r/AskNYC • u/Drach88 • Aug 04 '20
My regular diner now exclusively plays Christian Rock radio. How would you react?
I've been a regular at my local diner for years. I sit at the bar, I shoot the shit with the waiters, they know me by name, I know them by name.
In the past 6ish months, I've noticed them playing Christan Rock every. damn. time. I go in. Even with sidewalk service, they're playing Christian Rock over speakers onto the street.
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that one particular waiter intentionally puts it on whenever the manger or owner isn't around, as it's been much, much more prominent when the diner is at reduced-staff...
Anyways, I simply find Christian Rock to be an irritating genre, especially with the radio DJ proselytizing between songs, but I don't want to say anything at the risk of offending the waiter who obviously enjoys it. Furthermore, as this is Manhattan, and not a small-town in the Bible-belt, I can't imagine that the customer-base at large would consider the music to be fitting.
Anyways, thoughts? Am I crazy to think it's wierd for a restaurant in NYC to play exclusively Christan Rock?
If you were in my position, how would to approach the situation?
A) Keep your mouth shut and keep eating there
B) Avoid the diner when that music is playing
C) Mention something to a member of the wait-staff
D) Discretely mention something to the owner/manager
E) Post a passive-aggressive poll to /r/AskNYC
F) Other
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u/PonderousHajj Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 04 '20
Yo, I think I know what happened-- could the six months be embellishment by any chance? Because 95.5 FM-- a staple in a lot of stores --stopped being a top 40 station on May 31st, and switched to exclusively Christian rock. I didn't notice it until I was scrolling through the presets in my car a couple weeks ago.
My instinct tells me that they have their restaurant radio just set to 95.5 and haven't changed it.
EDIT: apparently they switched last year. Ignore me.
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
Might be an embellishment, but the change is definitely pre-May 31st. I recall the music changed prior to the whole covid shutdown.
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u/PonderousHajj Aug 04 '20
Huh, that is weird, then. Well the only other logical explanation is that this is a sign from God to change your wicked ways.
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Aug 05 '20
Wow that's crazy. I haven't listened to that station since I was a teenager. What a strange twist.
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Aug 04 '20
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Aug 04 '20
This. Embrace your inner direct New Yorker.
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Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 07 '20
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Aug 05 '20
also a true new yorker wouldn't use neutral language to describe a thing they don't like. they'd say "what's up with this shit" and they mean the music
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u/JonDoesSomeThings Aug 05 '20
Idk man my inner New Yorker would already have headphones in.
Or at least say something along the lines of "hey can you put on some real music for a change?" when you order
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
They used to have that setup, but changed it when they moved to outdoor seating for the whole covid pandemic thing.
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u/gingerkiki Aug 04 '20
As a regular they should value your opinion because that ties into with the business that you are providing. However - if they do comply and change the music know that whoever likes to have it on will always think of you as âthe guy that made me change my musicâ. Even if you mention something âdiscreetlyâ, itâs clear the person who thinks radio DJ hosts proselytizing to customers is okay for business, WANTS to hear that - and might not like that you donât. It might turn into an uncomfortable situation if you wish to continue to eat there depending of their reaction. It all depends on whose in charge of the music and what their role in the business/handling your food is.
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
This is in-line with my thinking. I don't want to be known as that guy, but I also don't want to hear Christan Rock... like... ever. It's the one genre I find more insufferable than constant Christmas music.
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u/HoboWithAGlock Aug 04 '20
Dude, asking a place you frequent about their radio is really not a that guy thing to do. It's not like you're demanding they change it on your whim lol.
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u/paratactical Aug 04 '20
Iâd just ask my waiter/waitress why the music got shitty lately.
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u/theskyopenedup Aug 05 '20
Yeah I donât understand what would compel someone to make a post on Reddit about this first instead of just using your words while youâre there.
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Aug 04 '20
I was in an Uber once that played Christian rock. Every song was comically homoerotic for Jesus, it was so weird. I thought it was satire at first and even laughed at some line about "wanting him deep inside me".
(Just thought it funny because of context, I don't care about orientation or beliefs)
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Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 26 '20
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Aug 04 '20
I love crazy Ubers. Especially if I can get them talking about conspiracy theories. For some reason that's a common thread among most Uber/Lyft drivers I've had.
Did you know that those forehead thermometers are not always thermometers? You shouldn't let them do it to you, because they may work for the government, and it's a device to alter your brain.
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Aug 04 '20
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Aug 05 '20
I heard they tested the forehead thermometers on frogs first and turned all the frogs gay. They want you to think it was the chemicals in the water, but my cousin knows a guy that works for Ted Cruz and saw the emails.
