Service industry employees really bear the brunt of customers’ rage.

This man took his mom to a restaurant for her birthday, but she was not in the best mental and emotional state. So she started cussing at the waitress, which prompted this man to leave.

Was he a bit harsh on his mom? Read the full story below.

AITA for leaving my mum alone at a restaurant on her birthday without paying?

My (17M) father died a few months ago (long story), so we all haven’t really been in the best place.

After my dad died, I immediately got a part-time job alongside school to help out and had saved up some money. It was my mum’s birthday, so I decided to treat her to a meal at a restaurant.

We get there and place our orders, and they take perhaps a bit longer than usual (but not that long) to come out.

When our food arrived, my mum made a snarky comment to the waitress about the service time, and the waitress apologised, saying they are short-staffed today. The waitress left and I thought that was the end of that.

This man’s mom started swearing at the waitress.

After eating her starter, my mum notices they made her main “wrong” and immediately gets up and goes to find the waitress again. I beg her not to make a scene but she ignores me.

She was not satisfied with the waitress’s initial response and began publicly berating her – it became a very one-sided screaming match. Amongst other things I can’t write here, she called her a witch, a jerk, and asked her if she was “an idiot that she couldn’t follow basic instructions.”

She was screaming about how her husband had just died, and she just wanted to have a nice birthday, but it was ruined.

The waitress was already crying by this point. The manager tried to throw my mum out and threatened to call the police – she wouldn’t leave, so he called them.

He was so embarrassed that he left her at the restaurant.

Honestly, at this point, I was just so mortified and embarrassed that I got my stuff, apologised to the waitress, and gave her all the cash in my wallet (which would’ve been enough to cover what I ordered but not much beyond that, if I had stayed, I would’ve paid by card.)

I walked out of the place and took the bus home (my mum had driven us there). When she got home, she was fuming and started screaming at me.

She was saying that if I had taken her side, it wouldn’t have gotten to that point, and I should have at least tried to de-escalate the situation, as I knew it was her birthday and she hasn’t been doing well recently.

I told her that I had never seen such poor behaviour and that she acted appallingly, and that for someone of her age who is supposed to be a role model, she should be ashamed. She then threw my phone on the floor and grounded me “until I understand family values”.

So, what could I have done differently here?

AITA for just straight up ditching her and then talking back to her when she got home – should I have given her more grace?

Grief can make people act out of character.

Other people in the comments are weighing in.

Some excellent advice.

This user supports his decision.

This person makes some valid points.

The restaurant staff are not your emotional punching bag.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.