I'm a single diner.
I'm not waiting on someone.
I'm not friendless.
I don't want takeout or to sit at the bar.
I wanted a nice meal and chose your restaurant. I could be a traveler. I could be local. But because my bill would not contribute significantly to your numbers, you chose to pass over me. I watched you bring menus and offer drinks to the father and daughter that arrived after me. I watched you scurry to help the party of five find their seats after I'd been sitting ungreeted for five minutes.
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2012.