Mar 092014
 

One of our favorite places to eat in Tucson is Luke’s Italian Beef Sandwiches. We have eaten at the Luke’s on Fort Lowell Road many times over the years and have always had excellent service and food. We recommend it in our guide to Favorite Restaurants RVers Will Love.

But we had a very bad experience at the Luke’s located at 4444 E. Grant Road yesterday. We stopped in with my cousin Beverly and Terry needed to use the bathroom. I asked the young man at the counter where the bathroom was and he said it was for customers only. I told him that we were customers and I was getting ready to order, but she needed to go. He shook his head and said, "Not until you pay for something." I repeated that we were customers and all three of us planned to eat there. Again he refused to allow her to use the restroom until after we ordered and paid. He said it was the manager’s rule and indicated another young man there was the manager. That person also said she could not use the bathroom until we spent money and both of them acted like we were street people asking for a handout, not senior citizens and long time customers. We left and I will make it a point to tell all of our readers just how rude and inconsiderate these employees were. If those clods worked for me I’d kick them to the curb. One experience like that can wipe out years of goodwill.

On another note, some of you may remember a picture of me masquerading as one of the Duck Dynasty guys in a blog post last December titled Just Ducky. My author friend Brandon Hale is the one who Photoshopped that picture, and he’s at it again. Brandon took this picture of poet Walt Whitman (below top) and worked his magic (below bottom). What do you think?

Walt Whitman  Walt Whitman Nick

Brandon, author of the Day Soldiers science fiction series, is the fellow I told you about a few days ago who is in a battle for his life with colon cancer, and I have no doubt he’s going to beat it because he’s got way too many stories left to tell. As I told you a couple of days ago, a fund has been set up to help cover the huge costs of the cancer treatment and living expenses until Brandon can get back on his feet and back to work. We’re getting close to our goal, but we still have a ways to go. If you would like to help, even a buck or two will be appreciated. You can donate at http://www.gofundme.com/DonateToBrandonHale. I know for a fact that Brandon would give you his last nickel if you needed it.

The wind has been blowing hard and the temperature has dropped here in Tucson. I’m glad we don’t have to be out on the highway going anywhere. The Safe-T-Plus steering control unit and Koni shocks that Redlands Truck & RV installed on our Winnebago a couple of years ago really help the rig’s handling, but even with those upgrades, driving a motorhome in high winds is never fun, and can be downright dangerous.

Today is your last chance to enter this week’s Free Drawing for an audiobook of Birdsongs, by my friend Jason Deas. It’s the first book in Jason’s excellent Benny James mystery series, a fast-paced tale centered on former FBI agent Benny James, who hoped to retire to a slower paced lifestyle on a houseboat but finds himself drawn into a murder investigation. All you have to do is click on the Free Drawing link and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening.

Birdsongsaudio copy

Thought For The Day – If midnight snacks are bad for us, why is there a light inside the refrigerator?

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Nick Russell

World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!

  11 Responses to “Rude And Inconsiderate”

  1. Treating cancer is costly. My 7 treatments of chemo ran close to $75,000. Haven’t seen the bill for the 33 radiation treatments yet.

  2. On ordering and paying for food before using that restaurant’s bathroom……
    Rightly so, Nick, you helped them undo what little customer good will this place had.

  3. You owe it to the rest of the community to log into Yelp and provide your review.

  4. I agree 100% except, you mentioned the staff should have recognized that you were long time customers.

    How?

    Unless you eat there once a week, or more, year round.

  5. Sorry Nick, I think you more like an Amish gentleman than a version of Walt Whitman. As always, I enjoy your blog & wit.

  6. When Luke gets. Back be sure to tell him what you think of his employees. It’s amazing when you give idiot a little power what they will do with it ????????????????
    Bow Wow
    Scooter

  7. HI
    your craftsman tire pump but what kind of tire pump(model) are u using
    i cant find it in your search

    u got wind u got kite,, go for it

    please DON,T grow a beard like that
    you,ll scare the little kids at chrismas

  8. You look like Santa.

  9. Sorry about your service, or lack thereof.

    Some restaurants have 100% turnover in a year. Yeah, 1 or 2 staff (on certain shifts) may still work “there”. But some shifts have turned-over 3-5 times.

    Entered some fast-food in Morgantown, WV several years ago and at least 3 “newbies?” simultaneously said, “How may we help you”? Apparently they all attended the same 2-hour-training-program for new staff—last week. See: they were paying attention.

  10. The treatment you received was incredibly stupid as well as rude and inconsiderate. Like you, if I were treated like that I would leave. I have even been allowed to use the employee restroom in a small establishment and from time to time delay ordering and payment until I return from the restroom.

  11. Mister Ed, Sears no longer makes it but here is the exact same unit under a different name http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006CVXGR0?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B006CVXGR0&linkCode=xm2&tag=gypsjour-20

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