Busboys Get No Respect

Drew Talbert

27 Jan 202401:00

Summary

TLDRA frustrated busboy vents about the poor treatment he receives from servers at a restaurant, who take advantage of his position by incessantly demanding he cater to their needs and clear tables while they stand around idle. Reaching a breaking point, he defiantly refuses their orders to continue working as their 'personal assistant', asserting himself and declaring he's going on break despite their reliance on him, as the servers acknowledge their behavior while justifying it since they tip him out.

Takeaways

😟 The server is frustrated with the demanding customers at table 15.
😠 The customers treat the server poorly just because they give good tips.
🏃‍♂️ The server asks Oscar to help with multiple tasks like getting waters, clearing tables, and bread.
😣 Oscar seems overworked as the busboy, being asked to help the servers often.
💩 A baby threw up at one of the server's tables, adding to the hectic work environment.
🚦 The server complains about having too many dirty tables to clean.
🕑 There is pressure to work quickly within a 30 minute timeframe.
😡 The server vents about the chef and feeling treated like a 'mule'.
🙅‍♂️ The server refuses to keep helping the other servers with their tasks.
💰 Despite his hard work, the busboy Oscar has a nicer car than the servers.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker is facing?
-The speaker feels like the servers are treating him like their personal assistant and making him do all the work, just because he is the busboy.
How does the speaker feel about the servers?
-The speaker feels the servers are lazy and just standing around while making him run around doing all their work.
What tasks do the servers ask the speaker to do?
-The servers ask the speaker to bring waters, clear tables, bring bread and butter, help clean up a mess, run food, and clear all the tables quickly.
How does the speaker react to the demands from the servers?
-The speaker gets increasingly frustrated and angry, saying things like "let's move", "I'm the damn bus boy not a mule", and that he's going on break.
What does the speaker mean when he says "y'all kiss my ass"?
-This vulgar phrase indicates the speaker has reached his breaking point with the demands and is aggressively telling the servers off.
Why does the speaker say the servers treat him like their personal assistant?
-Because they are constantly asking him to do additional tasks like bringing food, clearing tables, etc. instead of doing it themselves.
Why does the speaker think the servers are just standing around?
-The speaker looks over and sees the servers not helping out or doing any work, even though he is running around doing all these tasks for them.
What accusation does the speaker make against the servers?
-He accuses them of not doing their own jobs and forcing him to do everything even though he is just the busboy.
How does the speaker know the servers don't respect him?
-The servers treat him like a servant or mule, demanding he does tasks instead of asking politely or doing it themselves.
Why might the servers act this way towards the speaker?
-They may think that because he is just a busboy, they can boss him around. Or they may be lazy and trying to avoid their own duties.

Outlines

00:00

😠 Bus boy complains about servers treating him like their personal assistant

The paragraph depicts a frustrated bus boy named Oscar being constantly asked by servers to help with their tasks like serving food, clearing tables, etc. He feels they are treating him like a 'personal assistant' and 'mule' and not respecting his role. Oscar decides to go on break as he is fed up of doing the servers' jobs while they just stand around.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡bus boy

A bus boy is an employee in a restaurant whose job is to assist the servers by clearing tables, refilling water glasses, and other support tasks. In the script, the main character Oscar is the bus boy who feels he is being treated like a "personal assistant" and "mule" by having to do every job in the restaurant while the servers just stand around.

💡tipping

Tipping refers to giving a voluntary extra payment to certain service sector workers in addition to the fixed price for the service. In the script, the bus boy Oscar complains that the customers think they can treat him poorly just because they are tipping him.

💡servers

Servers are waiters/waitresses in a restaurant who take orders, serve food and drinks to customers at tables. In the script, Oscar complains the servers are "just standing around doing jack" while he has to do all the hard work clearing and resetting tables.

💡run food

In a restaurant, "running food" means taking cooked dishes from the kitchen to the dining tables to serve to customers. Oscar has to keep running food orders to tables even though it's not his main job as a bus boy.

💡tip out

Tip out refers to servers sharing a portion of their tips with other staff like bus boys or bartenders. In the script, Oscar points out the servers make him do their work even though they "tip him out" from their own tips.

💡dirty tables

Dirty tables are dining tables with used dishes, food scraps, spilled drinks etc. that need to be cleared and cleaned. Oscar complains he has "dirty tables everywhere" that he has to keep clearing.

💡puked

Puked means vomited. In the script, Oscar says a baby "just puked all over the place" at one of his tables, meaning the baby vomited and made a big mess.

💡jack

In this context, "jack" is slang meaning nothing. Oscar complains the servers "just stand around doing jack" while he does all the work.

💡mule

A mule is a beast of burden used to carry heavy loads. Oscar feels he is being treated like a mule, having to carry and deliver loads of food, dishes, etc. around the restaurant.

💡kiss my ass

This is vulgar slang meaning showing contempt or dismissal. At the end Oscar shouts "y'all kiss my ass" to angrily dismiss the demands being placed on him.

Highlights

The speaker feels like the customers treat him like a dog just because they tip him.

The speaker feels like the customers make him run around doing small tasks for them.

The speaker is frustrated that he is treated like a personal assistant and has to do every job.

The speaker sees other servers just standing around while he has to do all the work.

The speaker acknowledges the servers tip him out but still feels they ask him to do their jobs.

The speaker has a nicer car than the servers, likely due to the tips.

A customer asks the speaker to get waters for two tables.

A customer asks the speaker to clear a table.

A customer asks the speaker to get bread and butter for a table.

A customer asks the speaker for help after a baby vomited.

Food is ready but the speaker needs help running it.

The chef makes the speaker run food despite being a busboy.

The speaker tells the servers to start clearing tables immediately.

The speaker tells the servers to stop asking him to do their jobs.

The speaker goes on break, refusing to do the servers' work.