"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>
> Recently at a pre-wedding dinner party in a private room of a restaurant
> in Stamford, I was seated at a table with my boyfriend, brother, and
> parents. I'm 50. My parents are in their mid-80s. When the entrees
> started coming from the kitchen, several waiters were delivering them all
> at once. One waiter had one in his hand when he got to our table, so he
> put it down in front of me, then returned to the kitchen for more. I was
> embarrassed. Didn't he know to serve my mother first? It sat there in
> front of me while he went for more.
>

No, he probably didn't know anything but to start at a certain point of the
table and go around. That assures that everyone is served. The help at
most of those places is poorly trained and poorly paid and just don't care.
It is just a job to make some money, not a life career in catering.


>
> When the dessert came, they did exactly the same thing, served me, then
> went for more. I don't think the waiter ever understood the point, and
> it's baffling to me.

Not baffling at all. They don't care.