BTW I saw Jerry Seinfeld at the comedy strore in LA abotu a year before his show started and I knew who he was.
He was very funny
The problem with all the circular moralizing on display here is that is doesn’t address why you would go out of your way to make someone’s shitty job worse. You can attempt to create all the elaborate moral justifications for this you want, but at the end of the day you’re still just being a dick. Full stop. The best analogy I can draw from this is the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs, where Steve Buscemi makes an elaborate speech explaining why he doesn’t tip waitresses, utilizing many of the same arguments you use–that it’s their job, that they haven’t earned the right to be paid more, that you, as a consumer, are pretty much entitled to whatever you want as long as it’s not illegal.
If you haven’t seen the movie in a while, Buscemi’s boss walks in on the conversation and asks “What the fuck are you talking about? Just tip the poor girl.”
Look. No one’s saying you can’t be a pig and leave a huge mess everywhere and wallow in your own filth like a goddamn animal. This is not an illegal activity. No one’s saying it’s not their job. When I worked as an usher I had no problem picking up stray messes made because of the inherently messy nature of theatre food. That did not bother me. Cocks like you, with your pompous sense of entitlement because a few pennies of your ticket indirectly went to me, did.
When I go ANYWHERE, I make it a point to treat every employee I meet with respect because they are human beings and the exchange of money does not automatically justify rude behavior. When my waitress clears my table, I hand her my dishes and make an effort not to do anything gross. When I sleep in a hotel, I don’t immediately start jacking off all over the sheets, as I’m sure you do, utilizing your Executive Privilege. When I call customer support, I make sure I have a clear idea of what’s wrong with my product so I can clearly articulate what the issue is and avoid wasting anyone’s time. Again, just because you can be a slovenly, inconsiderate prick doesn’t mean you should. Most of us learned this when we were nine.
And fuck anyone who believes in a direct correlation between one’s value as a person and their occupation.
During the two years I worked at a movie theatre I saw plenty of people come and go, and amazingly enough not every one of them was a tatooed teenager with a Streets of Rage fauxhawk sporting multiple piercings because they were not worthy of holding superior employment.
I knew one girl that was 19 and pregnant. Yes, she was black, you big racists you. Another guy got laid off from the Post Office and needed work, somewhere, anywhere. One was a retired school teacher. Me, I’d been fired from a relatively lucrative job at an upscale restaraunt because the death of my father affected my job performance.
The problem with all this Randist “You have not earned the right to be treated as an equal” bullshit is it implies an explicit moral tether between a person’s occupation and their value as a human. This is ludicrous. Being needlessly lazy, mean, and stupid is never morally justified by money alone, especially when the only thing you stand to gain is you won’t have to carry a two-ounce styrofoam tray on your way out.
Bullshit!
Leaving your popcorn bag behind the theatre is NOT going out of the way. Nor is it unexpected, nor is it unusual, nor is it excessive.
When I sleep in a hotel, I don’t immediately start jacking off all over the sheets
When you’re in a hotel and have sex do you cover the bed first with plastic bags so no drop of your noxious bodily secretions touch the sheets that the angelic cleaning staff will have to clean?
Yes I realize that sex in a hotel is entirely a theorical action for you right now. But should the off chance the opportunity arrise will you stop to consider the ramifications of your actions on the staff. Or just leave a $5 tip?
Post pubescent twerps with no real life experience and their sense of entitlement and outrage that they had to do their shitty job I.E. pick up my popcorn bag amuses me to no end.
You had to pick up popcorn bags??? In a movie theatre???
Holy fucking hell batman call the world trade organization. What a miscarriage of justice.
See now I disagree there, the two are not independent entities. These life lessons are actually an important part of a kids upbringing. The “Important lesson” you are describing is exactly what makes an A+ student an A+ student. It’s the ones who don’t learn those lesson who end up being punks and losers.
I still disagree. Your definition of being being considerate seems to be dependent on whether you treat a person like a jerk or not. You can be inconsiderate without actually being a jerk. As I was taught, being considerate means to actively safeguard the rights and feelings of others, not just avoiding treating them like a jerk.
