The Very Angry Man

The angry man taught me a very valuable lesson about reliance on friendship.

It was a very hot day at the restaurant I work at, Longhorn Steakhouse. I was scheduled as a to-go server which handles all the to-go orders. I had a lot of orders that day so I was rushing in and out of the restaurant delivering them to people's cars.

As I am taking out a to-go order, a man with no mask was standing in the doorway. I was very polite and said excuse me. He,then, yells at me and says, “Are you kidding me”. He seemed very mad so apologized and I brushed it off and take my to-go order out. He, then, approached me in the parking lot. He yells at me.

“YOU WORK HERE DON’T YOU”.

I replied with, “Yes, sir. Is there something I can help you with”.

He, then, gets up from the bench right outside the entrance way and stomps his way towards me.

And he said, “YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT, YOU WERE-”.

He cussed me out in front of everyone. I was so scared because the man wasn’t wearing a mask and he was so much bigger than I am. I was crying so much and I kept apologizing. He, then, threatened to speak to my manager and I just broke down. I was so upset and I tried to tell my manager what was going on. He, then, went out and spoke to him. Through all of this my co-workers were standing by me and calmed me down. I was overwhelmed because I had so many orders to fill but. Luckly, my bartender did the orders for me without me asking. I was so grateful for her and went to my station for to-go orders a lot less stressed. My hostess later told me what the guy was so mad about.

She said, “Yeah, it was crazy. I guess the guy was mad /because you had been too close to him when you were in the foyer together. He thought that because you were the worker you would have made sure to stay 6 feet away. Vic, then, asked him why wasn’t he wearing a mask and why he was standing so close to him. Vic,then, told him to get out of the restaurant since he cussed you out and was causing a scene”.

I was confused that he made such a big deal about me being so close when he wasn’t wearing a mask and he was coming into a restaurant to sit down and eat. Luckly, my coworkers were making me laugh and we were all joking about him, so it made me feel better about the situation.

I had never felt part of the community at my job because everyone had worked there for such a long time and had such a tight bond. But, that night, I realized that they were all here for me including my managers and I really did have strong friendships there that wouldn't let me get attacked like that without consequences.

Not a lot of people can get banned from a restaurant in the colonial, friendly town of Willimasburg but, the man I encounted did. It's funny because he got so mad and didn't even get enjoy some nice, slightly over-cooked, over-priced steakhouse. At least there is an Outback Steakhouse right down the road. Embrace the Aussie, I say.