Wow, I'm surprised (pleasantly!) to see the EC-DA hullaballoo reported here. Thanks, Kelly! As a romance author with a digital press (not EC), this has been blowing up my FB and Twitter feeds since last week. We authors are all watching this VERY closely, and most of us are horrified at EC's lawsuit. It's frightening…

I like the fact that Dear Author's contributors range from academics who work in cultural studies/queer theory to smart people who just read romance as a hobby. It's a great site if you are a feminist who likes romance. They certainly don't deserve a frivolous lawsuit, especially since I doubt any of them are making…

No obviously it's two lawyers who were married for four months when she was 21 but then there was a Big Misunderstanding and they separated but the paperwork was never finished and their passions become ENFLAMED

I once saw a woman plop her toddlers down in front of the employee entrance to the bar in a busy restaurant. When I told her that I had just seen the door in use and her kids could get hit, she gave me a dirty look. Fine, bitch, let your precious snowflakes get concussions!

Two adults who need to take a nanny with them to a restaurant for one child are the type who just puts the baby on the floor. My question: Why not leave the baby at home with the nanny? I'm so confused.

I definitely got the impression that in her rage, she was fully intending on dicking me on the tip. She was not even remotely apologetic at any point.

In my experience the 18% thing is a total gamble. You either choose to affix it to the tab because you don't think they'll tip that much on their own, or you cross your fingers and hope that by omitting it, you'll get more than 18%. I know that when I tacked it on I never expected anything over that.

I was in a beachside restaurant/bar once and this couple came in with a small child — maybe just past toddler age, 3 or 4 ish, and their nanny. While the adults proceeded to drink themselves stupid, a couple pitchers at a time, the nanny half supervised the child literally bouncing from bar stool to bar stool, 3 feet…

it was horrifying my sister and i could not stop staring. another time i was at a bar on the patio and the bar/patio next door there was a toddler climbing up on stools and like ON THE LEDGE and at this point i was just standing two feet away shouting ARE YOU KIDDING and the mom came over and moved an ashtray away…

like lets say you're on a super crowded train, if you put your carseat (that you are weirdly carrying around i guess, that's heavy, get a stroller, or don't, i'm not the boss of you) on the floor, between your legs, facing you, and you're interacting with your baby, then MAYBE OKAY.

People still take it, my business expense card is an AMEX. But you always, always ask before hand, because so many people don't accept it. I've even called places before going, just to make sure. It's unfathomable to me to get upset at your waitress when anyone who uses AMEX knows it's such a tenuously accepted card.

You'd be surprised at how stupid some parents can be. I was carrying a large tray over my shoulder that was carrying about 5-6 hot plates and a toddler came running up to me and threw his arms around my legs. I never even saw the kid way down there under my tray and it was only by sheer luck that I didn't drop the…

My large state university also would not accept Visa.

Glad to see that in trying to stiff you on the tip she accidentally gave you extra, that's some good karma payback.

I was working as a cocktail waitress at a place that also served dinner, and I had a table of about a dozen people one night who were going to dine and then stay for the show. At the beginning of dinner the woman who appeared to be the coordinator waved at me and said they'd be paying with a company credit card, and…

You would be amazed. I have seen people stand in the middle of a crowded restaurant pointing out table possibilities while the poor 16-year-old hostess just stands there mortified vainly attempting to get them to just freaking sit somewhere already. Some people are ridiculously picky about their table location. Like,…

You know, rarely do I feel the need to ask for a different table then the one I've been given. Maybe I'll ask to be near the windows if the place isn't crowded, but I can't imagine what could be so wrong with 4 different tables in one restaurant.

Karen Milton:

EXCUSE ME, I AM WEARING DIOR.

"A Jezebel Commenter Was Given a Sub-Site, and You Won't Believe What Happened Next!"