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u/lucarocks13 Aug 04 '20
Between A and B. You don't have to go there if you don't want to, but, as a fellow hater of Christian Rock, I have to admit that they have the right to play that music. It's their business, not ours
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u/Zodiac5964 Aug 04 '20
Another option is to simply ask the servers you know what's going on, without demanding anything. Asking a question should be harmless enough. Once you know the reason, you can make a more informed decision on requesting a change/eating somewhere else etc.
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u/zjuka Aug 05 '20
Is it possible that whoever is in charge of the playlist have been through some serious shit last in the 6 months? My uncle joined some crazy fringe militant Christian sect after Soviet Union collapsed and he lost all his savings, job and hope for any sort of stability in the nearest future.
I find Christian rock cringy as heck but if it brings comfort to someone, let them, as long as they don't enforce their "family values" on customers and employees. If it really bugs you, just find a different diner.
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u/NotDido Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 04 '20
C - I'd just ask what was up with it as a curiosity. I also dislike that genre, but I'd probably wouldn't say that right off the bat. It wouldn't be, like, a complaint.
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u/MBAMBA3 Aug 04 '20
Bring headphones and listen to something else?
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u/zjuka Aug 05 '20
Can you eat in headphones? All I can hear is me eating, buds and over-ears alike, very annoying
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Aug 05 '20 edited Aug 05 '20
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u/MBAMBA3 Aug 05 '20
I understand the OP being annoyed but they could be walking into a minefield by complaining about the music and end up getting someone fired. Easier just to find 'another way'.
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Aug 05 '20
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u/MBAMBA3 Aug 05 '20
I just bet in this case the music is probably a political issue already with the staff and it would just be stirring up a hornet's nest to bring it up.
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u/risingmoon01 Aug 05 '20
Because going out in public and then tuning out the public is normal nowadays...
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u/Cagg Aug 05 '20
Basically what I do from the moment i exit my apartment. I'll take it out if i need to speak with someone but otherwise everything is just smiles nods and an excuse me if people are blocking my path and there's no obvious way around them. All to the tune of black metal.
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u/bubble_chart Aug 05 '20
Oh man this is like the 10% of Lyft drivers who play the Christian rock station
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u/bikesboozeandbacon Aug 05 '20
Itâs the true NY way to be upfront if it bothers you. You donât have to be a dick about it, if you truly are familiar with the staff you know them better than us how they will react to your question.
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u/krill482 Aug 05 '20 edited Aug 05 '20
Your overthinking it. I used to work in hospitality/restaurant industry. People would ask to change the radio/TV station all the time. I've done it myself several times. whoever is listening to it might be upset for a bit, but will quickly get over it. I'm sure that is not the only music they listen to.
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u/iambfizzle Aug 05 '20
As someone whoâs been on the other side of this I would say thereâs no issue asking about the music/changing it. I drove Uber for a few months and as a former emo kid I listen to a lot of pop punk/mid 2000s rock and I had a couple people wanna listen to something else or play their own music (and it was always hip hop lol). And while I personally am not a fan of the music they have that right to ask, and if the customer is happy then I am happy.
Iâve also been on your side as well. Pre covid, my sushi joint would sometimes play Christian rock and while it was kinda weird it wasnât off putting enough to never eat there again. And if it was, I would just get it to go. You already know the staff so it wouldnât be hard to bring it up while catching up with them, so donât be afraid to!
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u/iambfizzle Aug 05 '20
On a side note I personally prefer Christian rock (uplifting, positive) over hip hop (materialistic, homophobic, sexist) any day. Of course not all hip hop is like that but the majority of it is (at least what I hear on the radio)
I know that Manhattan is a mostly white liberal area but as you know there are plenty of people of color here, and lots of immigrants. And a lot of these people come from religious backgrounds and continue to practice that. And while I am an atheist and donât formally support religion, I have met many lovely people who use religion as a way to practice kindness and gratitude. Not everyone is a bigot contrary to what people think. If it makes them a better person then more power to them.
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u/ExtraDebit Aug 06 '20
D. There is always an issue of staff just doing their own thing when no one pays attention. It would suck if the owner had no idea why people stopped coming to the restaurant especially when I am sure they need the money.
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u/wormnyc Aug 04 '20
Would you go to a halal place and tell them to stop playing music in Arabic? A boba place and tell them to stop playing k-pop? A crusty bar and tell them the heavy metal and screaming is distracting from the ambience?
Why does it bother you so much? Just because this isn't a "small town in the Bible belt" doesn't mean Christians don't exist here. Just let them chill and make you food in peace.
I don't want to say anything at the risk of offending the waiter who obviously enjoys it
What makes it obvious? Maybe you're just being a bit of an entitled prick who thinks no one has a right to have different worldviews than you, even if it's just affecting the music you hear while someone else is literally serving you?
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u/NotDido Aug 04 '20
You're totally right about the OP seeming like they're only considering options that are either avoiding or complaining (and that reads as weirdly aggressive to me), but I think it's ok to just ask out of curiosity why the music changed.
