Nothing brings more people out to a bar, restaurant, or nightclub than a birthday.
It is the ultimate excuse for overindulgence and irrational spending, which leads to major profits for operators.
But one woman on TikTok has been left baffled by her waiter's response after she politely asked for a candle to be added to her birthday cake at a restaurant.
The TikToker, who goes by the name of Perveen, was completely shut down by a waiter who insisted he did not have time for her request.
As seen in the clip, the waiter approaches the group of friends and places two bowls of food on the table. Then one of the friends politely asks the waiter for candles: “It’s also her birthday. We were wondering if you have any candles.” To which the waiter responds: “No, I don’t really have time for that right now.”
@lifeofperveen we cared enough to celebrate your birthday 🎂🥺#happybirthday #hbd #speechless #ohno ♬ original sound - Perveen
The clip quickly garnered more than 300 000 views and 47 000 likes, sparking fierce controversy on social media. Many people could not understand why the waiter could not get his guests a candle – something that every luxury restaurant has available. A few others agreed with the waiter’s answer and defended him.
One person commented: “He didn't have to be rude about it, he could’ve just said they didn’t have any.”
Another said: “I’m a server and I would have just said ‘no sorry’ if I didn’t have enough time. He was being rude for no reason.”
A third person wrote: “It’s quite literally his job to get her what she asks for, how does he not have time?”
Others defended the waiter, pointing out that restaurants often get busy and can be stressful environments to work in.