Waiters Share The Saddest 'I'm Waiting For Someone' Situation They've Ever Witnessed
As an artist and struggling New York actor/writer I of course have waited on many a table. I've served the rich the poor, old and young, the fashionable, the plain, the kind and the evil. (There is far more evil eating out... just FYI) And it always made me wonder about strangers and their stories. In particular the stories behind the people who left me with a sense of sorrow. I've seen people stood up, celebrate the passings of loved ones from 9/11 and even a proposal gone awry. (Never ask for someone's hand in marriage with the ring on an Olive Garden breadstick!) Seeing people at their most vulnerable is definitely something you remember.
Redditor u/nGear wanted to know about the times they felt a tug at the heart for a few customers by asking them to divulge.... Waiters, what's the saddest "I'm waiting for someone" you have experienced?Shame on you young man....
I was a server for 5 years and the most heartbreaking experience I had was an older woman, probably in her 60's was waiting for her grandson to come meet her for lunch. When I greeted her at the table she was very excited as I assumed she didn't see him much.
As time went by no one showed up so she decided to order. Towards the end of her meal no had shown up so it being a slow shift, me and my gf (we worked together at the same restaurant which is where we met), decided to just talk with her for a little bit and give her some company. We both felt so sad for this sweet old lady but we could tell that simple act of kindness made her day. Shame on that grandson.
Happy Birthday Sir.
I was actually a hostess at the time and I was asked to take the table for a server. An old man came in asking for a table of 6 and he asked for 6 waters. I set up his table and I put his order in. He said it was his birthday. He was there for about an hour or 2 and nobody showed up. It was really sad. He ended up tipping me like $30 and he said "Sorry for the trouble." I still think about that guy. I hope he's doing okay. :(
You dodged a bullet....
Once at my shift I saw a really shy guy, you could see that he is on a budget, but omg, he was so trying so hard and looked so exited about upcoming date! He brought one rose, and asked what he can purchase on 10 euros to make this evening beautiful. My heart melted so much that I offered him for free two glasses of wine and a dessert (I was a manager).
We put on a table some candles, and so he was sitting there and with the big smile waiting for his date to come. But she never came. He waited like 2 hours, nervously checking on his phone. When he left, he gave this rose to me and thanked for kindness towards him. He was so broke. So was my heart about this situation. :(
After Goodbye....
Place I used to work at had a man come in every night for a week, wait for a few hours, order food and drinks, then leave with no one showing up.
Later learned he was just trying to cope with his wife's death, believing that she'd arrive to greet him at the restaurant were they had their first date.
The Barista....
Not the waitstaff, but the "Wait-er."
I had set an OKCupid date at this nice coffee shop in Brooklyn. I get there, and I know the barista from college. I'm the only person in the shop at the time, so we talk a little, awkwardly. Gradually other customers arrive, so she attends to them and I attend to my phone.
It gets to the point where my date is 20 minutes late and hasn't been responding to my messages asking about an ETA. I'm sweating. Profusely. I'm so embarrassed that I'm probably being stood up in front of someone who I had several classes with years prior and knows most of my friends. I feel so humiliated.
Then my date walks in.
Stands there for a moment.
AND WALKS RIGHT BACK OUT THE DOOR
Barista: "Was that her?"
Me: "Yup."
Barista: "What an a-hole."
That comment made things slightly better.
An Extra Plate....
A six-year-old boy came every day with his older brother at lunchtime and for almost a month they ordered three plates of food and always left one. When I attended to them, the boy told his older brother to ask his mother for lunch because she was already arriving, but their mother never came.
The boy's older brother asked me to give the food to someone who needed it when they left and he told me that his mother had died and that he did not know how to explain to his little brother that his mother was not coming back, but that this cafeteria It was the last place where she had taken her little brother to eat and that is why the boy believed that she would return for the dinner.
4 in a row....
A woman came in 4 nights in a row just in case she got the day wrong. She'd sit at the bar wearing the same flowery dress every night and would hopefully look at the door every single time it opened. Left in tears the first two nights when we closed, the third and fourth nights she just stared vacantly at the door until we had to make sure she left.
I never saw her again, I don't think any other staff did either but we all felt really bad for her. She got a couple free drinks and apps, we didn't even care if it was a scam cause she seemed so broken about it.
Why so Public?
Was working an evening shift and a relatively younger guy came in and waited for his date. She showed up and not even 10 minutes later he got up and left and she sat there crying.
Patrons that are there to breakup are also hard to witness.
No doggy bag?
Not a waiter, but was out with my girlfriend and we were seated next to a date.
