't know.

I guess the primary difference is that a Waitress can pretty much call me whatever the heck she wants to, and it doesn't really make me nervous. I know she's almost certainly not going to be stalking me at night, spiking my drink, or planning to beat the crap out of me (unless it's my sister, she might do those things - except for the stalking)

It's depressing that we live in such a culture of fear. While that's the case though... I think professionalism is pretty much the way to go.