Was There Something Wrong with the Service? What Service?

At least when the check came at the clip joint crab restaurant in Ballmer, and the tip had already been added on top of the ridiculously expensive very-average crab, Plot had gotten the lay of the land and was expecting it. But when the little bakery on 105th St. and Broadway in NYC added a service charge for bringing the sandwiches to the table, without mentioning it in advance, seeing as there was no other way to get the sandwiches into the Plotniks' hungry little hands except to have the disinterested service girl bring it to them, Plot protested.

"I'm very sorry you felt inconvenienced," said the young guy behind the counter, who had reluctantly come up from his lunch of Chicken Nuggets to ring up Plotnik's bill, and Plot said "I wasn't inconvenienced. I was overcharged."

"I'm very sorry you feel that way, Sir," said the waitress, and Plot waited for one of the two of them to say "We really should advertise that service charge" or "why don't we just cancel that service charge for you this time, Sir," but noooooo. "Will there be anything else?" the waitress said.

Hands out, gimme. So Plotnik refused to leave the waitress a tip.

Believe me, he doesn't do this often, in fact never. He could feel BZWZ's palpable wrath upon his shoulders, but BZWZ was not there and Plotnik was angry. "Was there something wrong with the service?" the waitress, who hadn't provided any, said to Plotnik and Ducknik as she ran up to them as they left the table. Plotnik said "Maybe it's not your fault. But I was the one who was overcharged. Maybe you can ask your boss about it."

He still feels guilty. But come on.

Still, Manhattan is Manhattan and Plot would like to write about last night's dinner at Pisticci and how you just can't imagine how good the spaghetti and meatballs are there and how this wonderful, friendly bistro is becoming the Holy Grail for Plottie and family...

OK, back to the tip. If she had done as little as smiled...forget about rescinding the small service charge, forget about showing any contrition whatsoever...just a wink, even, to show she understood how her capitalist owners were bilking the poor general public...anything. But nothing. So nothing. Now Plottie will feel bad about it all day.

But he'd do it again. As long as BZ wasn't there.