Guy was clearly trying to engage with the girl, but the girl kept looking at her phone disinterested. Guy initiated all the conversations, only to be met with 1 word answers.
He ordered a lot of food (it's a dessert place, so a lot of small meals) and then the girl suddenly took her bag and left? He banged the table after about paying, and just left with the food untouched.
Everyone in the vicinity, including the waiters were visibly shocked. I felt so bad for the guy.
Stalled....
Not a waiter, but this happened to me.
I went speed dating, turned up to the venue to find it very quiet. Barely anyone was there.
The event was on the second floor, so I got a pint for the time being and sat down and waited for people to turn up.
I tried to go up to the second floor only to find that it had been closed off. Noticing my confusion the bar man asked if I was there for speed dating, I said yes, he told me it was cancelled. I didn't get an email about this, nothing.
So I sat there, dressed up and alone. I finished my pint and went home.
Dropping $1500 for Nothing....
Ugh this one was tough; I worked at a pretty fancy steakhouse in town, and we had a private dining room that could set up to 32 at a single, long table. To book the room we charged a $1500 deposit, which we then used to cover part of the bill (it was a deposit, not a room charge). Anyways, this girl books it for 26 people, puts the deposit on her card. She shows up with her sister, and then after about 20 minutes, 2 of their 'friends' show up and sit at the opposite end of this giant table from the birthday girl and her sister.
Nobody else came. They waited an hour, the birthday girl was sobbing, the other two just awkwardly left. It was awful. I'm grateful to my manager, who in a moment of compassion refunded the whole deposit back onto the poor girls card. I felt terrible for her.
Her mom decorated the table and chairs and the whole corner for the party, everyone in the restaurant could see there was going to be a party there on a busy Friday night. 4 people showed of the possible 20, that includes the future bride and mom. I didn't even care about the money I was missing out on (four tables of my section gone on a busy weekend shift) I just felt so bad for her.
Why Bother Lady?
Not a waiter, but worked at a coffee shop for several years and made friends with tons of regulars. One of the regulars, we'll call him J, was working on his PHD in Art History or something to that effect at the university near us. He came in one day, got his usual tea and asked if I could charge him for a latte, but make it later, no big deal.
I was bussing tables and asked who the latte was for and very excitedly expressed that he was meeting a lady and it was "kind of a date". He was an awkward kind of guy, but very interesting and incredibly friendly. One hour passes, no show, two, no show, finally three, he's looking despondent and starts collecting his things and leaves.
She showed up 20 minutes later asking about J. Apparently they got their times completely mixed up. He comes in the next day and I mention that she came in looking for him and he looked so excited. I found out a week or so later from him that she basically blew him off a second time. He was so crestfallen, it broke my heart.
Still With Me...
Ahhh, I haven't bartended in a million years, but the saddest one was a guy in his 30s. He had a 2 top, asked for a bottle of top shelf champagne, candles lit, all that. Told me they were celebrating. No one showed. Guy looked morose, but had an appetizer, poured a glass of champagne for the person who wasn't there, then asked for the bill.
I felt bad he obviously got stood up, so I brought him a desert in the house. He smiled, and told me it was his anniversary. My face must've showed my sadness for him, so he clarified- his wife died of cancer a few month ago. It may have been the saddest thing I've seen.
Bye Ma....
Not exactly a waiter, but I was working at a bar a few years back and there often was this girl (in her early twenties maybe) who sometimes used to meet her mother at the bar (maybe about every 2 or 3 months).
The thing is, more often than not the mother either came extremely late (1 or 2 hours at least) to didn't came at all. When she came, there often was a huge tension between the two. It was obvious that they had some unresolved issues.
Watching the girl wait for hours even if it was clear that the mother wouldn't come on that day always broke my heart. As a barkeeper and since she was a regular, I tried my best to engage a conversation with her to distract her a little, but there's only so much you can do.
Fun fact: Years after I stopped working at that bar, I met her at a random party and we had a great evening/night together. She told me that she 'broke up' with her mother tho.
So it's a No?
Guy was dressed really nice. Says his date should be there soon and goes ahead and is seated.
He orders a drink and 30 minutes pass by... then and hour, and another drink later. He started fidgeting with something and I noticed it was a ring. After an hour and a half he asked for his check and muttered something about "There goes two years wasted and down the drain." He tipped 2x his bill.
Poor guy.
into crack town....
This gentleman in his mid forties came to my restaurant frequently and would not order his drink until "his wife got there." He would wait for a few minutes, then pull out a framed picture of a woman, set it on the table, and proceed to order his food and drink. He would talk to the framed picture and have dinner with "her" about once a week.
