Things that annoy you while dining in restaurants

People sitting at a nearby table who overhear your conversation and then decide that you need to hear their opinion on it. If we wanted to know your views/opinions, you'd be sitting with us.

Cell phones!!!! I have a cell phone, and I love it, but seriously, turn the dang thing off or put it on vibrate while you're in a restaurant!! Of course, that's also true for most places of business. Today I had a guy call his girlfriend, mid eye exam, while I waited. I just sat back with my arms crossed. I have even left the exam lane before because of people answering calls.

I hate to say this but everytime I go to Home Run Burgers there is a girl that runs the cash register that is texting. Everytime. Im shocked she hasn't had anyone say anything to her. It's really obvious.

Bud Light. It's such a turn-off.

Oh Wow! LOL

-Auctioning off the food when it comes..."Now, who wants the Club Sandwich?"

-At business lunches, automatically handing the bill to the male. (When I was the boss and paying)

-Same-siders

Nine times out of ten we have the table with the sea legs. No matter how high it has been blocked it rocks. I used to like when they put matchbooks on the table...I thought that is what they were for.

Being tucked into a very small corner table under the fern.

Cell phones. I find I speak very loudly to people with those things hanging off their ear. I feel it is a very large amplifier for their hearing aid.

5. dirty glasses(lipstick from a previous customer) and silverware with dried on crusted food

I agree with you on that. I stayed at a hotel in Jersey for about three weeks this summer. We ate at the the hotel for breakfast everyday. My coworker received a coffee cup about six times while we were there with a giant pink lip print on it. Every time the waitress would take it away and complain about Mary Kay being like paint.

The pressure to free up the table. 99% of the time this happens to me, it's in the States. I can excuse all manner of mistakes or perceived slights from staff but, "Hey you're finished, please leave now" kind of attitude is a death sentence. I just won't go back.

When you intentionally go to a place early to avoid the crowd and they put the only 4 tables in the place right next to each other. I showed up early because I didn't want to have dinner with anyone other than my husband! I understand server stations, but seriously 60 tables in the place and I get stuck sandwiched between standard dad's boring golf stories with a side of cracking teen voice and the horny old women's club constant comments about the server's "steamy buns".

The girl that was seated beside me at Seviche a few months ago that had bathed in cheap floral perfume really hit a button. It was so strong I couldn't hardly breathe and I could taste the perfume. Yet again, the place was nearly empty since we showed up early and they had to sit their table right next to ours. While they did move us, it could have been avoided if they would have just sat them a few tables away to begin with, they had the room.

- Host(esse)s who seat us far away from everyone else when they see us enter with a small child. (And what makes you think my child is going to be poorly behaved? We wouldn't bring her if she were.)

- Servers who interrupt conversations mid-word to ask if everything is fine. (Do you expect me to speak with my mouth full? If things weren't fine, would I be eating it? Believe me, I'll let you know.)

- Servers who take away plates as individual diners finish eating. (Is it really hurting you to see an empty plate in front of someone and so you'd rather see nothing at all?)

- Servers who vanish for fifteen minutes after the diners ask for 'just one more minute' to look at the menu. Similarly, I'm annoyed when the server hands you the menu and asks you for your order before you even get to open it. (I left my psychic reading glasses at home.)

- Servers who say 'I don't know' about a dish's ingredients without offering to find out the answer. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk regarding my food allergy—and I know a lot of people claim allergies—but I also don't want to hear a crack about how bizarre my particular one is. (Yes, I know it's unusual. No, I'm not allergic to related foods A, B or C. Yes, I am sure, and no, just a little bit WILL be harmful. Serve me that ingredient in spite of it, and you get to call 911.)

Fortunately, I don't experience these things a lot. But they have happened frequently enough for me to remember them as big 'DON'Ts.'

I suppose disruptive kids are a given (and below a certain age, I blame the parents more than the children)....beyond that, my biggest annoyance is inattentive service...I don't need (or desire) to be hovered over, but there's a happy medium somewhere that balances attentive w/o being obtrusive.

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.

Nice try, Stevie Boy.

To try to get back to Steve's original intent:

I hate when one customer overburdens the waiter, so that service slips for everyone else. I also hate that the server just doesn't tell me that the a-hole over the way is making things difficult for everyone. I'm a pretty sympathetic dude.

So, I try to be pretty attentive of never trying to "monopolize" the server's attention or time. As a 20-something, I think it's the least I can do when the server's dealing with families, and pushy/needy people, etc.

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.

Nice try, Stevie Boy.

Getting back to my point about cell phones...This is kind of a biggie for me. If I go to -say- Papalino's for lunch I fully expect to see/hear people yammering on their cell phones, hell I've done it myself. On the other hand if I go to -say- La Relais for an upscale meal, I am genuinely offended by someone talking into their food. So where does one draw the line in terms of etiquette ? Is it a time of day thing ? Is it a matter of venues ? Personally I would not be offended in the least to see restaurants display a sign asking diners to please take their cell calls/texts in the restroom. Tough call for the restaurants I'm sure.

I'm not so sure about that. I'd go out of my way to patronize a place who told obnoxious cellphone users to take it outside. We do it where I work. There are "no cellphones in this area" signs surrounding my desk because it was getting so bad that I couldn't do my job. An argument could be made that cellphone usage hinders the waitstaff's job performance, as well. Can't really take an order with someone screaming into a cellphone.