Terrible restaurant experience in Toledo

I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but I don’t understand why you would put down an entire country because of one rude waiter.

While I don’t see anything strange about the first part (since he had no way of knowing where you were staying and it’s probably a frequent occurrence), that last part is so weird and awful. Are you ok? Did you figure out what it was that you picked up that seemed to precipitate his action? I assume in your surprise you put it back down pretty quickly.

Please share what you did end up grabbing by accident that wasn't a business card. Would like to make sure this never happens to us!

It was a large business card with the contact info for the restaurant. Can’t be more specific because he grabbed the card.

Right… of course I won’t blame the country, and will get over it, but I wrote my post immediately after the incident. Adrenalin was still pulsing through my veins.

Hmmm….the waiter asked you a questions when you arrived. A question, portrayed as a “challenge”, that is essentially innocuous. You took umbrage at that simple question. He knew nothing about you staying at the nearby hostel. But he probably does have experience with people coming in for servicio. Perhaps if that is all you had needed he would have let you use it. You don’t know, because you were already upset at the question. Yet, you did eat there?
The second part is unclear. The waiter pushed you. Did he take the business card back? As you state it he just came out and pushed you.
Sorry it spoiled your day but you might want to dial down your sensitivity. I might have also came away with a negative thought about the place in my mind, but appalling, and so appalling that you came to the forum to recount it. Perhaps not that upset.

It sounds to me that two things happened - the first was that the waiter was trying to be helpful when he greeted you, and was probably about to tell or show you where to go.

The other is a lack of the language so a misunderstanding occurred. I expect that the card you took was for handing to good and regular customers and had some value and you were seen taking what you shouldn't have and he already knew you didn't speak the language so took action rather than words.

I'm sorry you misinterpreted.

It would have been ok if I didn’t get punched in the arm. It hurt. I am not a whiner.

So sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

Did you ask to speak to manager? Or go back later to speak to manager?

I would have reported such behavior, especially if I had been hurt.

He shrugged.

Oh well… we’re sitting on the roof balcony of our Posada in Toledo, watching the sun go down and lights on the Cathedral go on. The vermouth is excellent and the evening is beautiful.

Tomorrow is another day.

The other is a lack of the language so a misunderstanding occurred.

I won't ever be giving that waiter that excuse ... I'm the patron looking to spend money and have an enjoyable meal.
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It's the visitors job to be courteous; it's the restaurants job to be welcoming.

. . ."he already knew you dodn't speak the language so took action rather than words." This is never an excuse for . . ."came running up to us and physically pushed me out of the way."

I'm very sorry to hear about your experience. You may want to share with the RS staff on the Rick Steves guide feedback page: https://www.ricksteves.com/forms/guidebook-feedback-form

we’re sitting on the roof balcony of our Posada in Toledo, watching the sun go down and lights on the Cathedral go on. The vermouth is excellent and the evening is beautiful.
Tomorrow is another day.

I also love this. ❤️🍷

What an unfortunate treatment you received!

you were seen taking what you shouldn't have and he already knew you didn’t speak the language so took action rather than words

Well, pushing and hurting you was very inappropriate in any event, and what would have initially indicated that you shouldn’t have had access to the card? If you were being mistreated because of the behavior of previous patrons, that’d also be bad.

“Cuatro Tiempos,” four times. I’m guessing you won’t be going there a second time, let alone four times. But maybe the other waiters are nicer than this waiter was, this once. And hopefully you find nicer places the rest of your time in Toledo.

It was a large business card with the contact info for the restaurant. Can’t be more specific because he grabbed the card.

What in the world is a "large" business card? Sounds like you picked up something else that was more of a permanent placard, something not intended to be taken. How many of these "large" business cards were there?

As for your hot take on the initial question he posed to you, ummm...