I noticed him doing this often and told my coworker I thought it was cute he was having dinner with his late wife and she replied,"Oh, no that's not his wife. He found that picture at good will and has been a relationship with it ever since. He told me that a long time ago." What did I expect from working right off the freeway in crack town. Very true story, no lie.
14 is an unlucky #...
We had a 21st birthday party booked for 20, the family showed up early with a few friends. They had a few drinks and let the staff know some of the party were running late. Half an hour in, when the late people were supposed to arrive, two friends left.
An hour went by and the birthday group ordered.
Got their starters, told the service staff some more people were coming. About two hours in the mother said just bring the mains out.
It was so sad, I felt so bad for them. Being stood up by fourteen people, and the two friend who did show up didn't even eat.
"Honey, it is going to be okay."
A few years ago, I took myself to a movie and dinner. It was the weekend before Valentine's day. At the time I had a warehouse gig and that day my step counter was at 7.9 km. Being exhausted, I just sort of plopped down. Ordered quietly, sipped a beer, and derped around on my phone.
I must have looked like I was on the verge of tears (in reality I'd been rear ended at a red light the week before and just hurt all over.) Server comped my cheesecake, smiled politely, and quietly remarked "Honey, it is going to be okay." Until that point I wasn't sad to be alone- but after that I was fighting tears all the way home.
She Gone
I had a regular who would always come in with his wife. One day he sat in my section and I noticed his wife wasn't with him. I asked "where's your wife today" he replied "she's in heaven waiting for me". Immediately I died inside 😭😭😭😭🥺
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Those of you who have seen Home Alone – and honestly, who hasn't at this point – know that Kevin McCallister was sick in the head. I mean, he really went overboard, didn't he? His ideas were straight out of a horror film. He could have taught some tricks of the trade to Jigsaw, wouldn't you agree?
Next time you watch those films, consider why his awful parents didn't send his ass to a child psychologist.
But Home Alone isn't the only kids movie that would benefit from a more adult version. People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor Kevvv_Y asked the online community,
"If you could make one kids movie R rated which movie would you choose?"
Home Alone (1990)
"Home Alone would be pretty intense."
Jojo056123
Pretty sure an R-rated version of this film would just be called Saw.
Small Soldiers (1998)
"Small Soldiers. It would be a bloodbath!"
PissoffCoDfan
It was already pretty intense. The spliced Barbies they were mass producing in the last act was actual crazy sh*t.
Zootopia (2016)
"I feel like Zootopia was going down that path already. Not in a furry way per say, but more of a "drugged up predators are murdering people" way."
[deleted]
Yeah, if you really think about the plot of the movie, this perfectly breaks down how dark the film actually was.
Coraline (2009)
"Coraline. Let’s make it darker, by a lot."
[deleted]
Noooo please don't. It was already scary enough!
Antz (1998)
"Antz. Its already primed up for it with the violence it has. It's Starship Troopers for kids."
[deleted]
Ah yes, this movie was wilder than it had any right to be. A fine choice.
Scooby-Doo (2002)
"The live action Scooby Doo because it was originally written by James Gunn to be a Rated R film. Shaggy and Scooby were supposed to hotbox the Mystery Machine and Velma and Daphne would’ve made out. Would’ve been 10/10."
bobfromboston
So basically that scene from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back?
Matilda (1996)
"Matilda. If it’s rated R it’s just Carrie."
PM_Me_Your_DownBlouse
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. It would improve the film if the Phantasm got to kill people with blades rather than PGing everyone to death."
SYLOH
You wouldn't even need to be R for that.
You'd just need to not be an animated movie from the '90s that's technically for kids.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
"The Nightmare Before Christmas. You could add 15-20 minutes of R-rated scenes to the original material, then it'd be a full hour and a half long!"
boomdart
A good choice! It's already an excellent candidate.
The Lion King (1994)
"The Lion King. Give me all of the brutality of animals fighting and ripping each other apart to slowly eat each other alive."
noshoes77
Oh, that's the reason?
Does Simba and Nala's relationship ring any bells?
Sorry to ruin your childhoods. Or... better yet, consider that we're improving them.
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below.
People Debate The First Thing They'd Do If They Woke Up With A Billion Dollars In The Bank
Haven't we all wondered what we'd do if we had a billion dollars in the bank?
Of course we have. They say that "money can't buy happiness" but we all know that that's ridiculous. The truth is that having enough money would solve most of the average person's problems, especially when their problems typically revolve around making sure that they can pay all their bills on time and keep a roof over their heads.
