Never again…at the Park Place Diner!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any political party. I don’t back, support, like either Donald Trump OR Joe Biden. I am not a Democrat OR a Republican. And, according to my dearest friend Mike Rosenthal, EVERYTHING bothers me.

I disagree with Mike. I love him, but I don’t agree that “EVERYTHING bothers Alan.”

But what REALLY DOES bother me is someone getting in my personal space, someone trying to intimidate me, someone attacking me because I may be different than them or think differently from them. You know, like when the Nazis high-stepped around Germany? And they were chastising and taunting people for not going along with THAT political party and THAT way of thinking?

Melissa and I just wanted to get a quick bite at the Park Place Diner on Route 34 in Matawan. We tend to stop there about once a week and the food, and the service, are usually pretty good. USUALLY. Last night, it was not so good.

Vinny: Hi! I’m Vinny. I’ll be serving you. Can I get you something to drink?

Melissa: I’ll have an iced tea.

Alan: I’ll just have a water.

Vinny: Would you like a straw?

Melissa and Alan: Yes, please.

Vinny: You know, we have to ask that now. We didn’t have to ask that when Donald Trump was president.

Melissa and Alan? Blank look at each other.

Melissa ordered a chicken salad sandwich. I ordered a short stack of French toast with two eggs over medium.

Vinny brought the food and put it down in front of us. My French toast didn’t look “right” but I didn’t think anything of it. Vinny stood there and asked me, “Do you want pepper for your eggs?” Huh? All of the condiments are already on the table.

Melissa took a bite of her sandwich. I put the two eggs on top of the French toast and cut a couple of pieces. I was putting the first piece of French toast in my mouth when Vinny came back to the table and reached across over my plate, in front of my face, and placed another glass of water on the table, right next to the glass, still filled, that I already had.

Vinny: HERE’S ANOTHER GLASS OF WATER FOR YOU.

Melissa: Don’t drink that water.

I looked up and there was Vinny standing and leaning at the counter by the register, staring at us with Manson eyes. Are you fucking kidding me?

Alan: We’re getting out of here. Let’s go.

I stopped at the register and talked to the manager.

Alan: We are in here a lot. I tip your servers very well. I just want to eat. I don’t need, or want, any political opinions or bullshit directed at me when I come in here. Tell Vinny that HE can pay for that food.

And we left to get food elsewhere. Still stewing, I called the manager when we got home. He knew right away who I was and said that he wanted to know what happened. I told him everything, from beginning to end. He said, “Oh, he told me a different story.”

OF COURSE HE DID!!!

Again…for the umpteenth time…I am NOT A PART OF ANY POLITICAL PARTY. I DON’T CARE WHAT AFFILIATION YOU ARE OR WHAT YOU BELIEVE. That is your right and I respect that.

But…and hear this…DO NOT TRY TO FORCE YOUR BELIEFS ON ME.

And if I don’t give you the reaction you are looking for, then, oh well. Move on. I am in a diner to eat a meal. I am not there to be educated or indoctrinated. And, I certainly will never, ever, be intimidated. If you are going to get into my personal space, by sticking your arm over my food and in my face, I am letting you know, that you risk having natural use of that arm for a long time.

I did not put up with having Nazi swastikas painted on my locker in Sayreville Junior High School. I will not tolerate being bullied by some dumb fuck OVER A PLASTIC STRAW.

Oh…and by the way…the legislative bill introducing the plastic straw ban was introduced in 2019. And, I believe, Donald Trump was the President you dumb shit!

I just wanna live. I just wanna eat. It just won’t be at the Park Place Diner where the servers are injecting their extremist views into their service dialogue…and possibly injecting foreign substances into my food or drink as retribution. I have enough to worry about…I don’t need to worry about that. As they say…NEVER AGAIN!