In article ,
Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 10 Jul 2015 17:16:52 +0100, tim..... wrote:

"Chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Charles Hope
writes
In article , Tim Watts
wrote:
On 09/07/15 20:49, Mike Barnes wrote:
DerbyBorn wrote:
A nice thing about a holiday is being served properly even in an
inexpensive restaurant. Why do we put up with having to queue at
the bar with our table number in the UK?

Ha! It sounds like you haven't been to one of those places in Italy
where you have to pay the cashier without the benefit of a menu or
the ability to see or point to what you want, then take the receipt
to another counter where the food is displayed so that you can
place your order and hand over the receipt. They're a nightmare for
anyone without reasonably good Italian.


Italy? That sounds like something from the Soviet era!

I don't think they had one of those there. It's a good way of
minimising theft.

It was a common way for the shops to be organised in Russia in those
days.

It used to be the way that it worked in many shops in the UK up until
the 50s

staff just weren't trusted with money and only the guy locked in the
cash kiosk could touch it

True...but some of those were butchers, etc. where it was done for
hygiene purposes.

are. Our village butcher still has mini office wheer the cashier takes
your money. Mind you, you get the meat first.