Magnificent News: Carolyn Hax: Fellow patron’s persistent cough was not a fine dining experience

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Carolyn Hax: Fellow patron’s persistent cough was not a fine dining experience

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Advice to help you tackle life's problems.

(Nick Galifianakis for The Post)

Fellow patron's persistent cough was not a fine dining experience

Dear Carolyn: Last eve I sat down for a quick bite at a nearby casual restaurant. It had been a long and hard day — I'd just finished a triathlon — and I was looking forward to relaxing after all the stress and hard effort. It was not to be. From the moment I sat down till I left as quickly as possible, 45 minutes later, a nearby diner was coughing and clearing his throat, incessantly and loudly. I found it impossible to relax and enjoy my meal.

My partner thinks I'm being too impatient and unforgiving of a stranger's difficulty. I understand we all have physical issues from time to time — but at some point, should a diner not continue to interrupt everyone else's meals with his issue? Perhaps excuse himself and relieve the problem in the bathroom or elsewhere out of earshot? And if the throat-challenged diner is oblivious to his/her impact on others, should not a restaurant employee gently intervene and ask the diner if they may assist in some way, hoping that will awake the diner to that impact?

— Sore Diner

Read Carolyn's Response