Comments on: No Dogs or Foreign Devils Allowed at the Teppanyaki Grill

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:39:17 +0000

#23 OK Sonagi, but you clearly said the story was absurd, not the behaviour of protagonists. In doing so you created an inference which was perhaps unintended.

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:41:50 +0000

I’ve worked as a waiter in a British restaurant, where I was one of the few employees who were British citizens. So I’d like to add my ha’penny’s worth….

Arghaeri kr is right. Tips are a bonus for good behaviour, by both custom and employment/tax law, and 5% would be normal if you do tip (especially in a small industrial town like Ellesmere Port). Chefs sometimes got a cut, depending on which manager was around.

But the main thing to note is that the Daily Mail, Sonagi’s source, is a right-wing anti-immigrant rag best used for cat trays. This is not a “Foreign Devil” issue, it’s about Brits of different ethnicities. The restaurant owners are of Chinese origin, not necessarily citizenship, so I’m not sure it’s wise to draw conclusions about China’s global might from this. The managers’ names look like British Chinese from Hong Kong backgrounds.

Oh, and while I didn’t get free food in my workplace, I did get to eat leftovers from my Thai neighbour’s restaurant job! Mmmm…

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:02:51 +0000

If you would go to the trouble to type that post with one hand, I believe you, Matt. Sorry to hear you were in the hospital. Get well soon!

By: The Goat

The Goat — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:04:26 +0000

Reading comprehension ftw.

By: Matt@occidentalism.o

Matt@occidentalism.o — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:38:51 +0000

“jay h, you sound like you’re channeling another Australian, Matt at Occidentalism, who hasn’t commented here in awhile.”

Sonagi, I have been in hospital and can only type with one hand. I do not know Jay h, and he is not my sock puppet. Just making that clear in case people believe it to be so.

By: jay h

jay h — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:02:25 +0000

Sonagi, I think rather than have a discussion you are more interested in cheap blows to gain approval from Marmot friends. Watch how you change direction and dodge the issue by being vague and rude. And for someone that wants to be interpreted correctly, you are incredibly vague and ambiguous.

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:13:11 +0000

I concur with Jay, why is the story absurd.
It was racist behaviour plain and simple.

I didn’t say the behavior of the Chinese owners was not racist. Of course it was; the courts found them guilty of discrimination. I called the story absurd because of the management’s petty racism in denying non-Chinese access to the same food as Chinese staff and because of their incredible insistence that tips amounted to only 1% of the bill. Had the courts not found in the plaintiffs’ favor, then I would have been disgusted (see comment #3). I think Bum nails it in comment #5.

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:15:08 +0000

“Since when did they have tipping in the UK? That to me is the big revelation here.”

Since forever, the big difference is that it is not an automatic culturally ingrained response.

Generally tips are given for particularly good service or food. Not in lieu of a salary which should be paid by the restaurant.

“I never heard of the kitchen staff getting tips.”

It’s fairly common practise for some restaurants to pool tips and share them out at the end of the day, to ensure everybody gets a fair shake including back of house.

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:07:22 +0000

I concur with Jay, why is the story absurd.
It was racist behaviour plain and simple. It was in breach of the laws specifically put into place to discourage racism in the workplace, plain and simple.

Frankly, I’m surprised at such a comment from you Sonagi or do you take the PC view of many that only whites can be racist.

What I don’t get is why they didn’t do them for breach of minimum wage rules too.

By: jay h

jay h — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:06:43 +0000

C’mon. I’m American. But you show a lack of sophistication by bringing up nationality without need. A jab without reference. Either way, is what I’m saying wrong? Are my questions wrong? Do you have eyes? Are you sitting so high on your pedastool that you don’t even value the legs that hold it up?