Politicians and Waitresses
A person's minimum standard for creature comforts tends to slide downward as more emphasis is given to the creature over that of the comfort. After a few nights of parking my semi on a dirt lot and having to eat cold Denti Moore meals, even a paper basket of chicken tenders kept warm by a light bulb can seem as delicious and decadent a luxury as a $100 meal at Louix XVI in New Orleans. Likewise, I suspect a person's standard for political leadership suffers a similar trajectory as he grows accustomed to more politicians and fewer leaders.
As an example, I offer tonight's very nearly unparalleled dining experience courtesy of the Seven Feathers Travel Plaza in Canyonville, Oregon. With expectations tempered by the realization that most travel plazas that accommodate big rigs have, in some measure, already thrown in the culinary towel, I wandered inside the place. My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. For starters, the seats aren't ripped and in need of replacement. The light fixtures worked. The floor wasn't sticky. All this may seem odd to most readers who can always hop in their car and flee a restaurant that looks like the “after” picture from a tornado strike, but the driver of an 80 ft long semi has fewer options.
While seated comfortably at a booth whose cushion wasn't sunken in by decades of customers for whom the practice of turning the other cheek had become a contact sport, and waiting on the ever-courteous waitress, Christy, to bring my drink order, I heard a slight thump on the window to my left. Curious, I looked over and saw that a bee was buzzing around outside and flying into the window as if convinced that one more concussion would do the trick (sort of like applied Keynesian economics). That's when it hit me (but not as hard as it was hitting the bee) that this was a restaurant where the insects are outside trying to get in, unlike most truck stop restaurants where they are inside trying to get out, pausing only long enough to dive-bomb the chicken fried steak. I'm now insufferably spoiled and will likely starve from a steadfast refusal to dine in places where the flies outnumber the paying customers.
And dear Christy herself was the epitome of grace, achieving that perfect balance of customer service somewhere between criminal neglect and paparazzi-like doggedness. There are those waitresses, after all, whose attention you couldn't get with a bullhorn, a flare gun, and a howling nut job from Code Pink. On the other hand, I've seen waitresses who could not see their way to let me chew one bite of food without asking yet again if everything is okay or giving me the War and Peace version of their own life story, causing me to wonder why more people don't get the lockjaw these days. Not so this waitress. Attentive but not aggressive, good natured and courteous, she hit all the right notes, as it were. I made sure her tip reflected the high standard she and the restaurant set.
All of which has me thinking of how refreshing it would be if our politicians could take their jobs as seriously as the staff at this restaurant takes theirs. The waitress didn't mug me, steal my wallet, and then scamper across the street to the casino for a wild night (or as in the case of my wallet, a wild five minutes). She didn't scold me for ordering something sugary to drink, or take half my dinner and serve it to someone else on the theory that when you spread the grilled chicken breast around, everyone wins. No, she treated me with respect and met my expectations with dispatch and a minimum of hassle. That's all. Is it too much to ask the same from politicians? The Constitution is a contract between the citizens and their government. So just honor the contract! We don't need meddlesome gasbags droning on and on, ad nauseum, about why some patently unconstitutional initiative for a universal light bulb, health care system, or gallons per flush is vital to the nation. If it's that vital, the Constitution provides an amendment process.
Which has me asking another question: Have our standards for leadership sunk below our standards for virtually every other facet of life? Would we tolerate such breaches of contract in other relationships? In the end, do we have the leadership we deserve?
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Comments :
Feb '11
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Excellent piece. It was a joy to read.
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Thank you! The meal was pretty good too.
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Are you coming to Portland?
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Dave, I had to drive through there today, but wasn't able to stop. I'm headed south toward an area east of Los Angeles. Actually, pretty much everything is east of Los Angeles. I need to put together a map of which Riochet person lives where, so I'll know who to contact when I am actually able to stop in a given place for any length of time.
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Too bad! Finally had a chance to double the number of conservatives in Portland, and we missed it. No worries. Hope our traffic treated you well.
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Well, if there were only two of us in town, it's a good thing we weren't in the same place. I heard that for many years, Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams never flew on the same plane for much the same reason.
