What would you have done?
Discussion
Hi Guys,
Happy New Year! Apologies for the long post.
Last night, Mrs.Chips and I decided to see 2020 out with a curry. We are very lucky, in that, we have a great Indian restaurant/takeaway, five minutes walk from home. We checked out the online menu, made our selections and I phoned the order in at 6.15pm. As it was New Year’s Eve, the waiting time was a bit longer than usual, at 1 hour 20 minutes, but no problem.
As I approached the restaurant at 7.30pm, I could see a few people queuing outside, but as I got to the door it was very apparent that the queue went down the side of the building and partly up the adjacent road. Some of the people in the queue were not happy!
I asked the guy at the front of the queue when was his collection time. Turns out it was 7.00pm. The first 10 people in the queue were all collecting before me, so I telephoned the restaurant to ask if my meal was ready. The reply was no, so I asked to cancel the order, but was told it would be ready in 10 minutes and to come inside then.
During the additional waiting time, several people from the middle and rear of the queue, decided that they had waited long enough and entered the restaurant to, “speed things up!” Eventually, I waited until 8pm before going into the restaurant myself, asking if my order was ready and after being told that it would be 10 more minutes, cancelling the order, removing my order from the carousel and walking out.
Neither the outside queue nor the number of people inside were particularly socially distanced.
So, what would you have done? Thank you for all positive feedback.
Happy New Year! Apologies for the long post.
Last night, Mrs.Chips and I decided to see 2020 out with a curry. We are very lucky, in that, we have a great Indian restaurant/takeaway, five minutes walk from home. We checked out the online menu, made our selections and I phoned the order in at 6.15pm. As it was New Year’s Eve, the waiting time was a bit longer than usual, at 1 hour 20 minutes, but no problem.
As I approached the restaurant at 7.30pm, I could see a few people queuing outside, but as I got to the door it was very apparent that the queue went down the side of the building and partly up the adjacent road. Some of the people in the queue were not happy!
I asked the guy at the front of the queue when was his collection time. Turns out it was 7.00pm. The first 10 people in the queue were all collecting before me, so I telephoned the restaurant to ask if my meal was ready. The reply was no, so I asked to cancel the order, but was told it would be ready in 10 minutes and to come inside then.
During the additional waiting time, several people from the middle and rear of the queue, decided that they had waited long enough and entered the restaurant to, “speed things up!” Eventually, I waited until 8pm before going into the restaurant myself, asking if my order was ready and after being told that it would be 10 more minutes, cancelling the order, removing my order from the carousel and walking out.
Neither the outside queue nor the number of people inside were particularly socially distanced.
So, what would you have done? Thank you for all positive feedback.
What a rubbish end to 2020. What did you get instead ?
I’d be the same, you wait so long it gets past the point of leaving as you’ve waited so long already. I would probably of waited. Never helps when they say 10 more minutes and another hour passes. My local Chinese is exactly the same
I’d be the same, you wait so long it gets past the point of leaving as you’ve waited so long already. I would probably of waited. Never helps when they say 10 more minutes and another hour passes. My local Chinese is exactly the same
Social distancing when stood outside in a queue? You have about 100km of "air" above your head* so unless someone is coughing in your face (has that ever happened to anyone) I doubt the risk is much above zero. As for waiting so long for food f
k that.
TX.
*mask wearers unite though of course.
k that.TX.
*mask wearers unite though of course.
Terminator X said:
Social distancing when stood outside in a queue? You have about 100km of "air" above your head* so unless someone is coughing in your face (has that ever happened to anyone) I doubt the risk is much above zero. As for waiting so long for food fk that.
TX.
*mask wearers unite though of course.
If you watch someone breath out warm air in a cold environment you can see a large steam cloud, I believe that is probably a good indication of how air particles can transmit Covid, it does not have to be a cough as far as I am aware. I also expect that being outside in cold air is far less risky than everyone touching the same door handle or the card machine.k that.TX.
*mask wearers unite though of course.
Poor skills by the restaurant. I'd have cancelled my order, too.
We currently have a 9pm curfew, so you have to be home between 9pm and 6am or it's now a €300 fine!
As a result of this, the local restaurants offering delivery or takeaway are open for orders from 4:30pm, with collections / delivery from 5pm. Early, I know, but you can specify a time if you'd like if you get on the phone very early.
Our local Chinese restaurant has been really good with their timings as they know very well how quickly their chefs can prepare and cook the food.
We currently have a 9pm curfew, so you have to be home between 9pm and 6am or it's now a €300 fine!
As a result of this, the local restaurants offering delivery or takeaway are open for orders from 4:30pm, with collections / delivery from 5pm. Early, I know, but you can specify a time if you'd like if you get on the phone very early.
Our local Chinese restaurant has been really good with their timings as they know very well how quickly their chefs can prepare and cook the food.
Bit of a let down for the OP but personally I think ordering any kind of takeaway on NYE is always going to be hit and miss - way more people than normal ordering either means late / missed orders or sub standard / rushed food when it eventually ready.
The OP's case wasn't helped by the place not being honest about the actual collecting times, given the choice of walking or potentially waiting for hours I dare say most of us would have given up - much better things to be doing on NYE than freezing in a queue.
The OP's case wasn't helped by the place not being honest about the actual collecting times, given the choice of walking or potentially waiting for hours I dare say most of us would have given up - much better things to be doing on NYE than freezing in a queue.
Thanks guys. The restaurant is usually brilliant and, once lockdown ends, we will undoubtedly eat there again. However, it was evident from talking to the other members of the queue, that they had just taken too many orders, perhaps trying to make up some of the money they have lost this year. Their Google reviews have taken a bit of a hit because of it and I have learned not to order takeaway on NYE!
RC1807 said:
Poor skills by the restaurant. I'd have cancelled my order, too.
We currently have a 9pm curfew, so you have to be home between 9pm and 6am or it's now a €300 fine!
As a result of this, the local restaurants offering delivery or takeaway are open for orders from 4:30pm, with collections / delivery from 5pm. Early, I know, but you can specify a time if you'd like if you get on the phone very early.
Our local Chinese restaurant has been really good with their timings as they know very well how quickly their chefs can prepare and cook the food.
Off topic but I’m astounded that people in the so called Free World are tolerating being ordered to be home by a certain time.We currently have a 9pm curfew, so you have to be home between 9pm and 6am or it's now a €300 fine!
As a result of this, the local restaurants offering delivery or takeaway are open for orders from 4:30pm, with collections / delivery from 5pm. Early, I know, but you can specify a time if you'd like if you get on the phone very early.
Our local Chinese restaurant has been really good with their timings as they know very well how quickly their chefs can prepare and cook the food.
bad company said:
Off topic but I’m astounded that people in the so called Free World are tolerating being ordered to be home by a certain time.
We can't really go anywhere with everything closed, so it's not a big deal really.I'd rather get through the pandemic without infection.
ETA: I'm in Lux. 9pm curfew until at least 10th Jan.
My daughter lives in France for Uni. Her curfew is 6pm.
Edited by RC1807 on Sunday 3rd January 08:56
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