So, someone drops a dish - do you clap? (Houston: high school, college)

[awecelot]

I grew up in South Texas and was wondering if this was purely a South Texas thing.

You're in a restaurant, when, all of a sudden, one of the servers drops a dish. The clamor of the dish breaking permeates the entire restaurant. Conversations stop mid-word.

Do you clap?

In South Texas, everyone in the restaurant would clap, followed by everyone laughing, and then everything would return to normal.

Last night, I was in a restaurant here in Dallas eating with someone from East Texas (but originally from Houston) and someone else who is originally from New Hampshire. Suddenly, a server dropped a dish. I clapped, as did two people on the other side of the restaurant. The two people who were with me looked at me as I had lost my mind.

The person from East Texas said "where I'm from, we clap like that if someone falls," where as the person from New Hampshire said "we don't clap" (typical Yankees...).

So, do you clap when someone drops a dish? Do you clap when someone falls? Do you clap when something else happens in a restaurant? Or do you not clap at all?

Of course, include what part of Texas you are from. This should be interesting!

[PanTerra]

Uh... not since I was eating in my high school's cafeteria.

[TexasNick]

high school.

[stan4]

Lived in TX 20 years...never seen the clapping thing.

[awecelot]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

Uh... not since I was eating in my highschool's cafeteria.

See...this is interesting, because I never once saw it in high school.

I do remember my principal getting pelted with food trying to break up a food fight.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by awecelot

I grew up in South Texas and was wondering if this was purely a South Texas thing.

You're in a restaurant, when, all of a sudden, one of the servers drops a dish. The clamor of the dish breaking permeates the entire restaurant. Conversations stop mid-word.

Sounds very familiar when I was growing up. A stack of several dozen dishes would drop on the tiles & some people would clap. They weren't porcelain dishes, though. This was on the SW side of Houston. I distinctly remember this happening in Luby's or Ryan's steakhouse. Haven't been to those places in a very long time though.

Yeah, also happened in high school.

[awecelot]

Let me clarify that the event last night was NOT at a fancy restaurant, but at a wings bar.

[Muhnay]

Nope I scream AIRBORNE! its an Army thing. ( messhall )

In a Restaurant.. naw.. that is low class. If someone falls you help them up not clap or laugh. If they drop a plate and it breaks, you ignore it and let the person get it cleaned up with out the low class clapping or laughing. Lets show some manners.

At a wings bar.. I would look make sure everything is ok, and then go back to what I was doing. Clapping or laughing is very immature.

[Lakewooder]

That seems to be a Houston thing.

[teatime]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

Uh... not since I was eating in my high school's cafeteria.

Yep, high school and college. And usually the frat guys started it.
I've never seen this done in a restaurant!