A restaurant server experienced a shock after opening a checkbook he assumed might contain a tip, only to discover something deeply upsetting.
The server, working at Los Angeles International Airport, was going about his routine day until two patrons left him an unpleasant surprise.
Guillermo Ortiz, employed at Planet Hollywood, recounted to KTLA that near the end of his shift on March 21, he was serving a couple.
After they departed, he retrieved the checkbook and peeked inside, expecting to see the receipt, and encountered something that made him feel ‘bad’.
Ortiz informed KTLA that up until he provided the couple with the check, he believed everything was smooth between them and his service.
He sensed from their behavior some indication of their opinion about him.
“The way they were looking at me, you can tell when something is not right,” Ortiz observed.
However, he was unprepared for what the checkbook contained—a handwritten note from the pair.
What did it say? It certainly wasn’t affectionate.
“No tip for illegal,” the note stated. “Go back to Mexico.”
Ortiz noted: “20 minutes after [they left], I opened the checkbook and I found the message, and it made me feel bad.”
He further clarified that he’s ‘not even Mexican’, being Puerto Rican instead.
Nevertheless, his wife is Mexican, and he asserts there is ‘no right to treat people like that’ based on their nationality or ethnicity.
To add to the situation, diners could opt out of the 18.5 percent gratuity included in the bill if dissatisfied with the service.
Ortiz shared that the couple indeed removed it from the bill.
“I’ve been working as a server since 2014, and this is the first time this has happened to me,” Ortiz remarked.
Regrettably, it is improbable that the couple can be identified, as they left before the note was uncovered and paid in cash.
But what could drive them to write such a note about a server merely doing his job?
“Probably ’cause they saw me, they know I’m Hispanic, they thought I’m Mexican or illegal or I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Ortiz speculated.
He believes that the current discourse on immigration has empowered such behavior.
“This is happening because of what’s happening with President Trump right now,” Ortiz suggested. “I think that’s the reason people are acting like this.”
Despite the incident, Ortiz remains undeterred and takes pride in his work and lifestyle.
“I’m proud of what I do,” He expressed. “I’m a server; that’s the way I support my kids, that’s the way I support my family.”
Unfortunately, his Planet Hollywood workplace will soon close permanently, which will leave him unemployed, adding to the disheartening week he has endured.