Classiness: A Dying Art?

Well, is it? Consider an example of why Elizabeth Taylor was a class act. How many do you think would do this today? I think it would be a very small number. Me personally, I wouldn't unless you did something horrible to me (as in something so terrible that if I did it, anyone who heard about it would say I was justified & you had it coming).

Now after your oldest friend in the world becomes a person you can't respect & you experience the general human fails that I have, it would take a lot for me to sell you out to the press. That motivation completely smothers any kind of financial incentive anyone could offer me.

In contrast, here's an example of behavior that isn't classy at all.

I don't have firsthand knowledge since I'm not an Elite reviewer (forget about me revealing a real name since I can't be assured I won't be bothered for things) but I completely agree with not expecting people to eat lightly when you schedule an event during meal time. I consider myself polite enough on this matter but maybe that's because I go to & have been to events where a sense of decorum is expected. You just look lame if you try this at a museum opening or some of the legal events I've been to that had fancy spreads. It's akin to gawking at the naked people displayed in paintings and statues at a museum.

One other thing I find completely lacking in class: establishments that have "rules" for customers or encourage their staff to be rude to you. Apparently, there's a crowd that thinks such things are acceptable or "New York," if you will.

This particular article pisses me off for numerous reasons & not just because Eater NYC dares to compare anyplace else to Chick-Fil-A (there's no substitute for it, you bastards). I have 2 gripes on this one:

1. The places they compare to these chains are expensive compared to prices at the chain in question. Friendly's akin to Stadium Grill, a dining establishment in a pricey bowling alley in Times Square a.k.a. a bastion of price gouging? No!

2. Comparing Jack in the Box to Shopsin's, a restaurant known for it's patron "rules." Last time I checked, Jack in the Box didn't have "rules" for eating there.

I will NEVER in a million, trillion years patronize any establishment that thinks it's okay to issue rules to me or to treat me like shit for no reason. Shopsin's is apparently not the only place in NYC that has this level of pretension & total lack of class.

A tip: "rules" only work if your staff is practicing the pinnacle of good customer service. If you did not employ people who get attitude, make insulting remarks or behave in a way inconsistent with good customer service, you wouldn't have people like me want to kill you. I've been to enough dining establishments to see some servers and others dealing with the public taking their dissatisfaction with their job & life out on me when my party did nothing to provoke them.

Guess what? YOU chose that job. I'm not your boss, your child or your loan officer. I'm your customer. As your customer, I have some basic requirements of civility & doing your damn job. I don't care if you're having a bad day; I worked in retail for 7 years & I never, in all that time, took out my personal frustrations & problems on innocent customers who didn't do anything to me. If I can do that, anyone else can. If you can't, stop working with the public since you're clearly unhappy & need to do something where you can either be a prick or avoid the general public at all costs.

Another thing: if you want to ban me getting things removed from an item, you need to comp my food. Some people have food allergies, dietary restrictions or are simply picky. If I'm paying for it, I've got every damn right to have it MY WAY. If I wanted it YOUR way then YOU'D pay for it. Got it?

Plus, I'm saving your restaurant money & resources by not using whatever I asked not to have on my food. Unless of course, you're just getting it from a bag or something. In that case, I shouldn't bother spending money there anyway, should I? I should just cook at home. If everyone did that, then where would your little business be? Who'd eat there? You'd be out on the street.

Now, my husband & I have rarely had experiences in NYC establishments. We also don't have unreasonable expectations or belittle servers since we've had to deal with the general public, done some less glamorous jobs and know people who've been servers. If someone's violated our expectations, you know they don't need to be there. I definitely complained and made a stink when that happened. Unlike these pretentious dirtbags, the management I've encountered actually seemed to care & bothered to made amends.

Who on Earth finds rudeness charming or endearing? I sure don't. It just pisses me off & makes me want to take you down a few notches. Let me tell you non-lawyers something: you can't win a rudeness match against a lawyer. When you've been told you could kill someone with your words, no one else stands a chance.

Pissing me off isn't going to get me to patronize your establishment. It will just get me to boycott and make damn sure you never get recommended by me. I'd personally be your worst enemy for violating logic or starting problems with me. I may not start problems but you'd best believe I'd defend myself in a second if someone started things.

The opposite is true if I had a good experience. In that case, I'll be your biggest cheerleader and make sure you get some cred in whatever way I can.

Now if I found out some rules place had excellent, top notch customer service that a Southerner would praise, then I'd consider going. This means the bar is extremely high. I don't think most places in NYC would be able to live up to that so it's best that you never have me go to any such establishment unless you want to see me go on a Julia Sugarbaker tirade & possibly get arrested.

To continue on job dissatisfaction, I read this recently.

My thoughts? I'd rather be broke doing something I love than making money at a job I hate. The more I read that blog, the more it clinches my whole Peter Gibbons cynicism about the working world. I just don't think the rat race is worth it if you hate your job. Too many people I know truly hated their jobs & if you feel like you're trapped, then what's the point? You aren't doing your health any favors if don't have any satisfaction in a place where you spend the majority of your time.

I don't think hating your job is something that should be viewed as automatic. In fact, I think it sucks that most people can't make money doing something they'd be truly happy in. If they could, maybe we'd have fewer problems and fewer fights with others. Happier people means more motivation & better productivity, right?

Guess my whole belonging in the entertainment industry just reeks off me.

