The Former Traveling Spotlight

The tales of a "30" something gay former stand-up comic living in NYC who is searching for his soul mate or soul...which ever comes first.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Sneeze

Tonight I am facing a problem. I'm not alone in this problem as every catering waiter and waitress I know has had to face this same problem...but tonight it's my turn. I have to face "the situation".

I didn't call it this first, but rather some of my predecessors have and it's sort of passed down to the newer folk. It was coined in this fashion.

A black waitress was working an event waiting on a table consisting of some extremely rude and racist people. Throughout the evening, the customers spoke down to her including asking her if she was working the catering gig to keep off welfare. The waitress never reacted, but was fairly miserable. At the end of the meal, the head of the table patted her on the ass and said she was a "good girl".

The waitress, infuriated, put the platter down and walked away from the table, and spoke to the managing party planner. The planner said there was nothing she could do. She then spoke to the other waiters, lamenting that she woudld have to work for the same people in another week. She had to make a choice.

A: She could carry this up to the main office, indicating both the racial and sexual harassment that she had to put up with, and insist that either she not have to work these particular people or if she did, that they be not allowed to treat her in the fashion she was treated in. That being said, raising that kind of problem would likely insure that she would not get future bookings of anykind as she'd be a trouble maker.

B: She could put up with it, swallow her pride, and pray the other wait staff can run enough interference to keep her away from these miserable people. That, and if she could get away with it...serve them a sneezer appetizer.

Thus, she chose B...and last night I worked with her, and explained my upcoming evening to her.

I am working at a venue that books a lot of business through my catering company. The events are generally large scale, usually with 300k or higher budgets, and the catering firm salivates on these parties. The last time I worked at this venue, the person who runs the event space got drunk. Really drunk. Drunk enough that several times in the evening, he backed me up against a wall, and one particular time, actually put his hands down my pants. He's a lecherous creep, and I hate working when he's around.

The situation exists. I guess I'll be bringing a lot of pepper for a sneeze attack.

Patrick - 12:34 PM -

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