NEWS4U | POLITICS
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WHITNEY by Whitney Patterson
TRI-STATE POLITICS with Bryan Fox
Trump, Brexit, and Vanderburgh County
A Guide to Being a Model Guest at a Restaurant "Can I get you anything else for right now?" - every server in America Roughly half of Americans eat out at least once a week - busy schedules, meetings with friends, dates, etc. Also, it's sometimes nice to be pampered and not have to lift anything but a fork and not clean up afterward. Of course, when choosing to do so, there are no imaginary forces creating such a splendid experience. There are real humans contributing to your night out, from the host who greeted you to the bartender pouring your drinks, the people slaving away in the hot kitchen, and the dishwashers breaking their backs scraping, rinsing, and scrubbing. Alas, the human with their own life, thoughts, feelings, and emotions that you'll be spending the most time with is your server. I've worked in the restaurant/ bar industry for over 10 years, and I get it, trust me. All of it. I wait tables, I bartend, but I also eat out. Not every experience will be ideal, not every server is superb, people make mistakes and have bad days. If you've never worked in the biz, it may be hard for you to comprehend, but here's a short guide on how to enhance your chances of getting good service: Acknowledge your server as a person. When they greet you and ask how you are doing, put down your damn phone and make eye contact. Respond and reciprocate before barking your drink order. "Pepsi" is not a state of being. We'll get to that. Listen when your server is asking questions or ticking off lists because you refuse to read the menu. We want to take care of you but it's exhausting to repeat yourself six times in three minutes. Be polite - our job requires us to be polite regardless of your attitude, so why not just be cool? Don't throw a fit immediately because something went wrong. Give us a chance to apologize and fix it first. Finally, if you had good service, leave a good tip. That's how we survive. Don't wanna tip? Stay home or get fast food. We did our job, now you do yours. P.S. If you have a legit complaint, address it with your server and/or manager at the restaurant. No one likes a keyboard critic. Signed, Whitney Patterson - a voice for the overwhelmed and underappreciated
In 2012, led by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, proponents of city-county consolidation attempted to change the status quo by consolidating the governments of the city of Evansville and Vanderburgh County into one governing body. This referendum was put to a county-wide vote in the midst of a heated presidential election that saw President Obama win in a near landslide. City-county consolidation was defeated handily by a 2 to 1 margin and the status quo remained. Fast forward four years later and we see a worldwide crusade against the establishment. Donald Trump took his case straight to the American people and won in a primary against 16 opponents, most of whom were seasoned campaigners and politicians. The fact that he was able to win the GOP primary has proven that people are looking for a change. Across the Atlantic, British voters chose to leave the European Union. Brexit reflected the anger of many voters who feel their voices aren't heard and that change is needed. Winnecke called the 2012 vote "surprising" and said proponents of consolidation didn't make a strong enough case. He also said he would like to see the proposal revisited in the future. Mr. Mayor, 2012 was too early. The time to change the status quo is now. The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of News4U.
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