A former restaurant busser is being called out for his opinion on food service workers who request that customers clear their plates and stack them nicely on their table. The creator labeled such workers as lazy.
TikTok user Midnight (@midnightmania01) stitched his video with another account’s clip delineating the dos-and-don’ts of how diners should “ready” their tables for service workers when they’ve finished with their meals.
The clip referenced an article penned by the outlet Your Tango, talking about the differences in which Gen-Z customers and Boomers leave their tables.
@midnightmania01 #stitch with @YourTango #greenscreen #restaurant #server #waitor #busser ♬ original sound – Midnight
Midnight’s stitched video begins him recording himself over a green screen of a table that shows a variety of different dishes stacked on top of one another.
After this snippet, the TikToker pops up on the screen, discussing their experience bussing tables: “As somebody who worked as a busser for a restaurant…don’t do this,” he said, pointing to the stacked plate arrangement.
He went on to say that this type of post-meal behavior isn’t necessary: “Really do not feel the need to do this.”
His clip then transitioned to another screenshot showing a messy table with plates strewn all over the place: “Obviously don’t leave the table like this, but just eat like a normal person. I’ve seen people say like oh it’s common courtesy to do this.”
The former restaurant busser, however, states that going through all of the trouble of clearing plates and stacking them up almost defeats the purpose of going out to eat in the first place. “For me, I’m going out to dinner. If I want to clean and stack all my plates I would’ve just eaten at home. Is it nice when the plates are like this?” he said, referring to the stacked plate photo, “Sure, but, I never really expected people to do that. Like really as a busser, do you know how easy it is to clean this up? It really isn’t that hard.”
He continued, “You’re paying for the restaurant, you’re leaving a tip and now you have to clean up your own table? I just never understood that. To me if you complain about how customers don’t leave their plates like this, you’re lazy.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Midnight via TikTok comment for further information.
Midnight’s clip sparked a litany of different reactions, with a number of folks stating that while he is entitled to his opinion, they seemed to agree with the original post, preferring that customers stacked their plates and centralized all of their table trash in one location, making servers’ jobs easier.
“‘Is it nice when the plates are like this? sure’ then why are you complaining about it,” one person wrote.
Another said, “Okay that’s a YOU opinion. Keep doing this you guys!”
There was another commenter who replied that they too, bussed tables and were appreciative whenever customers stacked their plates: “When I bussed tables I appreciated when people did this.”