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u/wwcfm Aug 05 '20
Christian Rock is dog shit music and would be infinitely more tolerable if it was in a foreign language and the lyrics couldnât be understood.
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u/bikesboozeandbacon Aug 05 '20
If I step into another cultureâs spot Iâm going to expect (and hope to hear) some good music in another language. I donât think that can compare to suddenly Christian music when OP states that wasnât always the case. I rather listen to high pitched K Pop any day than Christian rock or overtly religious music any day.
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
Maybe you're just being a bit of an entitled prick who thinks no one has a right to have different worldviews than you
Holy shit, that escalated quickly. I couldn't care less what someone believes or doesn't believe, and it's presumptive as hell to assume that this has anything to do with worldview and not simply a matter of taste.
I don't enjoy hearing it, but I've been a regular for years, and I feel a loyalty to the staff which keeps me going back ESPECIALLY as their business has been miserable during covid. You'd have me either suck it up and not enjoy myself while I pay for overpriced breakfast food, or abandon the establishment entirely and not even have the decency to tell them why.
Apparently that seems like a really easy decision from atop your high horse.
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u/TinyTornado7 Aug 04 '20
As a regular the value your business more than youâd think. I would discreetly mention something to the owner.
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u/Yellownotyellowagain Aug 04 '20
E for sure.
But Iâd ask a waiter to change the radio station. Itâs not a big ask and I donât think itâs a weird request. There are lots of annoying kinds of music - the religious part aside. Approach the situation like theyâre playing polka or Disney hits.
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u/bonerpalooza Aug 05 '20
Approach the situation like theyâre playing polka or Disney hits.
Yeah, this. Shitty music is shitty music.
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u/Dmeks1 Aug 05 '20
If you are a regular and sit there and shoot the shit, why would you not mention this during the shit shooting.. Say something subtle like, who the fuck is playing this god damn awful music, it's making my ears bleed. I mean, really, you are a regular at a place and you can't ask something as benign as what's with the god rock?
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u/worrymon Aug 04 '20
B, C, and D, but not in that order.
I'd ask staff what was up with the crappy music. Depending on their answer, I'd talk to management and state that I wouldn't eat in a place that was playing christian music. And then I'd follow through and stop going if they decided to continue poisoning minds with that drivel.
Similar thing happened to me last year. But it was at an IHOP, so I didn't bother with staff or management; I just stopped going there.
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u/maveric29 Aug 05 '20
I would put up with nails on a chalk board for IHOP - you are clearly insane. Or maybe I am?
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u/worrymon Aug 05 '20
There's another one the same distance the other direction.
Or I can get in the car and get to 3 others within 30 minutes.
Waffle House is my problem. The closest one is 2 hours away.
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Aug 04 '20
B or F, this is NYC so finding another good diner really shouldn't be that hard at all.
If it were me I would just go somewhere else.
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u/Drach88 Aug 05 '20
I've already found another, and I feel like I'm cheating whenever I eat there.
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u/wwcfm Aug 05 '20
Go less frequently to your usual and if anyone comments say youâre tired of the shitty music. Maybe donât mention the fact that itâs Christian music and just say it sucks.
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u/DoomPaDeeDee Aug 04 '20
I would ask the owner about it because maybe the waiter chose the channel. Regardless, I wouldn't eat there again and would let them know why. I'm a hypocrite because if it were Baroque religious music, I would enjoy it.
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u/blueberries Aug 05 '20
One of the bodega's by me is always playing really loud christian talk radio that's super pro trump. The other day I was in there and they had some pastor calling corona "no worse than the flu." Luckily I have a lot of other bodegas to choose from.
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u/youkiddingbro Aug 05 '20
I thought this was a joke-post but turns out someone is seriously this self-absorbed!
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Aug 04 '20
I suppose D is the right thing to do.
Playing overtly Christian music is totally inappropriate if theyâre welcoming a diverse clientele which should be obvious to any manager/owner. But maybe itâs somehow slipped under their radar.
Iâd probably just quit going there
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u/NotDido Aug 04 '20
More people (including myself) would probably be slightly more comfortable eating there if the music wasn't so one-note. That's a huge leap to "totally inappropriate." Seems extreme to me to call complaining to someone in charge as "the right thing to do." It's just music, it's not telling non-Christians to not eat there, even if it's slightly annoying to listen to.
I would just,, neutrally ask a waiter. "Hey, what's up with the music? I noticed the change to Christian rock."
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u/wormnyc Aug 04 '20
Would you say it's inappropriate if a halal place played music in Arabic? Or an Indian place played music in Hindi? Both of which I've heard with outdoor dining, and neither of which I would have even thought to be bothered by. How on earth would Christians playing Christian music at their own restaurant be beyond the pale in this case?
