Sometimes you just know when you start working in a place you're not
going to be there long, that the management has just too many problems.
One place in particular, was like this, because the manager was an out
of stater and did not understand Mainers.
There were the usual problems from day one. I saw one of the
cooks stealing two cases of the restaurant's monogrammed glasses and reported
it. The cook got mad because he'd been caught and quit. The manager
said nothing, but it was obvious he did not like having the situation reported
to him.
Then, a co-worker began making obscene phone calls to my wife.
On two occasions I was home when he called, recognized his voice, and realized
he was calling from work. I reported the situation to the manager
and he refused to do anything.
"You can't prove it," he remarked.
I began to watch the young man and one evening observed him using the
employee pay phone, snuck up behind him, and caught him in the act, making
the manager speak to my wife and confirm what was going on. The manager
had to fire the young man which he obviously did not appreciate.
"He's just a kid!" he complained, "Letting off a little frustration.
Weren't you ever a kid?
"Sure," I answered, "but I was never a pervert!"
We had an older female manager at night, and someone began calling
work harassing her. On several occasions she had me escort her to
her car. This continued until the young man who had been fired was
arrested for something else and moved out of state. Then the situation
stopped.
One evening there was a fight in the vicinity of the restaurant and
I called the police. The manager was very upset because I had interfered.
"When someone's screaming for help," I told him, "I summon help!":
"Well, from now on," the manager snapped, "mind your own business!
What happens outside the building is not your concern."
We had another young man working in the restaurant that wasn't that
bright. Every Wednesday night there was a church meeting across the
street, and after the meeting many of the members would come in for ice
cream or a sandwich, keeping us quite busy on a usually slow night.
One even when the restaurant was packed with these people this young
man came out to the end of the counter and began to talk very loudly to
the cook announcing that he'd got his girlfriend pregnant and intended
to dump her, as he wanted to have nothing to do with her problem.
I could tell the church people were getting very irritated by this open
admission of immorality. I warned the manager.
"Oh, don't be silly!" he remarked. "This is the '80s!
They'll know he's just a kid showing off. Nobody will take it seriously."
"I'm afraid they will," I warned him, "if you wanna keep them coming
in you'd better shut him up and do it out front so they can hear it."
"It's nothing serious," the manager answered, "don't worry about it!"
I said fine and went back to work. The next Wednesday the church
meeting ended. The cars came flying out of the parking lot and not
one entered our driveway! The manager stood by the door totally bewildered.
"What to hell?" he remarked.
"I told you," I commented, "they were upset last week."
"That's ridiculous!" the manager argued.
Two more weeks went by and not a church member came in.
"I've had enough of this!" the manager complained, "Tomorrow
I'm gonna have a talk with that pastor! There's absolutely no call
for this!"
When I came in the next day I asked him if he had spoken with the minister.
"I can't believe the backwood, ignorant people around here!" he remarked.
"They won't enter a place that allows their employees to express immoral
activity in public! You'd think they were back in the 50s and 60s!
I told him the situation would be taken care of, and had to tell Jimmy
he can't express himself in public because these moral idiots are too sensitive."
I just shook my head and went to work. A few days later I noticed
cars pulling into the parking lot, driving by the main entrance, accelerating,
and taking off. I went over and looked out the window. Here
was our obnoxious young man again, sitting on the front steps with his
girlfriend, necking! The people driving in saw them and simply kept
right on going. I warned the manager.
"Oh, don't be stupid!" he remarked. "People aren't going
to be upset with a couple of kids being affectionate!"
"Fine!" I told him, and returned to what I was doing.
The manager stood there for a couple of minutes watching the incoming
traffic then disgustedly commented, "God damn ignorant garbage!"
He went outside and told the young couple they'd have to hide
out back to do what they were doing, as the locals were offended by love.