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
It seems the disconnect between the constitutional guarantee of the citizen's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and the citizens themselves it the politicians.
I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner.
Jun '11
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
dave,
just had a small hillsdale college donor event in portland with lars larson on tuesday night. more conservatives than you think in portland -- although, admittedly, you need more.
scott
May '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
LIKE!
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Scott Hall
dave,
just had a small hillsdale college donor event in portland with lars larson on tuesday night. more conservatives than you think in portland -- although, admittedly, you need more.
scott · Jun 24 at 10:02pm
Well, yes, it's true, but I was going for the hyperbole effect. There are a few of us here, yet having Mr. Carter around would have been a great shot in the arm. Meanwhile, Lars keeps the conservative heart ticking.
Jan '11
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Let me know if you're ever going throuh Milwaukee.And unfortunately, I think we do indeed get the government we deserve. It's tough to turn things around but we don't have much choice.
Jan '11
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Dave Carter:
All of which has me thinking of how refreshing it would be if our politicians could take their jobs as seriously as the staff at this restaurant takes theirs.
A restaurant is too micro to make a comparison. With a restaurant, one is not required to come back if the one does not like the service or the meal. The servers have to be attentive and gauge the people they are serving if they want return business from the regulars; with travelers it's a hit-or-miss.
I think you're wrong about politicians not taking their jobs seriously, though. Amongst most 'regulars', they seemingly want to see their elected politicians do more [by "do more" I mean develop legislation in order to foist the policy preferences of the 'regulars' onto everyone]. And politicians respond, in kind, to the whims of these 'regulars' that they represent. IOW, the true problem is not the politician but the little tyrant in the vast majority of us who wishes to see our preferred state-of-being implemented by everyone else...through the 'rule-of-law' if necessary. Politicians are just the opportunists who claim they can deliver on this.
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
I really enjoyed this, Dave.
Jun '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
We almost missed a great opportunity here. Everyone who reads this should always refer to anyone or anything repeating failing efforts as a Keynesian. So we'll replace insane with keyneian in the old adage - What do you call someone who tries the same thing expecting different results?
Jan '11
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Were the prices higher than places with the flies on the inside?
Is there some local industry that supports Seven Feathers to the extent they cater to repeat business rather than you vagabond truckers?
How old is the place?
Does James Lileks have a 40 year old postcard from this place?
I often wonder how these places survive while, it seems, all the other similar endeavors fall victim to age and disrepair. The random putt putt course, candy store, diner, amusement park, hotel, movie theater etc I always assume a multi generation family owned establishment.
Sheesh! I just went all nostalgia-Mom & Pop-good ole days and I see this place is next to a casino. I'm a dope. I'm gonna watch the flashlite gun video again.
We get the leadership we deserve.
Nov '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Voters keep electing the politicians we have so it’s tempting to say we get the government we deserve. I don’t say that because we conservatives don’t vote for the bastards the majority of voters blindly pull the lever for. We don’t get what we deserve, we get what the ignorant and uninformed deserve.
Dec '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Is the Seven Feathers travel plaza associated with the Seven Feathers Casino Resort, other than common ownership? Do casino patrons ever come by the travel plaza?
I found it interesting that in Las Vegas, one of the best dining values is at the Peppermill Restaurant, not part of any casino. The portions are huge, the food is excellent, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the prices are very reasonable. It's always amazing that there are so many places that get it wrong when it's obvious that it's entirely possible to get it right.
Edited on Jun 25, 2011 at 12:54pmNov '10
Re: Politicians and Waitresses
Dave Carter:
Which has me asking another question: Have our standards for leadership sunk below our standards for virtually every other facet of life? Would we tolerate such breaches of contract in other relationships?
In the end, do we have the leadership we deserve?
Geez, Dave, you certainly saved the best for last!
The answer is -malheureusement- we do have the leadership we deserve.
A democracy requires its citizens to take personal responsibility for electoral choices and to acquaint themselves with votes, vetoes and congressional bills. We, as a nation, have failed to keep a watchful eye.
Edited on Jun 25, 2011 at 7:29pm