Waitress hurt by words left on $36 check



ENID, Okla. -- A waitress says she got some hateful words instead of a tip.

Taylor Stewart says words written on a receipt had everything to do with who she loves rather than her service.

For seven months now, Stewart has been waiting tables at the I-HOP in Enid, Oklahoma.

“I`m a people person and that`s why I have this job because I love people. You know, and I like to serve them and, you know, make them happy,” Stewart said.

Unfortunately, happy was a feeling she did not serve to a customer Monday night.

It was towards the end of a double shift when she waited on a man and three kids.

“I messed up one of the things on the order. So, I mean I fixed that. No problem, and he was just kind of being rude to me the whole time,” Stewart recalled. “I told him I was sorry about the service.”

After eating, Stewart says they stormed out the door.

“I was like have a good night sir, you know, come back and see us and he didn`t say anything,” Stewart said.

When she went to clean the table Stewart says she found not only a big mess, but a $36 dollar ticket with a message instead of a tip.

“When I went to pick up the check, I read it and I thought it said `gray is wrong`, and I went and showed my girlfriend, and she was like what? And she said it said `gay is wrong',” Stewart said. “I was just shocked. I was more shocked than hurt, but I mean it did hurt.”

Stewart says she believes in freedom of speech, but hopes people will think before they speak, or in this case write.

“If you don`t like it. If you don`t agree with it. That`s fine. That`s your own opinion, but I mean just let people be who they are and don`t say hurtful things,” Stewart said.

She says she did not recognize the man and neither did the other employees working that night.

News Channel 4 wanted to talk to the customer, but could not make out the name signed on the receipt.