I’ve never been a waitperson, but when I look at a restaurant with 50 tables it makes me wonder how long it takes to learn table numbers.
Normally, yes, and that’s what I’d expect.
However, the story in the OP mentions that the server who made the comment was the bartender, which indicates that they ordered stuff at the bar. In that case, he’d have to keep track of the individuals. So he’d need some memorable characteristic of the individuals to link them to the bill.
Also, allegedly, the place was busy.
Here’s a simple solution. Ask yourself: is it conceivable that this description could offend the person being described?
If yes, don’t use it. Problem solved.
If it happens again, you might say: Well, I’m starting my diet tomorrow, but you’ll never be able to lose the stupid.
Ridiculous. It’s conceivable that anybody could be offended at anything. Which brings us back around to ‘we can never describe anybody as anything.’
Frankly, I wouldn’t care if someone described me as “the shortish woman with the thick glasses”, because that’s accurate and IMO not insulting. Calling me “the fat shorty four-eyes” would be an entirely different matter, even though it’s equally true. For me, it has a lot to do with how it’s said, and one reality of our culture is that the media and fashion industry keep pushing the “thinner makes you a more worthy human being” meme. Thus, in a society obsessed with “thin = valued human being, overweight = subhuman”, calling someone “fat” does attack their human worth, even if they are. That word has seriously negative connotations one really shouldn’t use about customers one hopes for repeat business from.
That said, going melodramatically wailing to the press about how abused and victimized one is over a word is more than a little immature and excessive.
I wouldn’t blame the media and fashion industry.
People generally prefer looking at thin people over fat people. The eeevil media and fashion industry are catering to what people want to see.
A fair number of restaurants I’ve seen have the number on a little sign on the edge of the table, where the server can see it. 
Tru dat, but you go to a restaurant to have a relaxing time and eat some tasty food, not for an intervention.
I could afford to lose 30 pounds or so myself, but if the waitstaff at a restaurant made it their business to remind me of that fact, they’d have seen the last of my patronage. Ditto anyone else I do business with, with the obvious exception of my doctor, who surely will say something about my weight when I get my checkup next week. But that’s her job. It’s not the waiter’s or the bartender’s job.
And I’m flummoxed that the bartender didn’t think it was worth $25.50 of the restaurant’s money to make up for the fact that they’d insulted some customers.
You should never use words to describe people like that.
Your sentence should properly read:
‘People generally prefer looking at people over people.’
You can thank me later for cleaning that up. You will know it is me when you see the person.
And lo, a non-newsworthy story inspires a ponderous and excessively serious discussion thread. What hath Jeff wrought?
What are these situations in which you are burning to describe people? How often are you describing criminals to the police?
This is not a universal human truth. Notions of beauty vary considerably over time and place. And it is absolutely true that the mass media has pushed a particular notion of beauty on the public.
There is no justification for this insult to Ambivalid. He hasn’t expressed an opinion on this issue one way or another in this thread, and to strike at him out of the blue like this is unacceptable.
Ellen Cherry
IMHO Moderator
Well, there is always the time when you are working as a bartender and have to remember who owes the tab … like the sap in the OP. 
Well pretty often, actually, but that’s neither here nor there.
Of course it’s not universal, but the fact (unfortunate or fortunate, depending upon where you fall) is that most people prefer thinner people to fatter people. Now, there may be some argument about who is sexier, a 5’7" who is 160 or one who is 110. But most will not vote for the one who is 220.
I don’t buy into the notion that we’ve all been brainwashed to like the skinny.
You know, this doesn’t exactly counter his assertion that we aren’t allowed to use any descriptive terms about people. You’re basically saying “well why are you going around describing people all the time?”
Uh, I dunno. When you’re referring to any person you don’t know by name, maybe?
I agree, I’m just pointing out the irony in this situation. Especially since the restaurant in question surely has a menu filled with fatty, caloric foods.
And when you are doing it with respect to a customer or a workplace colleague, you watch what you say, just like you do with a lot of things when you’re at work.
As far as I can see the only mistake the waiter made was not removing the descriptor from the check. He can use any terms he wants to keep track of tables for all I care. His sin was sloppiness of execution, not denigrating the fat chicks. Anything else and you are demanding thought control.
Exactly. He didn’t intend for them to see it, so the idea that you “watch what you say” is moot.