I am surprised that the website has such an East/Southampton bent. I am in WHB and while it does not carry the cache of the two other towns, it surely shares equally in denizen rudeness.
Ground Zero for this behavior is the Beach Bakery. While Simon is a nice guy and the people behind the counter are great, they need a lesson in work flow and layout. I won't explain in too much detail. The main issue is any semblance of a line starts deep in the store and people walking in the door fail to recognize this and feel they are next to be served by virtue of being closest to the register (I guess).
One day I worked my way through the line and was surely the next to get the young servers attention. A woman and her mother were milling around and peering in the cases. When the call came out for next, the older woman barked out "right here." Not only was she cutting me (she was physically behind me) she was failing to acknowledge others that surely she had to have seen. I pointed out politely that I believe I was next. She turned with venom, "well, you didn't speak up!"
I countered, "Frankly Ma'am you did not give me the chance nor should it have been necessary."
The daughter knowing her mother was wrong dissuaded her from retorting but given the gleam and that old woman's eye, I knew it was going to be flavorful. I thought of lowering myself to her level for the sheer joy of the verbal beat down but the daughter gave an apologetic look. I was only buying pastries but this poor woman had to manage her mother day in and day out.
-AC