People told us what they'd do if they could only be so lucky once Redditor Stef4nos asked the online community,
"You suddenly wake up a Billionaire. What do you do?"
"Nothing..."
"Nothing until I’m sure it wasn’t a bank error."
maxpower7833
Ah, a smart person here. Yes, best be careful!
"Transfer it..."
"Transfer it off shore, pull enough out for a new identity, and set up a new life in a non extradition country, and continue living my life as normal. If no one comes looking for it, I can always transfer it back. But if they start asking about it, poof."
[deleted]
Well, well, well... it definitely sounds like you've thought about this a lot.
"Go back..."
"Go back to sleep. I can deal with this sh*t later."
OK_whenever_Buddy
Correction: You can afford to deal with this sh*t later.
"Apologize..."
"Apologize for waking him."
[deleted]
Ah, we see what you did there.
Smart-aleck.
"Going back to sleep..."
"Going back to sleep since I don't have to go to work."
[deleted]
Hey, hey... when you're right, you're right.
"Find a few..."
"Find a few really good lawyers and financial advisors to keep me on the straight and narrow."
jasperfilofax
Definitely the wisest option. Some people would make so many mistakes.
"I’d hire lawyers and financial advisers to keep an eye on my lawyers and financial advisers and hire a company to audit the lawyers and financial advisers who were hired to keep an eye on my original lawyers and financial advisers and then hire another company to audit the auditors who are auditing the lawyers and financial advisers who were hired to keep an eye on the lawyers and financial advisers I originally hired to manage my money. Then, maybe at that point I could enjoy being a billionaire."
Duality-is-my-prison
It's lawyers and financial advisers all the way down!
"Fill..."
"Fill my gas tank all the way up."
Parhel
Wow, look at Mr. Moneybags here! What's next? Not carrying around a credit card balance?
"Wouldn't it be cool..."
"Wouldn't it be cool to dump like a million dollars in an account and set ALL your bills to auto pay and just forget about them for years?"
theangryintern
And after that you’d still have $999 million to spend.
"Do what I usually do..."
"Do what I usually do but with a smile on my face."
i-like-eating-tacos
This is a good answer. Because if you suddenly got a billion bucks on your bank account (or worse, in cash), you will live in danger if you start talking about it or acting rich.
But smiling and doing what you usually do is the way to go, until your money is locked up in real estate and other investments.
The sky's the limit, people. Though at this rate you might have a better chance of getting a billion dollars if you eat the rich.
They've given us enough of a reason.
Have some thoughts of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
I can typically tell a movie will suck if the dialogue sounds unnatural and stilted. Suffice it to say that even the best actors cannot elevate a terrible script. There's only so far that their talents can stretch.
Note: While there are certainly many movies out there that fall into the "so bad it's good" category, movies like these tend to be rather tongue-in-cheek from the getgo. There are few things more exasperating as a movie-lover than watching a movie in which characters take themselves soooo seriously but have such terrible dialogue to show for it.
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor TimeMachineToaster asked the online community,
"What are some of the first signs a movie is going to suck?"
"The backstory..."
"The backstory is introduced through an unrealistic and forced conversation where people who have known each other for years list facts about each other."
ggsupreme
Ahhh... the exposition dump. For writers who can’t be bothered to find creative ways of building backstory.
"Excessive use..."
"Excessive use of nostalgia to keep the viewer engaged."
BigTiddyOrc
Sounds like a lot of sequels and revivals that have graced movie and television screens over much of the last decade. Few of them are good. Most of them are exhausting.
"You'll start to see..."
"You'll start to see defenses of the movie from director/producers after early screenings but before the major release."
IzzyOkie
Whenever you hear about "mixed reactions" at screenings, you know you're going to be in for a hot mess.
"What about..."
"What about when a director starts to verbally attack people who didn't like the movie?"
level100metapod
And starts calling people who give constructive criticism trolls? Yeah, that should tell you quite a bit.
"Trailers..."
"Trailers where every joke is in the trailer."
broadwayzrose
Yeah, that's typically a sign of a low-quality film. No question.
"It's a Netflix movie..."
"It’s a Netflix movie with big name actors. They spend 95% of their budget on getting somebody like the Rock for it and 1% writing the script."
KingBenjamin97
To be fair, it's not difficult to get The Rock to star in anything.
"When there is..."
"When there is a review embargo. Unless it is to protect some plot element, that usually means the film is going to bomb."
[deleted]
Most films don't warrant a review embargo, but the ones that do are bound to be pretty bad. The studio knows they have a turd and will try to hide it as long as possible.
"When the three trailers..."
