this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2023
1346 points (98.9% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26924 readers
713 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try [email protected]


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either [email protected] or [email protected]. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email [email protected]. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 year ago (4 children)

There have been plenty of movies and shows based on this so I guess I'm more confirming a poorly kept secret than I am revealing it, but;

If you go out to eat in a college town (esp if it's a state school,) there's a good chance that almost every employee (managers, bartenders, servers, you name it) is drinking or smoking pot out back, if not in the middle of an active bender. We'd fill our water bottles with alcohol, make food for our stoner friends in exchange for drugs, take shots in the walk-in fridge, roll on Molly while cooking, run out back to puke, and rally for the rest of our shift. After closing we'd meet up with other industry friends, usually at a bar where one of them was still working, close that place down, then pair off and hook up in questionable places.

I've had sex on restaurant rooftops and patios, in supply closets, behind the stacked pallets in dry storage, and in the manager's office. I witnessed others get it on in booths, on top of the video poker machines, and even on the bar itself. Thankfully never where food was prepared, but that was pretty much the only thing that was off limits, and only within my social circle. I can't speak about others.

I'm a boring elder millennial now, but every once in a while I reminisce about working in the service industry. I don't think I appreciated how much freedom I had, I was too busy worrying about money, school, and relationships. I definitely wouldn't do it again, but I'm glad I got to sow my oats, or whatever.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

Good ol kitchen confidential right here lol

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Oats weren't the only thing sowed, dad.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Enjoyed the read, but this really isn't an industry secret College town, resort town, beach town, mountain town, you name it- restaurant peeps are fucked up and fuckin'.

But they get their shit done, so its well earned.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

That's why I called it a poorly kept secret. It's a specific corner of the industry and anyone who has worked in it is probably well aware. But I think people in the industry definitely try to keep their behavior secret from customers, the big bosses, and outsiders in general. Are they successful in keeping things under wraps? Depends a lot on the who, what and where. But regardless, I've met many people who've never worked these types of service jobs, and think shows/movies like Waiting, Party Down, The White Lotus, Shameless etc, are exaggerations.

In my experience (at 5 or 6 different restaurants/bars in 1 college town and 1 tourist trap) they are not.

The only show I can think of that's obviously exaggerated, imo, is It's Always Sunny. But that's just because of the characters. If you strip an episode down to the plot points (trying to get on welfare/foodstamps to subsidize your slacker lifestyle, unhealthy rivalries with other bars/service employees, low standards re: job performance, constantly drinking on the job, etc) I'd say that it's pretty accurate as well.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Holy shit mate aren't you worried about STDs

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why would I be? I get tested regularly (even now that I'm married, just in case), have the HPV vaccine, use protection, and have been on some sort of contraceptive for most of my adult life. I've never had an STD or an "oops" pregnancy, and know very few people who have.

Sex is fun, and pleasure is one of the best ways to deal with stress, imo. We shouldn't feel guilty pursuing what we want, as long as everyone is a consenting adult and being safe and responsible.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I see bro. I guess I worry too much about it