Recently, I was at a restaurant in Lucky Garden, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. I was shocked to witness an unpleasant incident.
The cashier was verbally abusing an elderly woman. She had waited for some time and no one had served her, and she complained about it.
The language the cashier used was harsh, rude and unwarranted.
He chased her out of the restaurant.
What she said was true. I had noticed that the waiters did not serve her although she tried to get their attention.
So, she went to the cashier’s desk to ask that she be served.
I did not find anything wrong with her action. As a customer, she had every right to complain if the service was poor.
To top it all, as the woman was leaving, the cashier made a derisive comment about her to a few male customers and they all laughed.
A few waiters standing by also sniggered.
I noticed that the woman was disturbed and rather unsteady on her feet as she left the place.
I followed her to see if she needed assistance.
She was standing outside the restaurant, trying to call a taxi. I helped her with the call as she was distraught. I waited with her until her ride arrived.
As I reflect on this incident, I am sure the cashier would not have dared to be rude if it had been a younger person and a male. This is a sad reflection on our society.
There should be some avenues of complaint and redress for senior citizens.
There have been many letters in the media highlighting this issue, but the problem has not improved.
Senior citizens are called warga emas, but this is a misnomer as they are treated shabbily.
The authorities should take action against rude eateries just as much as unclean ones.
A.Y.
Petaling Jaya, Selangor