Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Rant Forum
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
April 26, 2008 at 5:31 am #586828
jbdParticipantHi everyone, I am nervously delving into this formum with an honest question – how do you define a rant? I did not want to add another post to the Alki Cafe thread (Godforbid!) but reading through all the posts I saw a lot of people believed that the emotion or background on the post should have been kept out of it. The definition of a “rant” as defined by google is # harangue: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
# bombast: pompous or pretentious talk or writing
# talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
so clearly (at least to me) it was appropriate for the OP to write about the situation from an emotional place. I really didn’t see anything wrong with it. She utilized the “rant” space on the blog to relay her experience.
In the last few days I have read quite a few posts that are emotionally charged and I am wondering what the difference is.
So here goes I am hitting “send post” and wondering how you all define a rant. Thanks
April 26, 2008 at 6:11 am #623116
BonnieParticipantWell, I believe this particular ‘rant’ got out of hand. It started out as just a post re: their experience. The OP included some additional information, which many didn’t believe was relevant but it is relevant to the OP (hence the rant). It didn’t become a problem until everybody else made it into a problem. The OP never asked people to boycott the Alki Cafe, they came to that conclusion on their own. (and I admit, I did tell someone they should be ashamed so I am just as guilty)
But yes, I agree jbd, a rant isn’t a rant without emotion.
April 26, 2008 at 4:26 pm #623117
AnonymousInactiveOn the Alki post, there was so many things going on at once. I think the disagreement about emotion was not about the post itself, but in the dealings with the restaurant. As in, the reason for the get together was irrelevant to good/bad service. Some posters thought the *letter* addressing the issue should have stuck to just the facts. Dealing with a business, stick to business, type thing. She wasn’t being treated badly because she lost her baby, she was being treated badly because the owner didn’t want a large group.
As to what defines a rant, that is in the eye of the beholder. If it’s important enough for you to post in a public place, you need to be capable of accepting a a vast array of varying opinions. None being any more right or wrong than the other. I personally don’t think the Alki thread got out of hand. For me, all the view points are interesting. How we talk to each other and what we learn from that is equally compelling.
April 27, 2008 at 4:44 pm #623118
JoBParticipantJT…
i agree with you that the Alki thread got pretty interesting…
and i can see where the matter of service.. or lack thereof.. is a non-emotional matter…
but i disagree that the occasion should have been left out of it… the emotional part of that gathering was why everyone didn’t just laugh it off and move it… those who participated had a huge vested interest in that gathering going well.
and that brings me to what i think a rant is… i think it is where we know our emotions shouldn’t matter so much.. yet they do.
April 28, 2008 at 5:45 pm #623119
RainyDay1235MemberHere’s a typical rant:
I was at Blackbird Bistro yesterday. A woman was in the restroom – on HER CELL PHONE.
I don’t think you should be on your phone in a restaurant AT ALL – let alone in the BATHROOM. The person had to have heard her – not to mention me – flush. Thank you for that. Disgusting, and just plain rude.
There’s a standard rant for you! The Seattle Times does a great weekly rant/rave section – love it! :)
April 28, 2008 at 6:11 pm #623120
flowerpetalMemberFor me, it was important information to know the circumstance for the gathering at the Alki Cafe. It helped me to understand why the posters and their friends were reacting the way they did. I believe the extremely sad event heightened their emotion. I wish all of them well… and welcome them as new to the blog/forums.
April 28, 2008 at 6:17 pm #623121
AnonymousInactiveSee, eye of the beholder. I think it’s perfectly OK to talk in the restroom and wouldn’t give it a second thought. Many people go in there on purpose to be polite. What if it’s a child/spouse/partner/babysitter that you need to get a message to? In the days of pay phones, they were always located right next to the restroom door.
As for the sound, I’ve been on the receiving end a zillion times. Never heard a thing til flushing and don’t care if I did. And flushing over the phones sounds no different than the kitchen sink.
Are you unable to use a restroom with multiple stalls because you’re disgusted by bathroom sounds? This doesn’t even make sense to me personally.
April 28, 2008 at 7:10 pm #623122
BonnieParticipantI would be offended by someone on their phone in the restroom. Also, so many cellphones now have cameras. Seems weird to take a camera into the restroom.
April 28, 2008 at 8:10 pm #623123
RainyDay1235MemberNope, no problem with shared stalls. Just b/c it’s a “public” restroom does not mean you should broadcast it to your friends and family. If you don’t respect that privacy, b/c it’s shared you should assume others might.
I really feel you should step away from your table and go outside – OR – if there is a back hallway inside with enough room (probably by the restrooms or kitchen). Rarely is there such space in Seattle restaurants. You will probably be in other people’s – or more importantly a servers path.
Also, on a social note – can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen two people dining out and they are BOTH on their phones. Presumably not to each other.
