Friday, April 13, 2007

Stop Serving My Coffee Dressed Like That

Updated to Add- I do love all of the "mocha makers" out there. I want to show them the love. I just don't want to see everything while I am trying to eat or have a coffee. As my mother would say,"There's a time and a place for all things." I am not against anyone having piercings and tatoos (except my own daughter). I just think some things should remain covered in certain places of business.
Thanks, Denise, for your caring comments. They were very thoughtful and compassionate. I appreciate the chance to clarify. :>)

Hang on a minute. I need to clear my throat for this one...

'Kay.

So I was at my local coffee house this morning purchasing my liquid doughnut. Most of the time I go through the drive thru because I am dressed like well, a bum. But not immodestly. This lovely, lovely woman named "Betty" is usually there each morning and I look forward to seeing her at the drive thru window. She is friendly and bubbly and over the age of 3o.

Love her.

This morning I ordered my usual Venti Mocha and drove around to wait for my delightful blend of hot cocoa and caffeine. (Genius!) As "Betty" cheerfully greeted me and took my money I was not-so-cheerfully greeted by the flash of a tattoo and undergarments of the Mocha Maker.

Picture this. I am sitting in the drive thru- eye level to this young woman's backside. Her shirt is hiked up in the back and I can see her tattoo just above the edge of her waistline. If I had not turned away so quickly, I also could have read the brand name of her undergarments. I came to be awakened by espresso and sugar, not the tacky backside of a twenty-something tart.

Express yourself somewhere else.

When the delightful Betty started to hand me my coffee, I politely said to her, "Please tell that girl to pull up her pants."

Betty turned and saw what I was talking about and then she quietly slipped away out of sight. I am guessing she said something to a manager. She returned to the window with a smile, handed me my mocha and with a wink she said,"It's taken care of. I agree."

There is actually a point to this rant, which is this. I am going to start complaining to management when I enter a store and employees are scantily clad with piercings in places that shouldn't be pierced, tattoos inappropriately displayed and undergarments showing. Hello! That's why they are called undergarments. They go under clothing. They aren't the actual clothing itself.

Most of the time I just roll my eyes or walk away, but after this morning I've decided to speak up. It is up to the customers who enter these establishments to at least try to make a difference. I will always try to make my complaints known in a polite manner instead of what I really would like to do.

Like reach in the drive thru window and jerk that girl's britches up so hard that she would have suffered from an atomic wedgie.

But I held back. I was nice. Frank and honest, but nice.

It's just a good thing it happened before I had my mocha.

13 comments:

Susanne said...

"Atomic wedgie" That is just hilarious. I tend to agree with you. The last thing I want to see are employess underwear and spilling out body parts from being inappropriately dressed. I once phoned the manager of a resteraunt that had a huge billboard of an older man entering the water at a beach with his suit slipping down his backside, if you know what I mean. My daughter (5 at the time) saw it first and commented. I was on the phone as soon as I got home and told the manager that it was a totally inappropriate advertisement for anything never mind a resteraunt and the last thing I wanted my daughter to see was an old guys rear emblazoned across the horizon, and if he thought that made me want to eat at his establishment he was sadly mistaken. Gross! I would be taking my business elsewhere. What are these people thinking?

Anyway, I'll stop now 'cause I don't want to commandeer your comments with a hot button issue with me.

Barb said...

I couldn't agree with you more. And I love the way you handled this encounter. You're more likely to get a favorable response to a classy complaint than doing what you really feel like doing. You know. That atomic wedgie thing.

Good for you!

Tammy said...

You go girl!
Yes, there's freedom of expression and all but shouldn't that be done on their own time and not in a place of business? I think you're onto something here...

And seeing the eyeful BEFORE my mocha in my case would have been bad news for everyone! ;)

Roxanne said...

Yeah. . .well, today this 6th grade girl had on a top that showed the upper portion of some perky breasts, and some shorts that showed the upper portion of some firm thighs, and when I told her she needed to go to the ap office to have her clothing checked out, another teacher intervened and said, "I don't think it's innappropriate."

She's the teacher that came to school one day with a very, very, very clear handprint--white and chalky--on the derriere of her tight black pants.

Hmmmmmmm...................

We already use the word "modest" at our house frequently and my girl is only 8.

Lori said...

Good work....for all of mankind thanks you =)))

Kelli said...

Good for you. Period.

We went house looking today, and the movers two doors down were cussing up a streak. Since I was there with the family, I looked over nicely, but loudly, and said" Hey- my kids don't need to hear that". "Yeah- you two".

The thank you I got from the 13 and 14 year old was worth it. Every "don't hit me in the jaw" word of it.

Karen said...

ROFL...that is too funny! I totally agree though, what is up with these girls?

Chris said...

GO GET 'EM, SISTAH!!!

I cannot tell you how many times I have felt the same way and never said anything. However...

I used to secret shop this one particular clothing establishment, which shall remain nameless. The "manager" (and I use that term OH, so loosely), was wearing a shirt which was unbuttoned enough to ALMOST cover her rather ample, pushed-up-with-one-of-those-silly-type-bras bosoms.

I wrote her up for indecent exposure.

More power to the ANTISKANKS!!!

AbbieCRAZY said...

Okay, Southern Girl, I hear ya. There's way too much "stuff" showing everywhere these days. And I'm sure it will only get worse as it gets warmer.

That being said (this is the part I'm afraid of getting in trouble) maybe we have to cut some slack. The overexposed I get especially in a work environment but piercings are here to stay, I'm afraid. How can we love these young people more than excepting them WITH the piercings? Maybe by ignoring these horrible mutalations we can be Jesus to them?

I hope I didn't over-step. I'm all about teaching younger people what mama never taught them. This just happens to be one of my areas of struggle. What's too far? And what's far enough?

My hubby commented that he never thought he'd live long enough to have a worship leader with a ear piercing.

Fiddledeedee said...

I'm with you! I've had the hardest time explaining to my small girls why people sport piercings on their tongues, lips, eyebrows, noses, and probably spots we don't see. Thank goodness. It's wrong on so many levels. And good golly, it's gotta hurt!

Anyhoo, I'm certain that my parents are glad they only had to deal with platform shoes and hair that hung perpetually in my eyes.

Grafted Branch said...

Don't. get. me. started.

Ugh.

The lack of clothing? That's all our fault. How is it that every older generation gives way to the younger? Fear? Our society has been too quiet for too long, and now OUR "consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."

And then there's the "expression," of counter-culture appearances. Blah blah blah.

I, for one, have taught my girls that when they see piercings and mohawks and any deliberate cry for attention...that they may give all the attention that they want. And it's very innocent. It sounds like this, "Mommy? Is that a boy or a girl? Why does he have diamond earings in, and a long ponytail?"

To which I casually answer, "I dunno. Ask him."

You can't come to your job at the family grocery store looking like that and not expect to explain it to the under 5' crowd.

Blogger profile name said...

I agree with Grafted Branch that I think a lot of it is crying for attention (positive or negative). I don't think they know how ugly those tattoos are going to look when they're distorted by stretch marks...

Carol said...

You know how some restaurants have little feedback/suggestion cards? I usually fill them out only if I have an exceptionally good server.

One time, however, I had a server (at a nice steakhouse) with a tongue piercing. And the adornment was huge. It clacked against his teeth as he talked. So much so, I could barely understand him. Let's not even mention what it did to spoil my appetite, okay? So, I filled out the card. And never ate there again.

I think employers should know how folks feel. And have something stated very clearly in their dress codes. Maybe if self mutilation makes it tough to get a job - any job - the fad might crawl back into its underground, y'know?

Enjoying your blog, btw.