Mary (Apr. 13),
As a waitress, my hourly wage is normally taxed down to zero, and for this reason I am solely dependent upon tips for any take-home money. I am, at the same time, offended by this writer's attack on Caitlin's article. I believe that Mary took the most trivial and non-issue phrase in Caitlin's tribute (to Mary's place of employment) and turned it into something ugly.
Instead of personally calling Caitlin out for handing the sub's deliverer $6, why would Mary not thank her for her business? She was dishonoring her company by speaking of her job negatively in such a public way. Work is hard, we can all appreciate this fact. It's easy to get beaten down or worn out. But at the same time, why is Mary not satisfied with simply having a job in this time of economic difficulty?
The proper reaction to reading this Inside Column would have been to give the writer the benefit of the doubt and assume that for modesty's sake the writer left out the size of the tip they gave. (If, upon reading the article, one still felt strongly enough to write into Viewpoint about tipping, it should be done without calling out the writer by name. To react in any other way is disgraceful to that person's company, the school that educated him or her and his or her family.)
I think Caitlin did Mary a service by ordering a sandwich from her store. Furthermore, for her to dedicate a column to just how much she loves the food this store provides is yet another bone she's tossing the store's way. Suck it up, Mary. And maybe drive a little faster for better tips.
You've turned Ms. Housley's love of your store into one less consumer. Congrats, you have one less sub to deliver.
Cecilia Witous
Saint Mary's College
Holy Cross Hall
Apr. 14
