What’s more irritating than getting a repetitive answer to a question when all you’re asking for is some mere clarification? We can’t think of anything!
An internet user asked, “Am I a jerk for flipping out at ‘It’s very hydrating’?”. We need to know your take on the matter.
Backstory
This has been bugging the Original Poster (OP) for a few days.
He went to dinner with his wife recently at a relatively nice place ($30-$45 pp mains).
OP says that he and his wife are both in their 30’s and have both work in hospitality. They have also worked in kitchens for years, so they’re generally on their best behavior at restaurants.
The Young Waitress Enters
Anyway, they sit down and are greeted by a young woman (early 20’s) who drops some menus and asks if they want to start with still or sparkling water. OP looked at the drink menu and saw the still was $9 and the sparkling was $12.
“Neither of us cares that much about fancy water, so I said tap is fine. She gave a sort of grimace and a small noise.”, says OP.
Her Repetitive Response
OP asked, “Is there something wrong with the tap water?” The waitress replied, “It’s very hydrating.” Followed by an awkward silence. This was very strange to OP, so OP essentially repeated the question with slightly different verbiage and once again got “It’s very hydrating.”
OP looked at her with an expression of “Please explain.” More silence. Eventually, OP asked, “What does that mean?” She said, with no emotion: “It will hydrate you.”
All Hell Broke Loose
Now OP started to feel weird about the whole situation and he flat out asked, with no expression or connotation: “What’s wrong with the tap water?”
You guessed it, he received the same response this time as well, “It’s very hydrating.”
What Did OP Do Next?
OP stood up and told his wife “We’re going.” Before OP’s wife even realized what was going on, the waitress said “Have a blessed day” with the smuggest smile OP had ever seen.
“Am I in La-La-Land here? The triplicated response seems really dumb for someone who is a ‘professional’ at hospitality.”, says OP.
The Aftermath
Anyway – OP’s wife suggested he took it too far by leaving. In OP’s opinion, he didn’t take it far enough and should have spoken to a manager.
“But life’s short – and I didn’t. Am I a jerk?”, asks OP.
Some More Context
OP later edited the post and added the following information:
- “My wife was cool with leaving. We have a very equitable relationship. If one of us says to the other ‘We’re leaving,’ or any variation of that, we trust each other to know we made the right call and will figure out the rest later.”
- “This is in America. I’m from near there and have had tap water in the vicinity several times, without issue.”
- “Types of water. In my area, it’s pretty normal to have 3 choices of water at a restaurant. 1: Still. This is fancy water in a 1L glass bottle, with no bubbles. This was the $9 option. 2: Sparkling water in a 1L glass bottle was $12. 3: Tap water – free. This option was not presented to me, but is a choice if the diner asks.”
Nobody’s In The Wrong
“No jerks here – it was an annoying answer, but I’m willing to bet she’s been told she can’t tell people the tap water tastes bad. So she has had to come up with something to say that isn’t a lie but also isn’t going to get her in trouble. You aren’t the jerk for being irritated, though, and leaving.”
The Waitress Was Rude
“Not the jerk. The waitress was rude when she repeated her response after you asked for clarification. You asked a legitimate question—for her to explain her reaction to your asking for tap water. I would have left, too.
I think you should contact the owner or manager. When people pay a lot of money for a meal, they deserve polite service.”
You Could’ve Done Better
“Not the jerk for getting frustrated. However, I think a better response would’ve been – “Can I please speak with your manager?”
The real answer to what is wrong with the tap water is that it’s free, but she doesn’t want to say that.”
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