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Restaurant diners can be a sticky-fingered bunch. Who hasnt been tempted to slip a particularly nice cocktail glass or a tiny saltshaker into their bag after lunch? But as dining out gets more expensive, more people seem determined to get their moneys worth, swiping everything from cups and plates to steak knives and even cheese graters. And not only are they getting away with it, theyre proudly flaunting their loot online. In a viral video with more than 900,000 views, one creator boldly holds up a stolen cheese grater and asks, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever stolen from a restaurant?” @sovilay And i use it all the time #fyp #foryourpage #whatsthebestthing #pasta #cheese original sound – sov. Rather than backlash, the comments section reads like a confessional. Spoons. little baby spoons. from every restaurant. every time. I can’t stop, wrote one user. I need to step up my game. I just have little sauce containers, added another. For some, the habit has turned into a full-blown collection. In another video, a TikToker proudly displays a stash of stolen bowls, cutlery, jugs, and glasses. I really enjoy these – it’s why I have so many, she says of her small black soy sauce bowls. That’s my collection, she concludes cheerfully. I am going to be getting more soon. @clairetalking lmk what i should get next #steal #restaurant #fyp original sound – claire Some restaurants are leaning in to the joke. Upscale London restaurant Sexy Fish stamps the bottom of its chopstick holders with a label that reads: “Stolen from Sexy Fish.” Another London eatery, the Ivy Asia, marks its fish-shaped table ornaments with a similar disclaimer: “Stolen from The Ivy Asia.” But not everyone is laughing. Creator YoungKaren called out the trend as a clear case of “normalized theft,” saying that even otherwise normal people seem to pocket items without considering the impactespecially on smaller businesses. “If I was sitting with you and you stole something, I would tell the waiter on you,” she warned. “Even if you’re my friend, I still would.” @youngkaren_official I would 100% tattletale #youngkaren #dailyrant #storytime original sound – youngkaren_official Anyone whos worked in or run a small business knows how fast those harmless thefts add up. Replacing stolen dishes, cutlery, and glassware isnt just annoyingits expensive. And ultimately, those costs are passed on to other diners. So while that copper mug might look great in your home bar, just remember: Someone else is paying for it.
Category:
E-Commerce
We live in a world that seems to get busier and busier! Not only do we have our daily work tasks but we also have more meetings, longer commutes, and more interactions with more people in more locations than at any time in the history of work. In addition to the many real and present external distractions, there are also internal obstacles to great listening. Our internal worlds can be loud. At times, they are a blaring noise of emotion, attitude, and motives that can make it impossible for us to give others our full attention. As two positive psychology experts, weve identified six of the most common internal barriers that can interfere with your ability to listen well, and developed a framework of six “radical listening” skills that can help you have better conversations and build better relationships. Six barriers that prevent you from listening well: 1. Comparing: It happened to me! Sometimes, the topic of a conversation seems to invite you to share your own, similar experiences. Rather than appreciating the speakers experiences, you are mentally reminiscing and preparing to offer your own carefully chosen anecdotethat time that you scheduled a business meeting in a dim sum restaurant where the waiting staff interrupted every couple of minutes to offer you some delicious delicacies. We call this comparing. What is it they are implicitly asking for in the conversation? It might be admiration from you, an acknowledgment of their enthusiasm, or a bit of respect for their work. 2. Competing: Thats nothingI have had it much tougher than that! People are social creatures and it is common for friends and colleagues to share challenges they are experiencing. An office mate might say Im really struggling to get through my emails! I have over 200 unread emails sitting in my inbox! It is easy to assume that they are looking for some sympathy or perhaps some ideas for dealing with the overwhelm. Instead of offering either of these, however, you respond, Just 200? I have over 1,000 emails that I need to respond to! We call this competing. Again, there is nothing wrong with sharing your own experience, but it runs the risk of appearing unsympathetic, self absorbed, or checked-out. 3. Mind reading: I know what youre going to say. Can you think of any recent interactions in which you were pretty sure what was going to happen even before the conversation took place? This is called mind reading. This biaseven if it was rooted in experienceinterfered with our ability to engage positively with the team. Mind reading runs the risk of focusing on your own assumptions rather than the views and interests of others. Unless you are actually a mind reader, believing that you know what other people will say becomes a barrier to genuinely listening. 4. Unsolicited advice: If I were in your shoes . . . A leader of a team in another department confides in you how difficult it is for them to take a vacation and totally unplug from work. This is an instance that calls for optimal support matching. Rather than breaking out the toolbox, it is wiser to listen to what is being asked for. It might be that your colleague would appreciate some suggestions. Or, it may be that they just want someone to commiserate with them. Whatever the case, one thing is certain: If you are busy giving unsolicited adviceattempting to solve another persons problemwhile they are talking to you, then you are not listening. 5. Priority status: I know best. Imagine you are in a work meeting, and people are discussing a technical issue that is in your area of expertise. You have had years of experience resolving technical issues just like the one being discussed! The problemwhere listening is concernedis that it is easy to believe that this expertise should give you priority. We call this priority status and it occurs when people quit listening and, instead, rush to share their own ideas. To be certain, people typically share their own perspectives out of a desire to help. Although there may be some merit in doing so, it is still the case that your enthusiasm to share your own ideas is likely to mean that you will have stopped listening to the conversation. 