never upset a server. It's fairly unlikely that we are going to spit in your food or stir your coffee with our finger or worse yet our dick. The best way to mess with you is subtle. Do little things to you like sit you next to the bathroom or a door with a draft. Maybe we'll tell you that we are having problems with your credit card. Probably the best reason not to mess with a waiter might be how easily teed off they can be all the time.
Restaurants are notorious for being high stress places from all the constant movement and orders. If you haven't worked in one it might be hard to understand why. It's a simple job, right? No. Emotions run high in a kitchen. Everyone has a chip on their shoulder. And in the front of the house, the waitstaff tend to be on edge all the time for a number of reasons including being on some sort of substance. A noticeable number of waitstaff and kitchen employees drink to excess and smoke like chimneys or have drug addictions. Luckily, they can take their stress out on you before they blow open and suck down a six pack after work.
If you think you shouldn't be nice to and tip your waiter, then maybe you should read this -
Here's an interview with the author from TIME magazine.
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1831742,00.html
It's easy to be cynical and avoid eating out. If you put your trust in a server, a good server will make your night.
And for you who have worked in the business, you know about the importance of professional courtesy to a fellow server.