April 28, 2008 at 8:16 pm #623124
jbdParticipantI agree with RainyDay1235 and bonnie, using your phone in the bathroom is rude. Rude for the others who are using the bathroom with you and rude for the person on the other end of the phone. I don’t want to hear bathroom noises. Gross!
April 28, 2008 at 9:02 pm #623125
AnonymousInactiveOh I hate being outnumbered:) But I still don’t see the problem. Very tacky at the the table though. I always wonder why those people go out that don’t seem to talk to each other.
April 28, 2008 at 9:18 pm #623126
JoBParticipantI liked it better when i kept my cellphone off unless i wanted to use it… it was quieter.
for some reason every time i enter a dressing room and strip down to try on clothing.. my daughter calls in a crisis and needs to talk.
i don’t want to listen to someone else in the restroom.. because it is supposed to be one place where i close the stall and get instant privacy….
And i really don’t want to hear one side of anyone else’s telephone fight… or share vicariously in the gossip from someone else’s life.
oh dear .. i think i may have become one of those crotchety older women:(
April 28, 2008 at 10:04 pm #623127
WSMomParticipantJoB:
Just be glad your daughter is not a teen anymore. Text messaging is a compulsion with teens. My girl spends more time texting than chatting. Even when she has a friend over they sit next to each other each texting someone else. Here’s an actual conversation my husband and I had with our daughter: HER: “At least I don’t text during dinner”. US: “But you have texted during dinner”. Her: “Yes, but I don’t always text during dinner”> I guess that makes it okay that she’s drawn the line that mostly she doesn’t text while were sitting down to dinner. Oh brother!
April 28, 2008 at 10:05 pm #623128
JanSParticipantoh, not crotchety at all – lol…
even worse is those with blue tooth on their ear…talking to thin air. I’m a business person, and no phone call is so important that I have to have one of those on my ear at all times, including restaurants, restrooms, etc….I don’t want to hear you laughing and talking about your latest gossip….or business deal…
April 28, 2008 at 10:27 pm #623129
AnonymousInactiveI always think those people are talking to themselves.
April 28, 2008 at 10:42 pm #623130
RainyDay1235MemberAnd sow many times have you answered those people? Yep, I have. In the grocery store especially for some reason. Soooo embarassing :)
April 28, 2008 at 10:48 pm #623131
AnonymousInactiveSince we are kind of (?) on the topic of cell phones, I would like to find out what age you all think it is appropriate for a child to have a cell phone? (Those pre-paid ones)
Thoughts?
April 28, 2008 at 11:19 pm #623132
AnonymousInactiveNR, I think it depends on the purpose. Is it to talk to friends? You? Safety reasons? They make special kid ones that can only be programmed for certain numbers (at least they used to). For instance, to call home and emergencies only. I think our kids were 9th grade. Although they thought it was horribly abusive to wait that long.
April 28, 2008 at 11:29 pm #623133
flowerpetalMemberWheee! This topic has made a few fun turns. How do we decide what is rude? If we don’t like someone talking on the cell in the BR; does that make it rude? Is it rude if two friends are talking back and forth between two stalls?
“Rude” takes on the whole topic of manners, which are btw, quite important to me. What would Emily Post say?
And I do agree that I wouldn’t like it either if someone was cell phone chatting in the bathroom. But rude? I don’t know.
April 28, 2008 at 11:34 pm #623134
JenVMember“rude” is paying any attention to what other people are doing in the restroom.
April 28, 2008 at 11:47 pm #623135
flowerpetalMemberTeeHee. Cell phone talkers make it difficult not to pay attention; especially if they have “one of those voices.”
April 29, 2008 at 12:33 am #623136
charlabobParticipantI believe it’s rude to think everyone should live according to my preferences. I have a dear friend who cannot stand going to a fancy restaurant when any of her fellow diners are dressed casually. Needless to say, she’s not always happy in Seattle :-) I really don’t care what the people around me are wearing – I don’t think I’m right or she’s right — I think we should both mind our own businesses.
For the most part, that’s how I feel about people talking on cell phones in public (driving is another matter), texting in the bathroom (unless I’m waiting impatiently for a stall), etc. etc. etc.
I agree 100% with JenV (20) — I’ll be stealing that line, early and often.
April 29, 2008 at 1:09 am #623137
BonnieParticipantWell, if someone is talking loudly on the phone in the restroom I’m going to notice.
April 29, 2008 at 1:50 am #623138
jbdParticipantI agree Bonnie, it is really hard to ignore. The worst is when someone is paying for something and they are on their phone and not really paying attention….
April 29, 2008 at 1:51 am #623139
JoBParticipantyou don’t have to think something is rude for it to annoy you…
i think people forget that they are in public…
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.