"When the three trailers they release before the movie comes out pretty much show most of/the best of the action."
RAZOR314
This is why I dislike trailers. They really hurt the element of surprise.
"If the commercials..."
"If the commercials have the cast talking to the audience about the movie, instead of showing clips of the actual movie."
[deleted]
Yes, when you do see that – and you will – just know that it's definitely not an accident!
"It stays in limbo for years with constant script changes and rewrites, director changes, etc. Rumors circulate about drama on set and studio meddling and reshoots."
[deleted]
Ah, yes, what people in the industry call production hell. And yes, typically the movies do turn out to be pretty bad, but there are always some exceptions like Mad Max: Fury Road.
You'll think twice the next time you're watching a movie, won't you? Time is valuable – no need to sit through a terrible movie if you can avoid it!
Have some observations of your own to share? Tell us more in the comments below!
There are people who are deathly afraid of needles but eventually get inoculated to protect their health.
There are people who absolutely can't stand sushi but know better than to deny their friends from enjoying what they deem delicious.
We can't get rid of everything different people have strong aversions to, but there are some things that should cease to exist from our world.
Curious to hear the things strangers online would say good riddance to, Redditor Sp3csLM asked:
"The world would be 100x better without this, what is it?"

Physical and emotional pain were at the top of the list for many Redditors.
We'll Pass
"Kidney stones."
– Callous02
"I recently passed a 10mm kidney stone. It took three months. The doctor wanted to analyze it, but I wanted to keep it. It is currently the centerpiece to my zen garden."
– Flaky_Finding_3902
That Nagging Ache
"Lower back pain."
– Detriumph
"I learned a trick to get rid of most of my lower back pain. This strengthens butt muscles and literally takes 1 minute. Lie your back flat on the ground with your knees up. Now use your legs to push your lower back off the ground. Stay in this position for a second or two, go back down, repeat for a minute. Ta-da, no back pain. You’re welcome"
– ArmageddonUnleashed
Cognitive Degeneration
"Dementia"
"Right now I'm watching this f'king disease rip my 80 year old father apart."
"I'm certain there are worse things, but in my world......"
"F''K DEMENTIA!!!"
– thebigdawg7777777
Inconsolable Despair
"Depression."
– Livefast_eatTrash99
"It might sound a bit harsh. I’ve been depressed since I was a teen. I’d still say, that short depressions can (can) be eye-opening in the sense that they make you self reflect in a way you’ve never done before, and you grow through that. You learn more about yourself and rule out problems (and/or people) from your life and helps u get ahead. What should not exist is chronic depression, that lasts for 2,3...5years....life... because it just ruins your life at this point."
– IcyInspection4791
There are things that can negatively affect us that we can do without.
Airborne Nightmare
"Those large flying cockroaches."
– dicatae
Trashing The Place
"Litter.'
– Rikkrishub
"At my work the minute someone takes the time to clean the parking lot of litter, 500 people have already thrown their fast food bags/gas station snack trash/home trash all over the ground."
– Straight_Ace
Environmental Harm
"Pollution."
– macaronsforeveryone
"Yes, the effects of pollution are causing more harm right now, than the corrupt leaders who aren't doing anything. If we got rid of the corruption, then you'd still have to clean the pollution. If we get rid of the pollution the world stabilizes enough for us without all the natural disasters that are causing mayhem on swaths of people."
– LongShaynx
Not everything objectionable is visibly detectable.
That's A Fact
"Lying politicians."
– mamarooo28
"A honest polician could have a hard time facing a lying one. People are more emotional than factual. That is why public scrutiny is important."
– Ogemiburayagelecek
Dishonest People
"Just liars in general. Cannot believe how far I had to scroll to see this. I think lies are literally tearing America apart."
– rubensinclair
These abhorrent things should have been long gone.
People Give This The Middle Finger
"Cancer."
– cashmerered
"Just went into complete remission last year ✊🏼f'k cancer!"
– justsomematter
Poverty
"I asked my friends this thought experiment."
"You can magically solve all poverty, homelessness, and hunger. In exchange, you have to become the poorest person on earth, even though NOTHING about the trajectory of your life will change. You'll have the same opportunities, experiences, and possessions to look forward to regardless of your choice - just everybody else will have more and better than you. No monkey's paw consequences either; people, animals, and the environment won't be harmed by this magic solution. Would you do it?"
– trialbytrailer
I often think we would be better off living in a world without weapons of mass destruction.
If there are conflicting people or organizations on the verge of causing violence to make a point, there's nothing a good old fashioned pillow fight can't resolve.
But that's just me.