42 ~ Wednesday, June 3, 1992 - North Shore News

LIFESTYLES

Diner shocked by restaurant’s male stripper.

DEAR MISS MANNERS — I was dining in a local res-
taurant where I have been going with my family for years
— fortunately not with children this time — when a male
Stripper appeared, during one of those aow-cmnipresent
birthday ceiebrations, at an adjoining table.

He began to dance and move in
an obscenely suggestive manner.

I was informed by a delighted
observer that the young man
would soon strip down to his G-
string.

Appalled by the whole business,
I left, having first explained my
reasops (o my companions. Ou
the way out, I told the headwaiter
that I did not intend to pay my
portion of the bill, since I had
neither expected nor desired to
participate in this show.

A follow-up call to the
management revealed that my
companions had not only paid my
share but had apologized for my
behavior.

My departure had been quiet
and unnoticed.

. Several people I have since
spoken with tell me that the ap-

pearance of a male stripper is’

becoming aa increasingly common
practice. Please ativise on what
the appropriate response is for
unwary customers.

’ GENTLE READER — Unwary
Customer did just fine, it seems to

McDonald’s celebrates

TODAY IS McHappy Day at ap-
‘proximately 640 McDonald’s Res-
taurants across Canada and local
community leaders, executives and
celebrities will participate in a
one-day blitz to raise. funds for
chiidren’s charities.

McDonalds will be donating $1
from the sale of every Big Mac
and McDonald’s pizza to Ronald
McDonald’s Children’s Charities
of Canada and local children’s
charities.

McDonald’s Canada is

Judith
Martin

MISS MANNERS

Miss Manners. It is Unwary Cus-
tomer’s friends and Restaurateur
who transgressed — not by enjoy-
ing a stripper, but by refusing to
allow you to decline gracefully to
do so.

When toleration is expected for
practices that are likely to offend

celebrating its 25th anniversary
and the company will be working
to raise over $1 million dollars
across Canada — a goal it.suc-
ceeded in achieving on McHappy
Day 1990.
Since the concept was first
_ launched in 1977, approximately
$6 million has been raised for Ca-
nadian children’s charities.

Past McHappy Days have seen
provincial premiers, mayors,
members of parliament, fire and
‘police chiefs, sports celebrities,
business leaders, entertainers and

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many people, it seems to Miss
Manners only fair to extend
toleration to those who don’t
want to witness such practices.
Your friends who apologized for
your behavior, and the manager
who ignored your complaint, were
not willing to do this.

Bullying everyone into accepting
a low standard is not the answer,
When manners — which require
not subjecting others to one’s own
low taste — fail, people next turn
to the law, hoping to outlaw prac-
tices they don’t approve. Rathei
than the quiet dignity you exhib-
ited in leaving, things get nasty
and repressive amazingly quickly.

Everyone would be better off if
this were handled by allowing
eack io enjoy his or her own
standard. If the restaurant is not
clearly one where strippers enter-
tain, the party hiring one should
have been required to take a
private room.

DEAR MISS MANNERS — is
there proper etiquette for asking a
friend to stand up for your wed-
ding?

A friend. of mine was sent a
basket of flowers with her aame
written on a printed card that read

‘something like this:
“Because you have shared in —

our lives, we want you to share in
our wedding, d!ah, blah, blah...””

with party

media personalities serving cus-
tomers.

From both sides of the counter,
it is a community expression of
support for a worthwile cause.

Celebrities will work an average
of one hour in the restaurant,
assisting on the grill, serving cus-
tomers at the counter or drive-
thru, or selling Sailoons.

The day promises to be a lot of
fun for both community
celebrities and restaurant-goers.
Best of all, the big winners are the
local children’s charities.

Understand that the only per-
sonalization was her name, written
by the florist on the front of the

card.

i was appalled. This is a very
personal, intimate situation. 1
could not believe the impersonali-
ty, coldness and ostentatiousness
of this act.

VR grant that flowers are love-
fy, but should they not be sent as
thanks for accepting, rather than
as the invitation?

It made my friend feel she
couldn’t refuse, although she is
worried that her budget will be
stretched by her participation in
this wedding extravaganza. Am I
justified in my reaction to this
flagrant display by nouveau riche
people or am I being petty? I have
to know if the boundaries of good
taste are forever breached.

GENTLE READER — Sure,
it's a breach of etiquette. But no,
your reaction is not justified.

Was this a bride who couldn’t
be bothered speaking directly to
her best friend? Or one who, with
an elaborate wedding coming up,
was nevertheless desperate for
fresh new ways to spend money?

CORRECTION
NOTICE

In our curvent flyer, “LOWEST
PRICES FOR THE GREAT
OUTDOORS", there is an error
on page 19. The photograph
for item 7 appears as item 11.
The watch keyed as item 7 is
not available. Please check
the in-store copies of this flyer.
for the corrected reprint of
page 19. We regret any con-
fusion this error may cause.

Miss Manners doesn’t think so.
What she sees is yet another bride
victimized by the ‘Great Com-
mercial Gang’’ masquerading as
etiquetteers.

Someone, either the florist or a
so-called wedding consultant, told
this bride that ‘“‘everyone’’ sends
flowers with such requests nowa-
days, and that her friend would be
mortally offended to be ap-
proached in the terms of mere
friendship. Already vulnerable
after having been blackmailed by
false etiquette — where propriety
is pictured as a quality with a
price tag, and a huge one at that
— the bride yielded, and earned -
her friend’s distrust and your
scorn. ;

Miss Manners hopes that she
will learn to stand up to such out-

rageeus demands, if not for the. -

sake of. true propriety, then for ‘.
that of her financial future. :

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