One strike and you're out.

[dolari]

I had been craving some lobster tail for a while. I've had it exactly five times in my life. And I just got paid today, so I decided to get a lobster tail from Red Lobster.

I don't like eating out. Or at least I don't like eatnig in restaurants. All my life I've had stuff done to my food because I don't pass. Or I become the audiences evening entertainment. Or both. So I usually call ahead for pickup or drive through.

I made the mistake of ordering inside to go. I waited about 20 minutes, reading my sidekick and listening to one of the folks waiting for a table about how she dissapproved of me to her husband. I decided that I would start being more confident, more secure in myself as I was. I realized now that the problem isn't me, it's everyone elses precocieved notions. But anyways....

They called my name, gave me my bag and asked for my credit card. Just as she was about to run it, I asked for it back, and then a manager. I ordered the "Lobster and Seafood Mixed Grill" Comes with scallops, shrimp and a lobster tail. What I got was scallops, shrimp with assorted shrimp tails lying in the plate and the shell of a lobster tail with no meat.

I gave the guy an earful. "Well, sometimes the lobster meat comes off the grill and the preparers don't notice." Doesn't explain the shrimp tails and the fact that one skewer had three shrinp and the other two. I got someone's leftovers.

He apologized profusely, gave me a free meal voucher, and asked me to wait while they made another dinner for me. I said no thanks, took the meal voucher and went across the street to Whataburger. The voucher is sitting in my trashcan.

Maybe I blame too much on the intolerance of others, but it only takes one absolutely verifiable issue to make me suspect everyone else. I wonder if I'd called it in or wore jeans in the restaurant if I'd gotten my actual dinner. Either way, no more Red Lobster for me. I don't crave lobster often, and the craving goes away.

Comments

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I am SO SO SO there.

You know who had good seafood in San Antonio? Barnacle Bills. Barnacle Bill's were the same guys who owned Bill Miller's and the food was FANTASTIC.

Then one day they closed down and said "we're tired of running this business, we're going back to chicken."

They could hear my pained wailing as far away as Poughkipsie.

[amw.livejournal.com]

Garr that shit makes me so mad. I can barely grasp how they can get away with it!!! I'm not sure if it's a Texan thing or an American thing but i just can't see that going down here, the community would have a fit! If you're a paying customer you're a paying customer, you know? Fuck. *hugs*

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Yach snaggle, what a bunch of turd-heads! You deserve FAR better.

[irishkitsune.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Mean people are dumb. :(

I'm glad you made a fuss though. Too many people won't stand up when this kind of crap happens, and that's why people think they can get away with it.

[mundanecircus.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of a more pleasant time that Jenn should know -- last year, me and my family were in Austin, to scout the place around for a potential move. (And we are still moving to Austin; as for when, that's another story.) And knowing Jenn lived in the Austin area at the time, I treated her to a meal at Red Lobster in Austin's north side. I decided on Red Lobster, as it's one of my favorite places to eat. (So sue me.) As far as I knew, both our meals were okay, the service was prompt, and the staff was pleasant.

I don't know if the Red Lobster experience in 2006 was because she was with me, or because of Austin's liberal demeanor. Like Burger King or McDonald's, there are good Red Lobsters and there are bad Red Lobsters, but if you had a rotten experience at one Red Lobster, you tend to assume that they're all bad. No doubt Jenn will avoid the chain like the plague from now on, and, to be honest, I don't blame her, considering that the "dinner" she received was a form of discrimination. Chains like Wal-Mart and Denny's got in hot water for pulling discrimination stunts such as these.

Speaking of Denny's -- in 2005, I was in San Diego for Comic Con, and, one evening after the show, I took a ride up Interstate 5, through the norther part of the suburbs. On the way back, I decided to stop at a Denny's for dinner. I waited several minutes to be seated, and I was the only one waiting. I wore jeans and a French-language cartoon shirt (which I bought earlier in Quebec). During these several minutes, no one came to see me, not even to say "I'll be with you in a moment." I was so angry, I ended up leaving the joint and went to Jack In The Box -- next door.