Still sounds like a character building exercise to me.
I will grant you it isn’t laziness to leave a messy table. However I do think it would be inconsiderate to do so just because it’s in the bus boys job description. You would not have taken account of the bus boys feelings on the matter. No, you wouldn’t be being a jerk, but you wouldn’t exactly be being considerate of his feelings either. Being considerate involves actually doing (or not doing) somethng to help someone else.
You don’t know that. Not everyone has the luxury of finding a new job at will, even if they don’t work in a sweat shop. But everyone have to eat. So you cannot base your own personal actions on such an assumption.
Your last argument sounds rather vindictive. Unlike the employment argument you made earlier, you actually have the choice whether you want to buy the food at the theater, or even watch the movie at all. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go to the movies.
But that has little to do with trying to make the ushers work a little easier. Or even being considerate to the other movie goers who will have to walk through the sticky remains of the soda you left to spill on the floor. They aren’t the ones who set the pricing. And the theater obviously could care less. The only ones who end up inconvenienced because of that attitude are other people, just like you.
I think taking out your dissatisfaction on others who don’t deserve it is being inconsiderate. But the truth of your position is summed up in the last three words of your response. You don’t care. You can come up with whatever justification you want, but I think the truth is you don’t really care. That is what makes you inconsiderate.
That is very true. I’ve noticed that kids who somehow skip past being utterly humiliated as an adolescent have issues later on. The prodigy who is surrounded by people telling him how great he is at 17 often can’t cope as an adult when they eventually have to confront their limitations.
Does anyone else realize the irony of someone who goes out and deliberately leaves their drinks all a-spilling and their greasy theater food ground into the carpet trying to teach anyone else about good character?
You walked into the theater, effortlessly, with a full bag of popcorn. How hard is it to walk to the nearest trash can with an empty one? Not doing THAT is just being lazy. And the standards of expectation, normalcy and moderation are overrated. Everyone can be selfish, self centered and mean. That doesn’t make them positive traits.
LOL Now I will give you that there are too many kids running around with the completely ridiculous attitude you describe. I am not denying this. In fact it irks me to no end. But we are no better if we adopt a similar attitude just because thiers irks us. No matter what Batman says. Even if he is a totally bad-ass bat ninjer…
Boyd, I have had to clean up after junkies when they overdose/move/die (sometimes IN the apartment, which leaves an oh-so-pleasant odor and good vibes to boot).
MOTHERFUCKING NEEDLES KNEE DEEP AND LITERALLY SHIT ON THE FUCKING WALLS AND FURNITURE.
Last week, I had to clearout an apartment that, I swear to assfucking God on a pogo stick, had never been cleaned in the last 5 years (the length of the crackhead’s tenancy). I also had to rip out the carpet and drag the white-mattress-now-turned-fucking-BLACK-on-one-side-with-years-old-jizz-stains out to the dumpster. Everyone who worked with me in that apartment immediately fell ill and the nausea and congestion just went away for me (although I didn’t miss one day of work for that shit).
When I clean these apartments, my concern is NOT “will I get dirtier than I wanted?” or “this asshole left all this shit, BOOOO-HOOOOO”, my concern is “I hope this guy didn’t have AIDS because I just cut myself on that rusty piece of metal and who knows what else is going to work it’s way into the wound before I have time to clean it”.
Now, I must admit, several times, I have said to the junkies “Please take your needles with you, the rest is OK, but please, the needles…” but if they do leave them, I am not bitter, because I would do the same thing in their shoes.
You’re missing the point weather they learn a life lesson or not having a job, which means starting at the bottom - unless you’re a rich hotel heiress. Is an important step in growing up.
I still disagree. Your definition of being being considerate seems to be dependent on whether you treat a person like a jerk or not. You can be inconsiderate without actually being a jerk. As I was taught, being considerate means to actively safeguard the rights and feelings of others, not just avoiding treating them like a jerk.
