"Nathalie Chiva" > wrote in message
...
> It was a posh restaurant in Provence, in the village where my
> grandmother had a house. Lunchtime, full restaurant. We ordered a menu
> with appetizer, main course and dessert, and a bottle of wine. The
> wine arrived immediately. The appetizer (a splendid soup) took a
> while. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. After 20 minutes of
> waiting, I managed to catch the attention of the waitress, who was
> actually the owner. She said curtly that "it's coming". After 10 or 15
> more minutes, I called her again, she came and said we had to wait
> like everybody else, it was each one his turn and if we didn't like
> it, we could leave. My grandmother paid for the wine and soup and we
> left indeed (I would not have paid, but she wanted to).
>
> Nathalie in Switzerland

I guess restaurant problems for diners are the same world-wide; I'd hate to
be on holiday and this happen to me.

It reminds me of one time I waited, waited, waited in line at a grocery
store to pick up some film where loads of people were buying lotto tickets.
When I got there, the clerk wouldn't get my film, and said, "there are
other people here in line here that I have to take care of, you'll have to
come back." WHUT!~! When I left the store DH and f-i-l couldn't understand
my sputtering, slobbering incoherence explaining the situation as to why I
didn't come back with the film. In the scheme of things that happen to us
in life, this wasn't worth having a fit about, but it's one thing you do
remember; just like your restaurant experience.
When I go to that grocery store in CT to shop for f-i-l's food, I always see
that lotto/video/film line-up and smile, knowing I'll never get in that line
again and actually feeling sorry for the people standing there.
It's good to remember the good 'and the bad.'
Dee Dee