No water for you!

I had a really bizarre experience today and I was wondering if anyone here can shed some light on it. I was downtown this morning taking care of some business when I decided to get a couple slices from Luigi's on Main. I've never been there before but I've been curious and since it was early and there was no line I decided this was my chance. I ordered a couple slices and they threw them in the oven. Then while he was ringing me up, the guy behind the counter asked me what I wanted to drink. Now, I hate soda. I've never learned to like it, and as a consequence there's often nothing for me to drink. So I did what I always do: I asked for a glass of water. The guy just pointed at the soft drink machine and said "That machine doesn't give water."

I looked at it and it had the water tab. "You mean it's broken?" I asked.

"Yeah."

They had all these styrofoam cups on the counter, so I asked if he could fill one of them from a tap in the kitchen.

"No, I can't do that."

"So you're saying I can't have any water."

"Right. You have to drink something else."

I'm afraid I got a little huffy at that and stormed out. I initially thought I was just being strong armed into paying for something I didn't want, but I've since been wondering if I over reacted. Is it possible for the water tab to not work on a soda machine? (It seems incredible since that must be the least complicated part of the machine.) And is there maybe a health code reason as to why the guy couldn't fill a cup from the kitchen? Or was he just trying to maximize his profit by conning me into buying a soda?

Semi-funny epilogue to story: I passed by Papalino's on the way home. Since I hadn't eaten yet, I stopped there and got a slice. They gave me a cup for water but when I went to the soda machine it didn't have a water tab at all. I had deja vu and started to get agitated but then the cashier pointed out all these pitchers of water they had set out for the customers. Talk about a class act...

Thanks for the heads up, Scott. I don't like soda or sweet tea. I don't use sugar in my coffee. I drink water! I will pay for it, but I won't drink any carbonated beverage save seltzer and I doubt Luigi's has that. So I have scratched Luigi's off of my ist of places to try.

Like I said earlier, I don't mind spending the money, but I want my water! I realy don't think I want coffee with my pizza.

What confused me is that Luigi didn't say "The water costs a buck." Rather when asked, "So you're saying I can't have any water."

He replied, "Right. You have to drink something else."

No pizza in the world could be fantastic enough to make me drink sweetened bubbles! Yuck!

But water will make you rust inside !

I have a bad memory for faces but yes I think that was him. And yes, paying a dollar for some water was never presented as an option. If it had been, I (probably) would have gone ahead and paid for it. I do like my water. I also want to state that Luigi (or whoever) wasn't rude or even unpleasant about it. He was just firm--water wasn't an option. I think it was that firmness and refusal to reach any compromise that infuriated me so.

Water $1.00 Only in the bottle (spring water)

Maybe they were just out of bottled water and not allowed to serve tap.

Yeah Luigi doesnt come across as a people person. I dont know the dude personally, just my interactions with him in his shop.

I have frequented Luigi's for years and that has been his policy for as long as I can remember. Personally I do not like the "no tap water" policy but I have decided that I enjoy his food enough, especially the tomato-spinach pizza and chicken stromboli, to accept it and the less than friendly reception given at times.

" I don't drink water. Look at what the fish do in it. "

I had a very similar experience at Luigi's a few years ago. It was kind of infuriating. I don't mind paying a nominal fee for an empty cup - but I try to avoid bottled water (not only are the plastic bottles bad, but we use a ton of fossil fuels for transporting pallets of water bottles).

But for that ridiculous policy (and haughty attitude about the whole thing) Luigi's it would probably be in my regular rotation of lunch spots. As it is, I go there fairly infrequently.

It's a silly and annoying policy. I agree.

But the pizza is really good.

Just a guess, but could it be they're in a high rent place and can't stay open just by selling by the slice. It almost doubles the revenue to sell a drink.

Still, anyone who loves pizza should consider swallowing their pride, paying for the water, and enjoying a very fine slice...

It's a silly and annoying policy. I agree.

But the pizza is really good.

Just a guess, but could it be they're in a high rent place and can't stay open just by selling by the slice. It almost doubles the revenue to sell a drink.

Still, anyone who loves pizza should consider swallowing their pride, paying for the water, and enjoying a very fine slice...

I think the poster said that he would have paid for water had he been given that offer. But he was flat out refused any option of water.

Charging for water is ridiculous.

However, water with lemon should cost $5. Let's see if it's really your drink of choice if it costs twice as much as a soft drink.

I don't see how the water tap on a soda machine can be broken. The machine needs water to run. I charge 25c for the cup, lid and straw when people want water. No-one has a prblem with this. A $1.00 seems really high, also the poster wasn't even given the option to pay the $1.00. I would have walked out as well. I, too do not drink any soda apart from from soda water from my machine. When I go to the movies I ask for tap water as I refuse to pay $4.00 for a bottle of water.

Charging for water is ridiculous.

However, water with lemon should cost $5. Let's see if it's really your drink of choice if it costs twice as much as a soft drink.

And your logic for this is?