Cleaning after yourself while dining out can make your server’s job easier. Stacking your plates, glasses, and utensils on top of each other and leaving them at the edge of your table can go a long way. However, a bartender issued a public service announcement to restaurant and bar patrons: stop putting trash into empty glasses.
The PSA came from TikTok user Matthew Rangel (@therealmattyr), who demonstrated the proper way to help clean up after yourself at a restaurant. First, the bartender held up a plate with trash piled on it. “Hey! Hey! This? Yes,” he said. Then, he took out a glass stuffed with garbage. “This? No! Stop doing this!” he urged. Next, the content creator turned the glass upside down and hit the bottom of it in an attempt to dislodge the stuck trash and emphasize his point. “I gotta dig it out,” he concluded the video.
@therealmattyr #onthisday #wi #wisco #sconnie #wisconsin #wisconsinbartender #bar #bartender #bartenders #bartendersoftiktok #bartok #beer #shots #serviceindustry #therealmattyr ♬ original sound – Matthew Rangel
The Daily Dot reached out to Rangel via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. The video garnered over 251,000 views, resonating with restaurant workers.
“This should be an official PSA… drives me NUTS!” one viewer wrote.
“Literally bcuz you see it as oh it won’t spill everywhere I see it as great I have to stick my hand in your backwash cup and dig out USED NAPKINS,” a second agreed.
“I know they think they’re helping, but it’s the exact opposite,” a third stated.
However, others didn’t realize this gesture hindered more than helped.
“I always did it to be polite I thought it’d make clean up easier. My bad I’ll stop,” one user commented.
“Guilty sorry, thought it was helpful! Won’t do that again,” a second echoed.
On the other hand, a busser in the comments opposed this. “I would say don’t do either. when I was a waiter I would get yelled at if my customers stack their plates because it meant I wasn’t bussing fast [enough].”
Moreover, doing this can be a breach of etiquette, per Reader’s Digest. Nevertheless, whether customers should clean up after themselves remains a topic of debate. TikTok user Nick sparked debate for stacking his plates and picking up after himself. In addition, server Trey criticized a popular video from another server telling customers not to stack their plates. His response was, “Girl, f*ck you, respectfully, and your etiquette.”
