Blind Taste Test
Well the idea of blindness as a cuisine had never occurred to me, but we were introduced to the concept last night when we went out to dinner.
A couple came in and was seated next to us, and the gentleman asked the waitress if they had a Braille menu. The young waitress answered no, and explained they only had the one menu for the restaurant and moved on to the next item on her requisite service list. The female in the couple then mentioned to the waitress that they used to have a Braille menu and inquired whether it had been discontinued. Again the waitress responded that she was only aware of the one standard menu. The woman, not satisfied with the answer, matter of factly asked the waitress if she knew what a Braille menu was - to which the waitress replied "No". The woman explained that it was a menu for blind readers and the man interjected "I can't see." The woman then directed the waitress to go ask the hostess for a Braille menu and soon after the man's hands were quickly scanning the textured pages and an order was quickly placed.
This was another of those situations where we are exposed to the plight of the physically challenged encountering common obstacles to things we take for granted every day. As I left the restaurant I felt very lucky.
Later, upon giving this incident further thought, I recalled hearing similar stories recently regarding shortcomings of the modern education system. Kids who can't locate well known geographic locations or are unaware of seminal historic facts. At that point the solution became clear. It is our responsibility to challenge our service personnel to a higher level of knowledge.
I thought of ordering my next meal by tapping it out on the table in Morse Code [Named after Samuel F.B. Morse 1791-1872) U.S. inventor]. Yes, I know it is an obsolete communication tool, but if it was good enough for our forefathers that should command some respect from these young whippersnappers. They could practice on their computer mice between alien kills. Or I might perhaps recite my request in Esperanto [an artificial language devised in 1887 as a means of universal communication. From the pen name Dr. Esperanto - Ludwik l. Zamenhof 1858 - 1917 Polish physician. From the Latin - sperare - 'to hope']. See, aren't we having fun - and we haven't even gotten our appetizer yet !
Right now I'm thinking about a nice side order of 'Skillygallee' [A favorite Union soldier dish (Civil War 1861-1865 - Ulysses S. Grant commander) - salted pork fried with hardtack crumbled into the mixture (Hardtack - a biscuit made of flour with other simple ingredients rationed to Union soldiers - AKA 'tooth dullers' and 'sheet iron crackers'); precursor to the K Ration - (WW II 1941-1945 )- 1941, Dr. Ancel Keys (a University of Minnesota physiologist) assigned by the U.S. War Department to design a non-perishable, ready-to-eat meal that could fit in a soldier's pocket.)].
Anyway, you're starting to get the idea. We could base the value of our gratuity on a bonus question - there's incentive ! And how about another Diet Coke before the lightning round please. Workers could earn and accumulate Service University Credits of Knowledge. Imagine their quick climb from minimum wage to economic power as they prove to employers everywhere that their education really SUCKs !
Who knows, with enough diligence applied to this new mission we could even end up with a literate president
A couple came in and was seated next to us, and the gentleman asked the waitress if they had a Braille menu. The young waitress answered no, and explained they only had the one menu for the restaurant and moved on to the next item on her requisite service list. The female in the couple then mentioned to the waitress that they used to have a Braille menu and inquired whether it had been discontinued. Again the waitress responded that she was only aware of the one standard menu. The woman, not satisfied with the answer, matter of factly asked the waitress if she knew what a Braille menu was - to which the waitress replied "No". The woman explained that it was a menu for blind readers and the man interjected "I can't see." The woman then directed the waitress to go ask the hostess for a Braille menu and soon after the man's hands were quickly scanning the textured pages and an order was quickly placed.
This was another of those situations where we are exposed to the plight of the physically challenged encountering common obstacles to things we take for granted every day. As I left the restaurant I felt very lucky.
Later, upon giving this incident further thought, I recalled hearing similar stories recently regarding shortcomings of the modern education system. Kids who can't locate well known geographic locations or are unaware of seminal historic facts. At that point the solution became clear. It is our responsibility to challenge our service personnel to a higher level of knowledge.
I thought of ordering my next meal by tapping it out on the table in Morse Code [Named after Samuel F.B. Morse 1791-1872) U.S. inventor]. Yes, I know it is an obsolete communication tool, but if it was good enough for our forefathers that should command some respect from these young whippersnappers. They could practice on their computer mice between alien kills. Or I might perhaps recite my request in Esperanto [an artificial language devised in 1887 as a means of universal communication. From the pen name Dr. Esperanto - Ludwik l. Zamenhof 1858 - 1917 Polish physician. From the Latin - sperare - 'to hope']. See, aren't we having fun - and we haven't even gotten our appetizer yet !
Right now I'm thinking about a nice side order of 'Skillygallee' [A favorite Union soldier dish (Civil War 1861-1865 - Ulysses S. Grant commander) - salted pork fried with hardtack crumbled into the mixture (Hardtack - a biscuit made of flour with other simple ingredients rationed to Union soldiers - AKA 'tooth dullers' and 'sheet iron crackers'); precursor to the K Ration - (WW II 1941-1945 )- 1941, Dr. Ancel Keys (a University of Minnesota physiologist) assigned by the U.S. War Department to design a non-perishable, ready-to-eat meal that could fit in a soldier's pocket.)].
Anyway, you're starting to get the idea. We could base the value of our gratuity on a bonus question - there's incentive ! And how about another Diet Coke before the lightning round please. Workers could earn and accumulate Service University Credits of Knowledge. Imagine their quick climb from minimum wage to economic power as they prove to employers everywhere that their education really SUCKs !
Who knows, with enough diligence applied to this new mission we could even end up with a literate president
posted by akajetison at
8:48 PM
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