Expecting someone to do their job is not an abuse of an individual rights and feelings. Again having someone pick up in the theatre, which is their job. Is not an abuse unless you go out of the bounds on what their picking up.
It’s like saying going to a full serve gas station is an abuse cause you’re making someone pump gas in your car. That you should get out and do it yourself to make their life easier, not hurt their feelings and respect their human rights.
I will grant you it isn’t laziness to leave a messy table. However I do think it would be inconsiderate to do so just because it’s in the bus boys job description. You would not have taken account of the bus boys feelings on the matter. No, you wouldn’t be being a jerk, but you wouldn’t exactly be being considerate of his feelings either. Being considerate involves actually doing (or not doing) something to help someone else.
No, sorry, you don’t leave a messy table because it’s the bus boys job. You leave the table to the bus boy cause you’re paying a premium for it. The consideration isn’t the mess you leave or don’t leave but the tip you leave. And a guarantee you I am a much better tipper than those who are moralizing about cleaning up their mess.
Ask the bus boys or hotel cleaning staff if they would rather have 100 customers who leave a mess and tip well or 100 Boyds who are concerned about hurting their feelings they’ll choose me every time.
You don’t know that. Not everyone has the luxury of finding a new job at will, even if they don’t work in a sweat shop. But everyone have to eat. So you cannot base your own personal actions on such an assumption.
That’s not the point, the issue of pay equity and work is between the employer and employee.
Cleaning up after the movie is over in theatres is a relatively new thing - back in the 70’s they didn’t eve put garbage cans by the exits.
Do you wonder why theatre owners did it?
Was it to protect there ushers from having to clean, or make it so that they didn’t have to pay as much to have enough people to clean.
It’s a money saving thing on the owners part and allows them to hire fewer people and pay less.
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But that has little to do with trying to make the ushers work a little easier. Or even being considerate to the other movie goers who will have to walk through the sticky remains of the soda you left to spill on the floor.
See I stick it under my seat so know one will trip over it, very considerate of me.
They aren’t the ones who set the pricing. And the theater obviously could care less. The only ones who end up inconvenienced because of that attitude are other people, just like you.
I think taking out your dissatisfaction on others who don’t deserve it is being inconsiderate. But the truth of your position is summed up in the last three words of your response. You don’t care. You can come up with whatever justification you want, but I think the truth is you don’t really care. That is what makes you inconsiderate.
Let me rephrase then, especially about this subject.
I don’t care that people like Boyd feel hard done by because they had to pick up popcorn bags even though they were in a job that paid them to do exactly that. Being bothered by it is more of an elitest attitude than my position.
The fact that he or others feel to good or privillaged to have had to do the job and bitch about it.
It’s a shitty job, and frankly it’s not even that shitty a job. Many people go through much worse for much less.
I’m sorry for egging your house but this vendetta has gone too far Joe.
say it with me this will help you for many years to come.
“would you like fries with that?”
No, thank you.
IMHO It doesn’t matter whether you are a rich hotel heiress or not. The lessons need learning. Job or no job. People like Paris Hilton kinda proves my point. That is exactly the point. Not the job, not having to work your way up, but learning how to be considerate of others regardless of whether you start at the bottom or at the top.
There is nothing wrong with expecting someone to do thier jobs. But the fact is that has nothing to do with it at all. The point is that a truly considerate person would also try to help make other peoples job easier when they can. Regardless of whether it was in the job description or not.
LOL well you might be right, but you can’t really use assumptions to back up an argument. I consider myself a fairly generous tipper. And i’m clean too. So I could say they may choose me over you. But then we’d both both be speculating.
You are correct. None of this matters. So theatre pricing and so on should not have been part of your original argument either.
LOL Good for you, ya freakin slob…
Can’t really argue about how other people behave. But we each control how we behave. I just don’t see the point of people blaming the actions of others as an excuse to do what we want.
