From wrong to wronger
Sometimes transgressors come to their senses and try to right whatever wrong they’ve inflicted on a restaurant or its staff. That’s not the case with this week’s highest-profile nightmare, a story that reverberated far from its beginnings in Harrisonburg, Va.
In case you missed the social media eruption, an 18-year-old waitress of Hispanic descent was stiffed on her tip by a couple who ran up a charge of $26.11 at a restaurant called Jess’s Downtown. Being shortchanged on a $4 gratuity wasn’t as much of a slap as the insult that the couple scrawled on the check: “We only tip citizens.”
The waitress, Sadie Elledge, is a U.S. citizen, born and raised in Harrisonburg.
Outraged, Elledge’s grandfather blurted on Facebook that he’d gladly do jail time if he could just punch the bigots in the face. He later acknowledged that his post was intemperate and voiced regret for it.
Not so for the offending couple. The woman of the pair reportedly came back to Jess’s and complained about the post and all the heat she’s taking. The woman was so infuriated that the proprietor called the police.