Since I'm back to working with the general public, some longstanding irritations have come back into my life. This one is especially bothersome because it not only demonstrates a lack of moral fiber, but also shows the lack of some values are being passed on.
What's getting my goat? Stealing soda. Seriously. I'm not talking about the high schoolers who walk into a place a fill up whatever containers they have with them. They're typically just punks with no money. I'm also not referencing the table of six who buy one cup and then get a dozen refills. At least they bought the cup. No, the ones that really get me are the parents who don't feel like buying their kid a Coke, so they ask for a water cup and then tell the kid to steal all the pop they want.
Let's get the easy stuff out of the way. It's stealing AND it's lying. Yes pop is pretty cheap to a restaurant, but it's not free. Money does change hands to get that Sprite to your cup. Just like anything else in the real world, if you take something you didn't pay for, it's theft. Done. Do I really have to go into the lying aspect of this transaction? Odds are if you told me you wanted a water cup, but intended to fill it with pop I'd probably give you the cup just for having the balls to tell me the truth. Here's the real kicker, in my restaurant we give FREE drinks to any student. So if they parents had just told me the kid goes to school and wants the free drink then I'd have to give it to them. Instead they lie to me and sneak around.
To me, the worst part of all of this is the lessons being passed on to the kid. Lie to get whatever you want. It isn't wrong if you don't get caught. It's important that the parents start early, after all there's a chance these kids may be exposed to some positive role models with at least a basic concept of Judeo-Christian-And-Everyone-Else Values where lying, stealing and pretty much every form of dishonesty is morally wrong. I like to think every parent wants their kid to be better than them, but this makes me wonder about them...
So it's stealing. And it's setting a terrible example for impressionable children. But you know what really pisses me off? It's the assumption that I don't know or care about what you're doing. Whenever I hear, "Mommy, I wanna pop" "Sure hon, can I have a cup for water?" I just want to slap the parent. Take a few minutes and try to put some time between the request and the lie. Distract me. Weave a world where I believe you're actually going to drink some water instead of shoving corn syrup down your kid's throat. The other day I had a lady come in with her kid and ask for a water cup. Since it's part of my job duties I went over to clean the pop machine where the kid was loading up with iced tea. The Mom looked at me and quickly "Oh honey, the water's over here." Seconds later they've slapped a lid on it and the mom is frantically whispering instructions to the youngster. I can only imagine what that convo is like.
So here's the payoff if you've read this far. I know I'm not the only one paying attention. Sure the table I'm cleaning is dirty, but it gives me a chance to see what everyone's drinking. I'm nosey and I'm going to see whether you're lying to me or are really getting the good water. Next time I see a thief, there's no mercy. I'm charging for everything I should be, no favors. A nickel short? Looks like you're leaving some food behind. See, I could maybe see my way to throwing a little extra something your way or pull some change from my own pocket, but times are tight right now. Somebody's got to pay for those ripped off beverages and one way or another, it's going to be you.
