Things that annoy you while dining in restaurants

OK...Dad sez We can't pick on kids any more...at least for a while. So what OTHER things annoy you while dining ? I'll start.

Me, I'm annoyed by cell phones. There is just something that really creeps me out about some guy (or girl) sitting alone at their table with some "thing' hanging from their ear (apparently) talking to their food. Not only is this annoying but it looks as stupid as all hell.

Crazy! Steve, I thought about starting a "pet peeves" thread when I added my sports comments to the other thread.

So I'm annoyed by inappropriate sports fans acting out in inappropriate venues.

I'm annoyed when the hostess sit me and my gf next to the loud 12-person group, although that is easily rectified.

And I'm annoyed when people place an order for a friend who is not there such that they are talking on a cell phone and to the waiter/waitress at the same time. That deserves a punch in the face.

To add. I'm also annoyed by places that don't have proper waiting areas so waiting patrons fill up the aisles and, ultimately, stand right next to or over my table. Or stand right in front of the door.

And not to harp on the kids thing, but...

There's nothing more annoying than a large group of people who put their children at a separate table. If you don't want to watch your kids, what makes you think your server wants to babysit them?

To add. I'm also annoyed by places that don't have proper waiting areas so waiting patrons fill up the aisles and, ultimately, stand right next to or over my table. Or stand right in front of the door.

I hate that, too. I was with a group of friends at Buca Di Beppo shortly after it had first opened, and I literally ate my dinner with a complete stranger's ass in my face the entire time. Needless to say, although the food was decent, we have not been back...

Picky eaters/dish creators. Ordered it as is or pick a different dish.

99 times out of 100, it's the people that annoy me.

1) servers who are too busy gossiping at the beverage stand to come take my drink order

2) I'm often a "one top" so it annoys the crap out of me to get seated out of sight in a far corner or next to the kitchen door. Say what you will about Ihop, but they deliberately give me a nice booth in a front window.

3) too much salt on the food. That's what salt shakers are for, right?

4) getting seated at a table next to someone who OBVIOUSLY has a cold or the flu (coughing/sneezing/snorting/blowing/etc).

5) filthy floors (quit gossiping at the beverage station and grab a broom and dustpan, will ya?) I've walked out of restaurants where it's obvious that a dustpan hasn't been out on the floor for 6 hours.

6) arguing employees in plain sight of the dining customers. Too bad they're not arguing over who gets to sweep the dirty floors, eh?

7) That "Welcome to Moe's" yell... Yes, I know I'm in Moe's. I've been there twelvety times already.

8-- "We're out of (fill in the blank with the most basic of kitchen ingredient)." Examples: Go to a place known for its fried chicken ("We're out of chicken"). Go to a Mexican place ("We're out of cheese."). WTF?

...
5) filthy floors (quit gossiping at the beverage station and grab a broom and dustpan, will ya?) I've walked out of restaurants where it's obvious that a dustpan hasn't been out on the floor for 6 hours....

Maybe the employees are trying to tell me something, (or maybe they REALLY don't like my shoes?) but it seem to be becoming more common, at various restaurants, that the servers (not mine) will decide that the space UNDER my table (but not under the empty tables, where I can see discarded paper, dropped food, crumbs, etc.) needs to be cleaned immediately--in the middle of a meal. They'll walk up with the sweeper and BUMP against my chair leg and BUMP against my foot and BUMP against the chair again, all the while pretending I'm not there. The first few times I thought maybe my odd dining schedule I was interfering with their plans to shut down the lunch shift (@1:30 pm) or get ready for the dinner shift (@ 4:30 pm), but then I decided maybe they're trying to see whether my foot is real or not.

Am I missing something, or is this a standard way of letting someone know that their presence isn't appreciated? That's how it makes me feel, anyway.

1. Restaurants that always have a waiting line and don't take reservations or have call ahead seating.
2. Groups of people who talk and laugh extremely loudly in a quiet restaurant.
3. People who think their children are angels and never cause problems even though they do.
4. Restaurants who think it's cool to allow you to throw peanut shells or whatever on the floor.
5. Anything else that takes away from an enjoyable dining experience.

A chef at a job I was interviewing for once replied after I asked him about the gig "it's a great place to work and the job is fantastic if it wasn't for those damn customers"!
I responded with "the nerve of some people that come in here in that want something to eat, like its a restaurant or something"
That holds true for most service industry jobs I think. 99% of people are normal, great to serve and are appreciative of your efforts. But that 1% sure does make it tough sometimes.

BTW...just so ya know...I didn't "go here" so we could bash restaurants and the "hired help". More of an opportunity to take a shot or two across the bow of our own shortcomings as customers. But hey, carry on...make it what ya will.

When a server kneels or crouches at my table to take my order.
When a server asks me "do you need change?"

The thing that annoys me the most in restaurants is my daughter's boyfriend.

1. Two people talking on their cell phones at the same time at once while at dinner.
2. People in the next booth or table never using their inside voice.
3. People not aware of the term "personal hygiene".
4. Persons sending their order back more times I can count.
5. Dirty washrooms.
6. Drunks.
7. I don't mind crying children, but take them outside if it has been longer than 10 minutes. Give or take.
8. Patrons bathing in cologne or perfume.
9. Hearing a radio from the kitchen.
10. Ninja Eaters. Stealthily creeping into the restaurant ten minutes before it is going to close.