[quote=“Hartzell”]I think that this thread has generated some good discussion. Indeed, I am grateful for all the well thought-out replies.
However, I think that one aspect has been overlooked. The three children in attendance (two children of the host couple, and one child of the invited guest couple) had already been served, and had already begun eating.
Doesn’t this fact need to be factored into everyone’s analysis?
In other words, can we say that since the host couple has offered no objection to their own children and the invited couple’s child to BEGIN EATING, they are in effect indicating that they don’t care who starts first??
From another viewpoint, is there any rationale for saying that someone should have instructed the children to WAIT ??[/quote]
Good point.
This was another breach of polite etiquette. It’s possible that the modern relaxed etiquette makes it ok for children to be excused from dinner protocol, but they shouldn’t be, IMO.
Nevertheless, if children were somehow excused from observing proper etiquette, adults are not excused because the children were. Adults are expected to behave to a higher standard.
It’s not your fault, Richard. Serving the children first must mean they’re clueless.
One thing that always made me steam in Taipei (where they ought to know better, fer chrissakes) is that even some upscale Western restaurants put their patrons in a very similar position. What I mean is, they should serve everybody at the same time. No ridiculous waiting, no awkwardness, no putting a paying guest in such an uncomfortable position.
To make you choose who waits and who eats first - to make you even consider the question - is to shift a fundamental service obligation onto their guests. That’s a big’n fatal no-no in my book.
I hope you didn’t catch an inordinate amount of grief over this especially since the kids were, by the terms of your service, invited to dig in first.
[quote=“Hartzell”] The three children in attendance (two children of the host couple, and one child of the invited guest couple) had already been served, and had already begun eating.
Doesn’t this fact need to be factored into everyone’s analysis?[/quote]
I think the kids are in a different category.
Its like saying the kids have food all over their faces (as kids do) and are telling fart jokes so that sets the pattern for the adults.
Or older kids: Sit looking bored and wandering when they can get away to have some proper fun instead of this sitting behaving business.