6. Time poverty: I dont have time for this. Unfortunately, there are only twenty-four hours in a day, so there is a tendency to feel like time is always in short supply. This so-called time poverty can interfere with our concentration and focus. In these situations, we can come across as impatient or appear to have made a judgment about the significance of what they are saying. This impatience will make people feel that you do not value what they have to say and that you are not listening. How to practice radical listening: So what can you do instead? Weve developed a framework of six core radical listening skills. Instead of letting barriers take over, try to implement these skills instead. Using these skills does not mean that you must agree with the person speakingrather you are letting the other person openly express their views, leading to conversations that foster stronger connections. 1. Noticing requires the listener to be attentive during conversations. When a person is good at noticing, they can direct their attention to what is most important for a particular interaction. Noticing includes the ability to pay attention, scan for information, and determine what is relevant. 2. Quieting is the ability to bring a sense of calm to the conversation by using silences and strategic pauses. This involves managing internal dialogue and emotions so that the listener can give their full attention to the conversation. 3. Accepting can be particularly challenging for some people. This involves adopting a stance of openness to what others may bring to the conversation. The listener respects the right of others to hold personal opinions and accepts their views as permissible within the conversation. 4. Acknowledging is the act of explicitly recognizing the efforts, perspectives, strengths, values, or principles of the other person. When we acknowledge others, they feel seen, understood, and appreciated. 5. Questioning is the skill of asking thought-provoking questions that demonstrate interest and curiosity. When used intentionally, questions can encourage deeper reflection, new perspectives, and innovative ideas. 6. Interjecting, at first glance, may seem out of place as a skill of listening. In this case, interrupting your conversational partner is used to show full and enthusiastic engagement. Interjections are used to build energy, strengthen connections, and show interest. Excerpted from Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection by Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener & Dr. Christian van Nieuwerburgh. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers Copyright 2025, All Rights Reserved.
Category:
E-Commerce
In early March, New York City subway riders noticed a new development at the West 4th Street station, near Manhattan’s Washington Square Park. Construction workers for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority were photographed removing a bench on the station’s platform and replacing it with a curving metal structure. Looking a bit like an oversized shaving razor with two handles, the metal object is known as a leaning rail or a leaning rail. Its horizontal face, slightly tilted and about three feet off the ground, is intended as a place for subway riders to lean their backsides while they wait for a train. Comment byu/thrilsika from discussion innycrail Goodbye benches, hello leaning rails? Not exactly, according to Meghan Keegan of the MTA’s media relations. We’re trying out a freestanding version of a concept previously deployed at a few stations that have already proved successful. There are four leaning bars at West 4 St and we’ll evaluate how they work before deciding whether to expand, she explains via email. Benches remain at the station. Leaning bars are another option for customers. According to the company that built the leaning rails, they’re becoming an increasingly common option, and not just for subway riders. We have seen some really nice growth in the market since the launch of the product, says Heidi Grinde, director of category management at Global Industrial, an industrial and commercial supply company that added standalone leaning rails to its product list last year. We’re even seeing it in areas that maybe we hadn’t expected originally. [Image: Global Industrial] In addition to transit customers like the MTA, Grinde says Global Industrial has been selling leaning bars to a wide range of users. Airports are installing them at rideshare pickup zones. Hospitals are putting them outside emergency rooms. Universities are adding them to quads and other public spaces. They’re even popping up in outdoor shopping malls. If you have a smaller footprint, or you don’t have room for benches, you can utilize the leaning rails for your patrons to be able to just kind of take a break, Grinde says. In the New York subway station, the leaning rails are intended for short breaks while riders are waitingnot long, ideallyfor a train with a high-frequency schedule. We picked this station because it’s a high-trafficked one with island platforms, says the MTA’s Keegan. Some subway users were unenthusiastic about the idea. Thanks, I hate it, one Reddit user wrote. Reacting to a photo of the newly installed leaning rail, some called it hostile architecture that is intended to deter the homeless while disregarding the needs of people with mobility challenges. As someone who frequents West 4th and uses a cane I am . . . baffled, another Reddit user wrote. I can stand up fine most of the time waiting for the train but I’m thinking about the people who can’t stand at all. What is this doing? How is this helping? The MTA plans to evaluate the use of the leaning rails at the West 4th Street station through a variety of methods including customer and station employee feedback, says Keegan. Grinde says the leaning rails have been ergonomically designed to offer support to most people’s bodies, with the resting area typically located around 32 to 36 inches off the ground. The leaning rail helps you to distribute your weight, and it reduces strain on your legs and your back, she says. With a wall, you’re not really ergonomically correct. It’s not holding the posture of your body. And while some subway riders aren’t welcoming these new leaning rails, they’re likely to become more common. Grinde expects the rails to be a growth area for Global Industrial, and to take new forms. Lighting is being integrated into their design, as are technology elements like charging infrastructure and interactive screens. Some are even considering adding heating elements. A metal rail tends to get a little cold in the middle of winter, she says. The market as a whole has been looking at some different things to increase what that leaning rail can do for the customers in the space. But she doesn’t suggest leaning rails should become the hostile bench of the future. It’s a great complement to a bench, she says. It’s not a replacement.
Category:
E-Commerce
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