Hank:

I don't know if McMahon actually works in foodservice or not, but either way, it makes you look like a real a$$ when you belittle others for the work they do. Besides, if they're working at all, a republican like yourself should be pleased.

I, myself spent almost 10 years in the restaurant business (because I loved the work), and I can assure you that most of the people working in that business have far better time and stress management skills than anybody whose work has been limited to office jobs and the like. If they don't, they don't last long.

Next time you're eating out and you feel obligated to bitch about the food or the service, keep in mind your opinion of the people working their asses off to provide you that experience. If you think they deserve less than $10/hr., you're getting exactly what you deserve when your dining experience sucks. There may be a lot of f-ups doing restaurant jobs, but the ratio is no higher there than in the white collar world, I can assure you.

And to answer your question about drug tests, you would be surprised how many restaurants drug test their employees. Corporate restaurants are especially likely to do so, as insurance companies give them a break on their premiums if they do random drug testing, and no corporation can resist a cost savings. in fact, the only jobs I have held where I have been subject to drug testing have been the lowest-paying ones. Since starting my professional career, I have never been drug tested.

Back to the topic at hand, I generally agree with Aunty. Welfare cheats are a problem in this country, but they don't even register on the scale next to the damage large corporations do to our reserves. Drug tests have no place in a free society, in my mind. To force someone who is destitute and seeking assistance to pay for a drug test seems counterproductive, if not downright inhumane.