Jackie McGregor: Are table manners becoming outdated? Horror afoot at lunch date
My son and I sat in the trendy café looking forward to our food arriving, we were ravenous.
I was involved in my usual people watching and non-stop chatter, Junior was exercising great self-discipline and doing me the courtesy of not looking at his phone. It was nice to have some mother/son time together, catching up over a bite to eat.
When our lunch finally arrived, it looked delicious. As we began to unpack our salad, coleslaw and chips from their various tiny containers onto the plates with our toasties, a couple came in and sat next to us. I was perched on banquette seating, which the woman sat down and shared with me.
The woman had just come out of the opposite hair salon judging by the cloud of hairspray that accompanied her, and the rock-hard looking coiffeur she was sporting. She gave me a smile, shook off her cardi, removed her shoe, placed her naked foot on the seat right beside me and proceeded to robustly scratch it, like a lion tearing at the flesh of a deer.
My son and I both paused in mid-mouthful as our eyes met and an entire, ‘She cannot be serious!’ silent dialogue passed between us. Suddenly my cheese toastie lost its allure next to her cheesy trotter, which she kept there for the duration and continued to vigorously claw at.
I was appalled by this foot-fiddler’s disgusting lack of restraint. My son was turning various shades of green. Appetites lost, we beat a retreat from her feet.
“Well, that ruined the moment,” said my son, deeply inhaling fresh air when we got outside.
“I can’t believe she did that!” I exclaimed, “what’s wrong with people?”
Bad manners are my pet peeve. Foot woman aside, attitudes towards what’s considered good table etiquette is changing.
A recent survey revealed many Generation Z believe traditional table manners are no longer relevant. Thirty-eight per cent of Gen Z surveyed, don’t mind starting to eat before others arrive.
Thirty-eight per cent said they don’t mind eating off others’ plates.
Although Gen Z’s view might be changing regarding traditional table rules, they still say that manners are important.
Seventy-seven percent said they didn’t care if people put their elbows on the table, though no doubt, if surveyed, one hundred percent would object to anyone lobbing out their kebs at the dinner table and giving them a good scratch!
I must add, any Gen Z dining companions I’ve had have displayed good table manners, the tootsie terrorist I encountered at the café, looked to be a Gen X.
Later, I shared ‘footgate’ with my husband.
“Why didn’t you ask her to move her trotter?” he asked logically. “It would have felt rude,” I whined.
“She obviously ruined a ‘toe-rific’ lunch. You should have put your foot down, made her toe the line, instead of admitting de-feet” he joked.
“Oh ha, ha! A wise man once said, good manners sometimes simply mean putting up with other people’s bad manners,” I pointed out.
“What wise man said that, Play-toe?” he snorted.