Yesterday, my dad and I went to lunch at a Logan's Roadhouse here. If you don't know, it's one of those places where they give you a bucket of peanuts, and there can be shells all over the floor. Now my dad is in his 80s, white-haired, and has just finished up with treatments for prostate cancer, so isn't as spry as he might have been, and it shows. I have mobility problems, and use a walker.
The greeter asks where we would like to be seated, booth or table. I say booth would be best (but that a table is okay, too), and my dad requests one as close as possible. (The place has many empty seats). She walks past many empty booths and tables, to the opposite corner of the restaurant, and finally seats us at just about the farthest booth possible. It's far enough that I need to stop and catch my breath a couple of times, as well as be wary of peanut shells and an area of standing water I'd rather not trip on.
We are lucky enough to get an attentive, generally excellent server (different from the greeter), and my dad asks her if there is a manager available.. (We make it clear it's not about her). Manager comes by, and we politely suggest that when the greeter sees a customer with a walker or other mobility aid, or otherwise clearly not the best ability to walk, that they should be offered a table/booth that's close by, if at all possible. At very least, they should be asked would they prefer a close table, or is one farther off sufficient. The manager says he understands. "Great," I think. Maybe next time this won't happen. My estimation of his level of understanding drops when he then says "Would you like to move to a closer table now?" Um, no thank you. We've already walked to the back of the restaurant and are settled, it's pointless now. We'd have to walk back anyway either way.
Now Logan's has been very inconsistent for us, foodwise, so I asked if the steak I was thinking about looked good that day (sometimes they've been tough and stringy). The server said she had never had a bad one, which wasn't my typical experience. Still, I decided to go for it. I guess she passed on her good luck, because mine was the best I'd had there. (And OT for this comm, she nicely followed up to be sure it was good.)
Am I wrong in thinking a sensible greeter would have given us the option of closer seating -- especially when directly asked?
TL-DR= Restaurant seating person sees elderly man and disabled (walker using) woman, ignores request for close seating, walks past many empty booths and tables and sits us about as far away as possible.