Horror Stories from my Coffee Shop - Ch. 1

Well, this one's not so much a horror story, although it got me pretty upset. A guy came in to my work yesterday with his son, who was about 12 or 13. This in and of itself has been happening with increasing frequency ever since the no-smoking law got passed and we were able to start allowing minors in here again. I think it's kind of cool; we've got a few regulars with kids, and it really brightens the whole place up to have them in. But I digress.

Anyways, this guy and his son come in; guy orders coffee, kid orders a mochaccino (which he doesn't really like, and only ordered to try and be cool; it was really kind of cute). And then the guy starts asking me about the rates and stuff for the computers (oh yeah, we're kind of a cybercafe too). So he goes and sits down at a computer, leaving the kid alone at their table for 45 MINUTES. About 10 or 15 minutes into this, I'm doing my rounds, picking up dishes from the tables, and I give the kid a smile, since he's sitting there looking pretty forlorn. He just looks up at me, and with a half-grin, says "I feel like I've been stood up". It just about broke my heart. So I got him the colour comics out of the journal, and a pen so he could do the puzzles, and extra whipped cream for his coffee, and a glass of chocolate milk, and really I just waited on him insofar as I was able without completely ignoring my other customers, and when the guy came back up to get a refill on his coffee (because the first cup, which he hadn't even touched on account of being so wrapped up in the computer, had gone ice cold). I asked him if he was through on the computer, and he asked me how long he'd been on for. I told him I'd only charge him for 35 minutes, even though he'd been on for 45 already - a fact which I informed him of in a rather cold voice, while looking pointedly over his shoulder at his son. He got the hint, and went and sat down, but I definitely felt like it was too little too late.

As for what else I have to say to that guy, it can pretty much be summed up in one statement: Buddy, there is a very good reason why you only get to see your kid every second Saturday.