Screaming Off Key Has An Embarrassing Incident, Feels Guilty

Hello! It's Screaming Off Key and I come to you with a story about a booboo.

I was sitting in a nice restaurant with my lovely boyfriend who we'll just call Radik because that's the name he uses everywhere. For all intents and purposes I'll be referring to myself as Sok from now on.

In the restaurant they have a more western menu and also an oriental cuisine menu and that's because the restaurant is run by an Japanese family. One of the daughters (who is really cute...) was our waitress today (I love when she's our waitress!) I'm going to call her Kawaii-chan because she's just really cute.

Anyway, I've got an extremely rare disease known as cataplexy and I've had it nearly all my life. Seriously, go to my moms house, all her of her dishes are plastic because of me.

On with it, we were talking and generally just being nerdy weirdos and Radik made me laugh really hard while I was holding my cup of orange juice. My cataplexy decided it was a great time to kick in and I dropped the glass. The shatter was loud but Kawaii-chan didn't hear it right away. When she came out of the kitchen with Radik's food and noticed what had happened, Radik rubbing my back while I died of embarrassment, Kawaii-chan didn't even ask she just cleaned it up.

It was a complete accident but I felt terrible because it got all over my food and Kawaii-chan replaced it (and then didn't charge us for the replacement) and there was juice all over the table and floor but Kawaii-chan wouldn't let us help clean it up.

I ended up tipping her about 50% because I felt so terrible while Kawaii-chan smiled the entire time and asked if I was okay. I honestly feel like I should start carrying around a sippy cup again.. >.<

--Screaming Off Key

Comments

[Spritzy]

Don't feel too bad, it's something that couldn't be helped, and even though she declined, you offered your assistance in cleaning up and were thankful and appreciative for what she did and showed your gratitude with a really good tip. That's far more than many customers would have done.

[Kiinu]

But see, here is the difference between you, and an asshole.

You're saying she wouldn't LET you help clean up, which implies that you attempted to clean up your mess, and then you tipped her very well for her above and beyond service.

And asshole would have gotten embarrassed and blamed the establishment for having a weak cup, or complained that the waitress did not hear the crash and immediately respond, or left a shitty tip.

[Bored at the Bookstore]

It happens, it happens, my dear. I know it's embarrassing, but it wasn't your fault and you did all you could (and more) to keep from being a nuisance. Excellently done!

As comparison - my sister and it went out for brunch a while back. She had a tall (plastic) glass of water on her left. Sis tends to talk with her hands, and connected with the glass. Phooom! Water and ice all over the floor. Despite the crashing noise of ice and plastic hitting the floor, not one staff person came near while she and I tried to mop up with paper napkins. Sis picked up every bit of ice because she didn't want anyone to fall. When our food came, we pointed out the water we hadn't been able to sop up (not enough napkins) and asked for a couple more napkins for ourselves. We got the full, patented eye-roll/sigh and the full-strength "what a nuisance" look. Wish we'd had your Kawaii-chan instead!

[danny b]

Sorry that you had an attack/episode but I'm glad that it was handled well by all. As others said you attempted to help and that staff was courteous and understanding as others said other people on either side of the situation might not have.

[Lux]

Sounds like a fab place to go back to - anywhere where you have staff like Kawaii-chan will always have time for customers like yourself who care about them :)

I have a similar problem due to my meds- I use a litecup (from amazon). They look grownup, Ive yet to spill one and they glow in the dark!

[ScreamingOffKey]

Ooh thank you Lux! I'll definitely look into that because its not the first time I've dropped cups in a restaurant. Kawaii-chan is an amazing waitress and she's so attentive even when she has lots of tables.

[Skittles]

Yeah I'm definitely with the others here. You tried to help and left a huge tip. You are better than probably 50% of the customers they deal with.

[The Last Archimedean]

Agree with everyone else. You did exactly the right thing and left a very nice tip, no need to feel bad. These things happen.

[Nocturnesthesia]

I have narcolepsy/cataplexy too, I feel your pain. I usually ask for a straw and drink from it while the cup is on the table to avoid that, and when I'm at home or out I have a spill-proof water bottle. Most people at least pretend to be understanding about it, but constantly falling or dropping things in public just gets to be too much sometimes.