Jim!

For about two years now my wife and I have visited the Panera Bread in Fenton, MI on Sundays for lunch before we do our weekly shopping. It’s always a pleasant atmosphere, the staff is friendly, and the food is always great. Besides, they have some of the best Iced Tea I’ve ever tasted.

It’s not uncommon to see people reading, studying, using a laptop, or listening to music as they enjoy their snack/meal/beverage. We’ve also seen marriage counseling (that was not so quiet and relaxing), job interviews, and short family get-togethers take place. Small gatherings are commonplace at your local Panera Bread.

On this particular Sunday, however, it was different type of a gathering that made this visit not as pleasant as others.

In the back of the restaurant, sitting around about 6 tables that they’d moved into a rectangular shape, was some kind of bible study or church meeting. It wasn’t exactly a bible study, however. Normally in a bible study there is discussion and the exchange of thoughts and beliefs. (Of course, I have no true experience regarding this so I have to go on what others have told me). The only thing that you could hear was one particular man’s voice as he delivered what sounded like a full-blown sermon to the dozen or so individuals seated around him.

If the orator would have kept the volume of his voice down to an appropriate level I would not have an issue with this. They were all within about ten feet of each other. Instead he spoke in a volume loud enough that it could be heard quite clearly about half way across the restaurant. (That is no vague distance reference, as I walked away from him and the distance at which his voice started to dissipate was 2 sections away).

For those with religious leanings I’m sure they enjoyed hearing what he had to say. However those who are less than enthusiastic about being subjected to unsolicited religious teachings (such as myself) found it disturbing and an inconvenience. For forty-five minutes the man droned about *something* that I a) didn’t care to hear about and b) couldn’t help but hear about.

I have no issue with religion or how/when it’s practiced, but when it intrudes upon the comfort of others it becomes a matter of manners. Is my line of thinking considered reverse-discrimination? No, it’s a simple matter that I’d go to church if I wanted to reflect or wax theological. I came to Panera Bread to eat, not be sermonized; yet every person who was in ½ of the restaurant was subject to, quite possibly, nothing that they truly wanted to listen to.

From a business standpoint, these people were occupying 6 tables. Every person had purchased a drink – nothing else – while they participated in this little sit-in. By taking these table for two hours there was loss of revenue for the establishment (these seats could have been occupied by people purchasing a food item and a drink), inconvenience to other customers (who would want to sit next to that?), and inconvenience to the customers who had to listen, whether the wanted to or not.

If I were Wiccan (I’m an atheist.  Basically I hate organized religion.  I used to categorize myself as between agnostic and atheist, but a family member who is apparently and expert told me I couldn’t be both) and a dozen of us sat around and talked about our practices they surely would have come and said something to us, or complained to the management about us.

My point in all this? I really don’t have one, except to say that if you’re in a public place, be aware of your surroundings.