As a larger-than-average individual, I am not a big fan of hot and humid weather.
I tend to get cranky during heat waves, and as such, I am the world’s No. 1 supporter of air conditioning and shady areas.
I also enjoy a nice cold drink on a hot summer’s day.
Over the weekend, I went shopping with my wife at the outlet mall in Niagara-on-the-Lake while our family was visiting my in-laws.
People from all over Ontario and upstate New York flock to this mall. Canadians for the better-than-average deals on items, and Americans because they automatically save about 30 per cent on anything they buy due to our low Canadian dollar.
This trip also showed me where all of our workforce is: working in clothing stores at the outlet mall.
We walked into a few stores, which were quite busy, and at times felt like we were outnumbered by employees in the store. But I digress.
It also showed me where a lot of our workforce is not: in food and beverage establishments.
Earlier that day, my wife and I got to go out for a rare lunch date without any kids in tow. The service was great, but slow. Our server was more than kind. She apologized several times for the delays in getting our food to us because “we are short staffed.” We were understanding – my wife and I are both familiar with the issues in trying to find staff in this economy – which I think our server really appreciated.
Back at the outlet mall, my wife was waiting in line at one clothing store when she asked if I could run over to a coffee shop (I won’t say the name, but it does rhyme with Kim Morton’s) to grab some cold drinks before we made the 20-minute drive down the QEW to Fort Erie.
“I’ll meet you there when I’m done here,” she said.
In hindsight, I should have recognized this unfortunate example of foreshadowing.
Off I went – overheated and thirsty – to the coffee shop to get our drinks.
The lineup was out the door, but looking through the windows, I could see there were several staff members working.
“This won’t be long,” I said to myself.
Five minutes later, having moved about three feet, my wife walked up to me.
“I guess I’ll go to another store,” she said as she walked away.
A few minutes later, I made it into the building after a lady a few spots ahead of me took it upon herself to make the line move forward.
Once inside the building, I figured out why the line was moving so slow: the people in line had no idea what to order.
After standing in line for 15 to 20 minutes, how do you not know what you want to order? The menu is on the wall for all to see! It doesn’t change!
I knew what I wanted before I even got in line…
And yes, I contemplated leaving, but I was already too invested.
For the next 10 minutes, I watched as person after person ahead of me reached the front of the line. And person after person contemplated the meaning of life, the universe and everything in between before ultimately deciding on ordering a coffee or cold beverage.
The ironic part about all of this was the fact that the people in front of me – all of whom complained about how slow the service was – took their sweet time ordering.
As I reached the front of the line, I looked out the window to see my wife standing there, laughing.
I walked up to the counter, and the jaded soul working the till asked, “Can I take your order?”
And I immediately gave him my order. It took him by surprise.
I thanked the young man for filling my order, wished him well for the rest of his day, and a minute later I left the shop with two drinks.
Outside, my wife was waiting. She could sense my frustration.
Meanwhile, she had been to an additional two stores to shop while I waited nearly 30 minutes in line for an iced coffee and an iced cappuccino.
I vented a bit about how people, in general, are a stupid species. Thankfully, she put it all in perspective for me.
“At least you didn’t take it out on the poor guy behind the counter,” she said.
She made a very good point. The people working at the shop were doing their best, and you can’t control the minds of the people you are serving. As we all know, every business is looking for people to work, and some jobs are not appealing to a large portion of the population.
To those of you working in those jobs that much of the population find less than desirable, yet are extremely important to our economy – food service, retail, etc. – I tip my cap to you.
Now, to those of you who made me wait in line for 30 minutes because you couldn’t make up your mind: use your time wisely, look at the menu, and be ready to order when you get to the front of the line next time.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Not only does he get cranky over the wording on electric bills, but indecisive people in line at well-known food service establishments also cause his blood to boil. Feedback and comments are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
