Uncouth behaviour

Since the current wave of the pandemic has calmed down to an extent, I accepted Trixie’s invitation to spend two days in her tranquil home, a nice and airy house with a beautiful garden. After a good laugh about current events, we decided on a movie binge and chose to watch White Lotus and enjoyed the series as it was hilarious. The series is a social irony, following the activities of various employees and guests at an exclusive resort in Hawaii over a period of a week where the rich think they are untouchables and unthinkingly accept services rendered whilst assuming that their money can buy everything. What was noteworthy in the series was that these were high-end middle-class Americans - nowhere near what you might call the truly rich.

We then got talking of how we have witnessed many ugly scenes at hotels and restaurants in Colombo, especially the vulgar display of money and the demands for special consideration even though what was being already enjoyed were at extremely discounted rates. The tendency to talk rudely to the staff and treat everyone who works in such places like dirt are also very much on display. A please or thank you is rarely heard and as for tipping the staff, one lot will not tip at all whilst the others who do make it a point that not only their table but the neighbouring tables too hear the amount of the tip given to the staff. When reservations are made at restaurants, they turn up an hour later and expect to have the table waiting for them. If not, there is a huge scene. Most kitchens close at a set time but they cannot as the latecomers will threaten to call the owners of the establishment or the senior management. Manners certainly are not what they have, even animals behave better than most clients.
Family clubs are another nightmare.  To well-known clubs, adults come along with their children and request for two tables, one for the adults one for the kids, where the children behave as if possessed by some evil spirits or like hooligans, whilst the parents continue at their table oblivious of the behaviour at the children’s table.  They do not seem to consider that such bad behaviour could be disturbing to others who have come to the club to enjoy a quiet evening. 

The tendency to talk rudely to the staff and treat everyone who works in such places like dirt are also very much on display. 

All the above happenings allow the service staff and other employees in the establishments to form their opinions on such persons based on their uncouth behaviour. They have all sorts of pet names for such uncouth types and though they bow down and are polite to them as required, they are cursed and a lot of banter goes on about the lot in the kitchen. Always remember that the back of the house who run the show can get even in many ways and derive some pleasure serving and cooking for such uncouth ill-mannered people doing the rounds in this city.