I understand that people are busy these days. There are smart phones that can do almost everything that my computer at home can do, all compressed in your pocket. But what I don't understand is why ,when I happen to put on a green apron, I loose my status as person and become server who doesn't deserve a good morning or a thank you. It would be unreasonable for me to tell you to wait a moment while I finished my conversation with my friends and it is unreasonable for you to make the people behind you in line wait while you finish your conversation with whomever.
I'm young. I totally get the need to be connected. I know that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything that you need done and to support your social network but there are human aspects of interaction that need to be respected. When you are in a coffee shop where the barista strives to remember your name and your drink, the least that you can do is treat them like you would any other person. People in restaurants and stores are not just people that are serving you, they are individual humans who deserve respect just for that.
We cannot let our digital world reduce genuine human kindness and hard work into merely data and services. People cannot be treated like our computers that will do work for us everyday and never ask for a hello or a thank you. Computers can remember dates and names for you but it means nothing. It is only a piece of date in a machine. It is bartenders, coffee shop attendants, convenience store employees who can laugh with you, talk about the weather, and remember your name and THAT means something. But this can only happen if you connect with them. Many people reach are willing to reach out to you, you just need to have a free ear to hear them.
Agreed! I work as a cashier in a retail store and there is nothing that bothers me more on the job than when someone is talking on their phone while they check out. It is so rude! I don't understand how they have the ability to disregard the person that is standing in front of them and do not realize how incredibly rude it is. Hang up your phone, close your text, put down your phone and you can resume what you were doing 2 minutes after you are done interacting with me!
ReplyDeleteI also agree, although when i'm sending an important text and talking to a client on the phone while paying $5 for a cup of coffee, I tend to forget about how rude it is. Life goes on.
ReplyDeleteIt is up to the individual to decide whether texting/talking with someone to whom they are in an ongoing relationship, is more important than interacting with a clerk whom they will likely never see again.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that I did not make my argument as clear as I could have. Humans are not just tools that serve us. They deserve respect and consideration.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Kirk. When you're ordering coffee, there is a human being directly in front of you behind the counter. Any client, friend or significant other who you're texting, calling or emailing isn't even in the same room as you. In my opinion, that means the barista takes priority. That's just politeness.
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