surly service in NYC

[tommy]

and the pendants shall inherit the earth.

[Pan]

Oh tosh. I really don't think it's a matter of trust. How can you argue that people who come from ANYPLACE have no discernable accent? This makes no sense.

Agreed. It's absurd to say "I don't have an accent." Everybody has an accent. But interestingly enough, it's mostly in the suburbs (when I went to school in Purchase and Stony Brook) that people have asked me weird questions about where I was from, based on my Upper West Side accent: "Are you from England?" Um, NO, considering that my folks are from Brooklyn, I'm from Manhattan, my ancestors came from Eastern Europe, and I have yet to set foot in England, and I don't say "I cahn't." But when I'm further from New York, everyone can tell at least that I'm from the northern part of the Eastern Seaboard generally, if they don't have me pegged as a New Yorker.

But I drink something more like "wooder" than "watah."

[Pan]

Oh, by the way, I made the mistake of going to Dan yesterday - the Japanese place on the corner of Broadway and 69th or so. I had barely edible sukiyaki - very overcooked shrimp, somewhat fishy fish, and a salty-and-syrupy liquid that had no resemblance to the sukiyaki I knew and loved in Japan. I was hungry, but I didn't come close to finishing it because it didn't merit finishing. But the waiter was so rude that I didn't give him a cent as a tip - which is really unusual for me. He walked away while we were still talking to him (no, we didn't go on for a long time); it was very difficult to get his attention; he virtually threw our plates and such-like on the table; and he was in such a rush to clear our table that he flung my chopsticks on my lap (he did say "sorry," but it wasn't exactly heartfelt). My friend, a native of Schenectady (though she lived in Manhattan for a few years), said right after we ordered "I forgot; we're in New York now." I didn't bother to tell her that I couldn't remember the last time I had such rude service. The better for her to feel confirmed in her decision to move back to her home area a few years ago.

Now, check this out: My friend was wondering how much the total cost of the meal would be with tip. "With tip?!" I said. Geez. It's only because some people are total pussies (excuse the expression, and it's meant in a unisex way) that assholes like that get away with it.

P.S. The restaurant was pretty empty when we showed up, though it was much busier later, and that guy was the only waiter, so he was overworked, but that doesn't change the fact that he's an asshole. And he definitely is not a native English speaker, so it's probably safe to say that he isn't a native New Yorker, for those keeping score at home.

Edited June 6, 2003 by Pan (log)

[EJRothman]

But the waiter was so rude that I didn't give him a cent as a tip - which is really unusual for me.

It would have been even better if you left 1 cent as the tip. That way the waiter knows that you didn't just forget!

[elyse]

But the waiter was so rude that I didn't give him a cent as a tip - which is really unusual for me.

It would have been even better if you left 1 cent as the tip. That way the waiter knows that you didn't just forget!

For once, I agree with you.

Has anyone here STUDIED phonetics? I have. From a woman who I thought was from NYC, except that she said "sense" like a cotton fed southerner. The only word I heard her speak un-phonetically. Was she from here? No. Was she from the south? No. She was from Dijon, France. She spoke with NO accent. Proper phonetics, period.

There are people who can differentiate the accent between each borough. I can't, but I know people who can. If you don't know people who can, that's a different story. But you certainly can't say it's impossible. I also don't think it's a class thing, because the poor people in my school spoke exactly like the incredibly wealthy people. And that ranged from school to school to school in my experience. But we always knew when someone was taking the train or bus from one of the other boroughs or Jersey. And I didn't say NO accent, I said little to no accent. There's a difference.

Pan, I'm just going to have to say it. You probably have little to no accent. People have thought I am from England too. Do I say cahn't? Never. That's affected as well. Do I speak with a brittish accent otherwise? Not at all. Most brits you can tell are from England. Some you can't. Again, it's phonetics. And by the way, I may have passed you at Dan yesterday. I rode my bike past a few times.

[Pan]

She spoke with NO accent.

Elyse:

This is probably the last thing I'm going to say on this tangent, but that simply makes no sense. Just as everyone has some kind cultural and ethnic background and identity, everyone has an accent, and it makes no difference whether the accent sounds to you like the words look or doesn't, it's still an accent. Claiming that any New Yorkers have "little or no accent" may make sense to a New Yorker for whom your accent is "no accent," but it'll make a laughing stock out of you in almost every other part of the world, and rightly so.

But that doesn't mean I don't like you.

[elyse]

Nope, Pan, not buyin' it. But I still like you too.

I'll listen to most people here on matters of cooking and related stuff. This is something I know and I'll stick to it.

[hollywood]

And  by the way, I may have passed you at Dan yesterday.  I rode my bike past a few times.

This would appear to answer the query: do you live in town or ride a bike?

[elyse]

If you can move the post, do so, dear hollywood.

[mrsadm]

I have to say that Fox News isn't the best source of unbiased news out there - whether about New York or anything else!

The rudest service I ever got was in London - a waiter thought the tip I left was too small and handed it back to me. This was after he spilled my drink on the table.

Having lived in Manhattan for several years, I have to say that on whole they are much more polite than those in the UK.