Rude People Suck

             Besides the fluctuating pay, there are many other downsides to waiting tables, like the many health hazards you face. The highest and most common hazard is the stress. The federal government even rates waiting tables as "among the 12 jobs with the highest levels of employee stress."(Bierma, par 4) The job can become so stressful that you even dream about it. Rarely are these dreams good, in fact, they are never good. In Bierma's article a waitress named Liz states, "I have waitress dreams almost every night, and it's always something I did wrong. It's like you never dream you just got a $100 tip or something."(par 3) These dreams can often cause sleeplessness in servers who have to make it through a shift the next day. The stress does not only inhabit their dreams, but also their everyday activities. Sometimes the stress is just too much to handle. Many servers resort to drugs and alcohol just so that they can sleep at night, or stay awake through their shift. Another waitress in Bierma's article named Lisa says, "After working 12 hours, we'd go out to party until late. Then we'd go to work and be tired, so people would do a line (of cocaine) to wake up."(par 8) Most servers do not get this extreme. They just might drink or smoke something to cool down from their shift and get some sleep. Daniella, a waitress in Bierma's article, said, "I just get too stressed and I need a drink -- or a few -- to wind down, especially if I want to be able to get to sleep that night."(par 8) Even after all the nightmares, the drugs, and the alcohol there are still other hazards a server has to face. Dealing with people and what they are eating is a hazard in its own. Servers have the constant sexual harassment, slippery floors, hot ovens, backaches, sore muscles, second hand smoke, and just plain noisy irritating crowd to put up with, all while smiling and pretending everything is alright.