My six words for today . . .
A brief history of restaurant water.
I remember when I was a kid, we didn't go out to dinner very often, especially to "sit down" places. We went often enough I was at least acquainted with the restaurant culture. You would be brought to your table and there would be a glass of water set at each place.
Now sometime in my 20's water ceased to be set out unsolicited. It is still to this day available in most sit down restaurants at no charge to the patron, it just needs to be requested.
At about the same time that water was becoming an item that needed to be ordered it was also becoming bottled. Now the same water that you get at the water fountain or from the tap at no cost can be purchased. Recently we've found out that tap water is generally safer than bottled water as there are more regulations about how it is produced than bottled water. Not to mention the problem of the proliferation of plastic bottles.
Today, I was at one of those / fast food restaurants with my two oldest kids. I call it a / restaurant because it combines two fast food chains under one roof. I don't want say which two restaurants but let's suffice it to say that the menu was filled with poultry prepared in a method derived from the bluegrass state and pirated seafood items. I ordered milk for the kids and a cup of water for myself. I was charged 10 cents for the water! I have been charged for a cup of water before, but it is usually as a means of getting people not to just get free water never for paying customers. I wonder if this is a harbinger of things to come?
So that's the state of restaurant water from setting it out in advance to putting it on the tab. For other Six words amble over to Show My Face Dot Com
Next Time: Library Week Part II