See, this is EXACTLY the problem. Not cleaning up after yourself is such a commonplace thing for you, the attitude so casually ingrained into your head the alternative seems absurd. The difference between us is that, by virtue of having worked several shitty jobs in my life, I came away with a newfound respect and sympathy for the people that work said unpleasant jobs. As a result, I pay attention to things I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed as a sign of courtesy to the employees. I’m not immaculate. I leave messes. But if I can, I also do my part to prevent deliberately making their lives harder.
Now. Watch me cosplay as El Macho here, because I’m gonna talk your ass right down into the ground.
THIS IS THE LESSON ABOUT WORKING SHITTY JOBS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT. THE LESSON IS ONE OF RESPECT FOR PEOPLE IN WORSE POSITIONS THAN YOU. IT IS BASIC COURTESY THAT IS AFFORDED TO EVERY OCCUPATION ON THE PLANET, HOWEVER SUBSERVIENT AND INFERIOR YOU MAY PERCEIVE ITS OCCUPANTS.
I had a dream last night I traveled back in time to the 60’s and spoke to someone (George Carlin, inexplicably, but he listened and I talked) about the coming decades. I explained the absolute failure of the baby boomers and warned him that the Internet generation was on the cusp of achieving the impossible and creating an even whinier, weeker, more spoiled generation than its predecessor. These are the things I dream about. So yes, I’m well aware of the catastrophy my generation is headed towards. You needn’t patronize me on that front.
My point isn’t that doing one’s job is in some form unfair. My point is that once you leave behind that sad period of your life behind into the greener pastures of parental banality and your luxurious consulting gig and all that depressing shit we call “success”, you should at least have taken away from the experience some form of lesson besides “Jesus, that sucked”. If that’s the totality of your wisdom, then you have learned nothing.
Another thing that irks me is people who leverage their life experiences into trite truisms they could’ve acertained equally fast by listening to Paul Harvey cassettes, but that’s neither here nor there.
Everybody stop talking about making messes in movie theaters this thread is supposed to be about Jerry Seinfeld doing Aikido grrr dammit three years of being a concession worker are rushing back to my head damn you all!
“Hello, can I get you a large popcorn, large drink? Would you like to make that medium drink a large for only a quarter more? Would you like some candy or nachos with that? Thank you, enjoy your show! Hello, can I get you a large popcorn, large drink…?”
Don’t ask for the artificial butter flavoring on your popcorn. That stuff would eat away at the soles of our shoes. Also, the unsold hot dogs at the end of the night are always put back in the refrigerator and heated back up the next day.
Now that I think about it, I wish I was an usher… at least then I wouldn’t have had to talk to people (as much). People suck. They never know what they want even after waiting in line for five minutes. Then again, I wouldn’t like people leaving an unreasonable amount of their filth lying around either, especially considering that we had trashcans everywhere. Lots of 'em. I just don’t see why people WOULDN’T throw their stuff away.
My jerk brother is like that. He keeps his own apartment very nice and tidy, but any time he visits our parents, he always leaves his trash and dirty dishes around. He knows that our mom will clean it up, 'cuz that’s her job, right? She always cleans the house and keeps things tidy. However, that doesn’t give my brother license to be a total slob, and it doesn’t mean that he can’t help out every once in a while. He can throw away his own Doritos bags, it ain’t that hard.
I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this scatterbrained post. Would you like a large popcorn, large drink? Are you sure you want a medium, only a quarter more for the large…!
Three years. Shit.
So, in conclusion, Seinfeld may or may not have done Aikido at some point in the past! It is to laugh. I can just picture him, gaily prancing and twirling about in his hakama and performing all sorts of wrist-grabassery.
OMG MY EYES! MY EYES!!! PLEASE!! HAVE MERCY!! MY POOR BLEEDING EYES!!!..
Ummmm, do you really have to yell?
Oh snap, Boyd, you just got a lesson in elementary nettiquette.
Boyd, when you steal my gimmicks whilst ignoring my posts, you impugn my honour…
TAKES OFF GLOVE AND SLAPS BOYD ACROSS THE CHINLESS FACE