2005-08-23 - 1:32 p.m.
As I mentioned, N. and I got summarily dismissed from a fancy restaurant Saturday night. We showed up early and went to the bar next door beforehand, where we had a few drinks. Okay more than a few; we got shots that were poured like triple-strength.
We got the tasting menu with wine when we went in, so we were pretty ripped by our late courses. N. decided to try throwing bread into my mouth. I�m afraid she didn�t have very good aim and we got bits of bread all over. Fine, we were being rude. But I really don�t think we were bothering anyone else.
I walked to the bathroom and collapsed along the way. The bathroom was right across from the kitchen entrance, so a lot of waiters saw it and tried to help. I waved them off (unfortunately, there�s not much they can do) and scooted myself into a corner to regroup before I pulled myself up and went.
When I came out, my wheelchair had been unfolded by the staff and our dessert had been put in a paper bag. I took this as a not-so-subtle hint that the meal was over for us and it was time to leave. N. looked quite upset (she�d apparently been reprimanded by the manager while I was in the john). We scurried out (in shame?) and took a cab home.
Do not eat at Mizuna. This is the email I sent them later (I got a response, but they didn�t feel they had acted wrongly):
I dined tonight at Mizuna with my girlfriend, N. (who paid; the charge is on her card). We had the tasting menu with wine. It was quite good to a certain point.
I use a wheelchair, but stand up and walk when it�s less of a hassle. After our meat course (the 2nd to last?), I walked to the bathroom and fell down splat in front of the bathroom door. I was just fine and appreciated the concern the waitstaff showed for me.
However, when I came out, I found the staff had unfolded my chair to see me out and we were not so subtly dismissed. Apparently while I�d been in the bathroom, the manager had taken N. aside and told her that such behavior as tossing bread into your companion�s mouth (as she had in fact done) was not appreciated in a �classy� restaurant.
I'm very sorry that we both did not act as saintly and inspiring as disabled people are normally expected to be. Perhaps we did not pay enough for our meal to actually get drunk. But I am curious if such table manners would have been noted as untenable if our presence had not been made exceptional by my disabled status.
N. is very upset that we were essentially asked to leave. She�s quite beside herself. To put it bluntly, I am not getting laid tonight. (No doubt I would be even more bitter about this if I had paid for the privilege myself.)
I am not trying to imply that disabled patrons are any different from non-disabled ones. If private actions between dining companions would be scrutinized and found objectionable anyway, well fine, I just won�t recommend you to others. But please let me know if our behavior was more heavily examined for my disability.
� 2005 Geoff Gladstone
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