Doug Funnie is Crazy and Other Realizations

While looking for some images of Judy Funnie, I stumbled across this blog.  I'm seriously thinking of following it b/c not only is it hilarious but when you think about it, these logic fails are quite accurate.  That show did make me want to rip my hair out sometimes w/some of those logic fails. My husband describes Doug as emo & he hates people who are emo.

For those who are clueless, Judy Funnie:

I think I could pull off that look if I somehow figure out what to do with my hair.  Recently, I found it was getting pretty close to my waist.  When I was little I wanted my hair to be waist length like my best friend's but it never happened.

So, going back to earlier discussed topics I found this charming story a few days ago.  If I were Josh Duhamel, I'd have been more pissed about the TSA body scans or the enhanced pat down of my junk than at having to turn off my Blackberry.  He's lucky none of those delayed passengers formed a posse and beat his ass; do that if I have to travel & you won't get to the "taunting" me stage.  I'll just take your Blackberry & smash it into pieces or drop it into a toilet.  Whatever's handy at the time. 

Life lesson: never, EVER mess with a natural redhead.  Least of all, a natural redhead who's an attorney + has rage issues.  Actually, all natural redheads have rage issues so be mindful of that.

Oh, and this just horrifies me on many levels.  I actually agree w/Sarah Palin on this one, if you can believe it.

First off, if you want to deal with obesity issues how about improving the school food?  Didn't anyone see the film Supersize Me?  Remember when Morgan Spurlock went to the school for troubled kids where they had healthy cuisine at the same prices & the kids actually focused in classes?  Did any other schools actually do that or is this just some more nonsense to detract from the government corruption that continues to exist?

Second, how about more physical activity?  Better and more gym classes would certainly tackle the obesity issue, right?  Kids would be motivated to participate if they weren't tormented for being bad at some sport or had playgrounds to use at recess.  How about a daily recess like I had as a kid where you didn't have to do class sports activities?

A regulation like this is just a distraction from real solutions and an attempt to make things harder on the organizations trying to raise money.  What's next? Barring Girl Scout cookies from being sold on the premises?  An actual food police? 

What about the skinny people?  I was also skinny as a child & a no-fat diet would have caused me to lose weight, meaning forced confinement in an eating disorder clinic b/c everyone would claim I was anorexic.  Some of us do have that gene naturally; helps if you want to work in entertainment, doesn't it?

So, speaking of the police The Consumerist has some wild stories about ordinary people being confronted by the police or having to use the police to safeguard against the retail Gestapo.

A few words about these stories:

First off, why is any police officer working to enforce nonsensical store policies that are not legally enforceable under the law?  What cop is dumb enough to do Best Buy's bidding by following some shopper out into the parking lot and threatening arrest for not showing the non-existent door checker his receipt?  Do you not have any real criminals to catch?  There aren't ANY murders, robbers, child molesters, deadbeat parents, illegal aliens or even errant speeders to investigate in your entire town?  Why are we playing Best Buy's rent-a-cop & why wouldn't an officer of the law be insulted about doing such a shady task?  You can bet these company executives don't respect them or the law.

This was a sheriff's deputy, for God's sake.  I know sheriff's deputies have better things to do than this.

Had you done this to me, I would have asked you to escort me into the Best Buy so I could instantly return the items & not maim anyone in the process since I'd be sorely tempted to do it if you weren't present.  I figure if I end up in certain life situations, it will be best for all involved if a cop is around to escort me so I don't murder people with my bare hands.  This goes back to what I said before about not messing w/natural redheads.

Second, no one being around me would motivate me to not stand up for my rights.  I'd tell my spouse to go get bail money b/c I'd just tell the officer point blank to go right ahead and arrest me since I'm not ceding to some corporation's false authority over my person, property or rights.

Third, why is it that only men seem to be involved in these stories?  You never hear about these things happening to women.  You certainly don't hear about this happening to attorneys. 

I'd love to see the look on some of these people's faces if they ever dared to try that w/me & I pointed out my being an attorney in my home state + started quoting the correct law at them. 

I happen to know the law when it comes to false imprisonment, paying tips (not required in NY state), assault and battery considering I have a law degree.  Love when non-attorneys try to fancy themselves as constitutional law experts, especially when it's simpletons who use that logic to try to encourage their fellow citizens to behave like sheep, let the cop perform an illegal strip search and not object to the demands to perform sexual favors.  Don't fall for it.

Better yet, let's make those "citizens" leave the US and trade them for illegals from elsewhere who are acting more like proper American citizens (knowing English, not breaking any laws, performing honest work, etc.).

One time being from the South helps: I can be matter of fact but very polite about it.  I do dare any Wal-Mart employee to try a thing with me.  I've heard numerous stories about things & you bet I'd say "armed robbery" plus inform any police officers that I wanted to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

I once had a hassle over trying to return pantyhose in my local Wal-Mart as a law student.  This guy tried to argue w/me about opening a package when I had to try them on to assess whether they fit me or not.  I went Angry White Girl & guess what?  Got my return taken care of.  Having worked in retail, I know for a fact that being a squeaky wheel will usually get you the desired results.  I simply don't employ that tactic unless someone is just being stupid or trying to be unfair to me; that doesn't fly with me.

So if you as a non-lawyer get in such situations?  Know a good attorney & make a big stink.