The most basic rule of business is, "Screw your customers, and they'll screw you by going to the competition."

And If Jenn still lives in Texas by the time we move, I'll think twice before trating her to Red Lobster.

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

Once we make you Canadian we shall have to bring you to a traditional East Coast lobster feed. Yes, this must be done.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Nahh, one step further, my love: you, I and the Bad Penny plus assorted spouses can feed her the Big Three:

lobster, poutine and glass-canned sockeye from the Rez. Why not?

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

We should wean her into these things first, no? Otherwise it may be too much of a shock to her system : )

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Maybe Emily can translate, yes? She'd be able to explain some of our crazier food items, like oolichan grease, and crabapple jelly, without getting all mesachie about it.

I think we've already established that Jenn can cope with basics like IMPs, although learning how to use a pressure-cooker over a campfire may be a new experience for her. I suppose I should be saving all my brittle little skinny-handled spoons made of white plastic, just so she's got some authentic Canadian tableware.

Ahh, the life of the ground element, always a camporee!

Kumbayah,

A./

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

Suddenly, I'm wondering what's in my Montreal Smoked Melt....

[nathan-r.livejournal.com]

::drop-kicks Red Lobster::

Those bastards aren't good for anything except cheddar biscuits, anyway.

[ghostangel.livejournal.com]

*agrees* What a bunch of fuckheads.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Thought more of this. I've seen some of your convention photos, so know that you clean up okay. What's the chance, seriously, that the people there were giving you the gears over appearing to be of different ethnic origin than theirs? Serious question -- up here we would take that sort of thing very seriously, raise it with our Member of Parliament, etc., and also cc: the letter to the highest-up manager we could think of in the company in question. Ethnic bias is unacceptable in a pluralistic society.

Rude behaviour to customers gets around.

I had this happen to me, just exactly once, 30 years ago, in the McDonalds restaurant on West Broadway near Balaclava Street in Vancouver (and I looked rough, back then). Have never gone back to a McDonalds in Vancouver area since. And I've been telling friends, too. Memory runs long, deep and angry sometimes.

Take care, usual hugs left where you can [see] them,

Angharad, who knows that you deserve better. As do all.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

>What's the chance, seriously, that the people there were giving you the
>gears over appearing to be of different ethnic origin than theirs?

Considering the population here in San Marcos (and even MORE in San Antonio) is incredibly Mexican I doubt the ethnic origin matters around here. Although if you're NOT Mexican, then you might start seeing issues, especially if the person is question is an asshole about it.

[labrat78.livejournal.com]

Red Lobster fell out of my favor years ago when their prices got higher than their IQ. The only thing I would go there for now a days is the greasy cheese bread.

If I want seafood, which I can't eat anyway but girlnamedsammi can devour in my stead , I 'll go to a place here in Fayetteville, AR called Powerhouse. The service can't be beat, the meal is worth the price and there are no assholes.

It is the same with every other little eatery around these parts, they may be run by a bunch of rednecks, but the food and service are great and I have never had a problem with dipshits ruining my meal because they disapproved of me or my partner.

You need to get out of Texas and just move to north Arkansas.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad there's edible food down there somewhere. Heavener was a dead loss for stuff you'd actually want to eat. Coffee was okay, though.

[labrat78.livejournal.com]

Heavener started to get chain places like Mazzio's Pizza and Sonic (thank goddess, right next to the motel) but their claim to fame is a 24 hrs dump of a cafe called the downtown. I only ate there when absolutely necessary and fortunately that wasn't often. If you wanted anything else you better have some wheels so you could get to Poteau or Ft. Smith.

I didn't realize it until after I left the mainline and went on this local job four years ago just what I missed. The early morning calls to work, no where to eat and the long trip home only to get called out again in eight hours to do it all over again. I now work a 7 am five day a week local and not only is the scenery better but so it the food, although I tend not to eat much of it cause I am trying to loose weight.

Stuck at 197 this week, so far. :(

gaahh

[hemlock-martini.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear they treated you like that.

Fuckers. Screw 'em.