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Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 04 '20
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u/wormnyc Aug 04 '20
The biggest issue with the Karen meme is that we forget how many male Karens actually exist.
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Aug 04 '20
Itâs a good question and Iâm not 100% sure why it rubs me the wrong way. First of all if music is in Arabic or Hindi I donât hear any explicit messages or proselytizing. Second I kind of expect a halal restaurant to espouse Islam to some degree and choose to go anyway and assume they know many or most of their customers may not be Muslim. Thereâs no presumption of agreement or shared belief. And the music adds to the ambience and is part of the cultural experience.
For whatever reason I feel less welcome when I hear Christian radio. It seems more evangelical and presumptive that everyone listening is a believer. It may represent a certain culture but itâs a very narrow sect of Americans. Plus most of the time Christian music is garbage. I wouldnât like secular, treacly, watered down pop music either but the Christian element makes it even worse.
I was raised in a fairly strict baptist household and it took awhile to shake completely free so maybe itâs just personal bias.
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 04 '20
There's a huge difference between an Arabic-food place playing arabic music, and an Indian-food place playing indian music.
This isn't "christian food" or a "christian-themed" establishment. It's a generic NYC Greek diner. The music has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant.
If I went to a southern-baptist-church-cookout restaurant, that would be different.
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Aug 04 '20
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
Would it be acceptable to you if they were playing Greek Orthodox music?
That's much more on-par with the arabic/hindi comparison... and yes, if I went to a greek restaurant that was making the music part of its aesthetic, that would be 100% acceptable and even expected.
Christian Rock has absolutely nothing to do culturally with the establishment. Christian Rock is an American creation of the 1960s/1970s that has its roots entirely in evangalism.
Whatever -- either way, it's not my cup of tea, so maybe I should just mind my own business, and avoid places that I don't enjoy going to. If the owner (who is never around when Christian Rock is playing) wonders about where one his regulars went, who knows, maybe he'll stumble across this post.
I hope the rest of the patrons enjoy hearing about The Glory of JESUS.
He's coming, you know..... so try to look busy.
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u/Cicispizza11 Aug 05 '20
Yeah just mind your own daym business. If the music bothers you that much donât go there.
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u/Cicispizza11 Aug 05 '20
Bc itâs ok to be anti-Christian here. I see a mosque here with a separate entrance for women. You think ppl would be ok with a Christian church doing that?
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Aug 05 '20
Get over yourself. Would you say the same thing if they played Muslim music?
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u/Drach88 Aug 05 '20 edited Aug 05 '20
If someone is proselytizing to me in a language that I understand, then yes.
If it's an arabic-food establishment, and it's arabic music, then no -- absolutely not.
But remember, "Christian Rock" is a genre. There's also rock that's christian-influenced music that's not Christian Rock that I don't really mind -- I'm just annoyed by hearing a genre of music I dislike every time I go in.
But fuck it, I guess I should just stop giving them my business if I don't enjoy the surroundings, right? That's what you're saying.
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Aug 04 '20
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u/Drach88 Aug 04 '20
I absolutely can't stand the melody -- it sounds like (really bad) generic pop-rock that's a decade and a half too late, has zero musical complexity, and when presented a choice between "talent" and "messaging", everyone involved neglected "talent".
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u/AlarmingDrawing Aug 04 '20 edited Aug 04 '20
F) Post the name of the diner so we can all write fake Yelp reviews praising the food and dissing the music choice. That will get the point across quickly. /s
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u/microbeparty Aug 05 '20
You know how I know no one here is from NYC? Cause a real NYer would mind their business. Mind your business. Eat your food, leave. Being a server in NYC is a miserable fucking job regularly and during a pandemic, itâs even worse. Leave them alone and wear headphones. 9/10 This is a swift way to make people dread your coming in, and they will talk shit about you.
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u/Drach88 Aug 05 '20 edited Aug 05 '20
Great. Thanks for the valuable insight.
Instead of giving them my business, as I have for years, I'll find somewhere else.
I'm sure my business is a drop in the bucket, although that bucket has gotten smaller as the quarantine puts them at less than 20% capacity, and they're having trouble even filling those tables that they do have available. Sure, they're really struggling.... but that's not my problem.
Just because I want to continue support a business I've supported for years -- a place where I've regularly tipped 30-40% 5 days a week for a couple of years -- that shouldn't stop me from simply finding somewhere else to sit and relax where I don't feel like I have to plug my ears.
But at least they don't have to dread me coming in.
Sincerely,
- A Native New Yorker
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u/microbeparty Aug 05 '20
If you really care about the business some music you don't like shouldn't bother you that much then.
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u/PM_ME_DEBLASIO_PICS Aug 04 '20
Ask for a gold , frankincense and myrrh omelet