Who's the bigger jerk now?

I'm going to invoke Gabe's Greater Internet Dickwad Theory today. For the record, this is a true story about my family and I.

I was in Oregeno's Pasta Market in Ottawa's Byward Market area. The hostess accidentally asked me if I was there for the "brunch buffet or regular menu" even though it was already 1pm. In turn, I mis-heard her and thought she asked about a "lunch buffet."

So I asked about it when the waitress arrived. She explained that brunch was indeed over and that they were back on the regular menu. But then something really strange happened... she asked if we needed a few more minutes with the menu (I said yes) then without taking drink orders, she left! She never even came back with water either.

Another table was seated next to us - they ordered beverages first. Admittedly, while she was taking those orders, my mother (who can be naïve, sometimes) opened her menu again. Alright fine: that was a mixed signal. I understand that often a closed menu will signal a server to take your order. But the next time she came by to take the other tables' orders (you know, the one that arrived AFTER us), the waitress left again without taking our orders!

We discussed the situation briefly and then very promptly got up and left. I don't know about anybody else but I did make eye contact with the waitress on my way out the door. If there was any proof-in-the-pudding it was that nobody tried to ask us to stay or apologize.

I can be "understanding." I know that it looked weird - a group of people ask about a menu that was unavailable, possibly cheap (because my mother asked how much the buffet would have cost during the confusion). I don't blame anybody but ourselves for getting profiled. But understanding the situation doesn't make our treatment any less fucking racist. Racial profiling is harmless only up to the moment you make a decision to act based on such assumptions. It's like the staff did everything possible to make me feel unwelcome.

Needless to say, I've posted my thoughts on Yahoo's Restaurant index for the world to see.