Stupid things we can't stop doing

[Fat Guy]

I'll start. Despite the oft-repeated admonition in books (probably including ones I've written), articles and on websites always to call ahead before going to a restaurant, I often don't. I'm not talking about making reservations. I'm talking about just calling to make sure a restaurant that you found listed somewhere is still in business, still open when you want to go and hasn't moved to a new location.

Take for example the restaurant Tong, near Union Square in Manhattan. Fully functioning website. A live listing on Citysearch. But the place is not there, as my family found out while standing in the rain in front of the establishment's former address. The phone number: disconnected. Should have called ahead. Woops.

[boagman]

Happened to me Wednesday night, kind of. Instead of calling, I just assumed that the local dining establishments would be staying open until their posted closing times, and when I went to two separate places that had closed over half an hour early, then and *only* then did I start calling other restaurants to see if they were still open or if their kitchens were still live.

You guessed it: I ended up with pretty crappy chain pizza.

Why don't I bother using the phone? It's not like it costs me anything to do so...

[stealw]

Maybe this is just me, but when going back to a restaurant I've been to previously (or even a new one) I would just just leave and start my journey without double checking the address, just in case. This bad habit creates perhaps a 1 out of 3 chance that I would totally mess it up and have to call for help.

Jim

[pax]

I am compulsively early. My husband is compulsively late. Oddly enough, we do not cancel each other out. We just randomly trade off. It's so freaking frustrating.

And I can't stop saying "Thank you" any time a service person does something. Anything. Once is probably enough. I tip awesomely, so it's a nice big "thank you" for real at the end.

Edited July 7, 2009 by pax (log)