by Lexi Kimmel ’21

I work at one of the boomer hot spots of Olney: GrillMarx Steakhouse. My coworkers are some of the nicest people I know, and all of the managers treat us with dignity and respect, but every time I work there seems to be one group of people that are able to find the smallest problem with their dining experience. I have been called an idiot, a slow b*tch, and many other names that I cannot repeat in the school newspaper. While I have learned to not take these insults to heart, I have noticed that 9/10 of the people who get mad over slight inconveniences are old folks. 

My job entails making reservations, running the phones, placing and taking out curbside orders, seating guests, and coordinating the floor. I usually have 2-3 hostesses helping me, but even with four of us there comes a period every night when we are completely swamped. The phones ring off the hook, 10 different parties are waiting to be seated, and we are running back and forth trying to make everyone happy. I love my job and acknowledge that working hard is how people make money and become successful, but my one complaint is how rude people are to the hostesses and servers. 

It is impossible to please everyone, and we are taught that from day one. People will complain over things that are out of our control, they will not accept no for an answer, they will be difficult and rude and immature. From my 8 months working there, I have had the craziest experiences with customers, most of them being older people. I was screamed at by a senior citizen because there were birds flying around IN THE SKY and she was afraid of getting the avian flu. I was yelled at by a group of old women for giving up a table for their reservation when the party was 2 HOURS late. And the list goes on.

I’m not sure what makes old people feel like they have a privilege over others. I also do not know what comes over them when they think it is okay to yell at a 17 year old getting paid minimum wage. And while it is not all old people, and there have been many instances where old folks are extremely respectful and understanding, it is almost always senior citizens who cause a commotion over small inconveniences.