"Somedays I Just Hate Everyone" A Lesson From Serving

I've been working as a server for almost six years now and I've thought often during that time that I hate people, a sentiment I've heard from my coworkers as well. Girls at work have said to me: "I'm just not cut out for this, I'm too sensitive." "If you only knew the things I think you'd think I was a terrible person." "Kissing ass is just so tiring, when I get home I'm exhausted". I'm constantly amazed by people. The business men that ignore me when I ask them if they want coffee or ask how they'd like to pay. The old man who loudly stated that he wanted to sit where there were only white people. I especially like customers who repeat themselves over and over again as if I were a particularly stupid child.
Sample Conversation:

Customer: Are the potatoes real?
Me: Yes.
Customer: They're not fake? (side note: what are fake potatoes anyway? and what restaurant would use those?)
Me: No
Customer: They're REAL potatoes.
Me: Yes
Customer: Are you sure?
Me:.....

Sometimes I watch movies where some rich people boss around and are generally rude to their servants or just simply have them and the servants are always so polite, they never run back into the kitchen with steam coming out of their ears, break ten bowls, curse out their bosses and then eat a whole pie. (Which I'm not saying I do, but well, yes actually) I think to myself, why can't I be more like that? Why can't I just be nice to the crazy rich people?  Why can't I just be a happy servant?
The answer is because I'm not a servant, I work in a reasonably well paying job where I've put myself through school and traveled and done a lot of other things as well. I'm not these people's servants and I don't want to be one. I don't come into their workplaces and throw temper tantrums. I don't insult people and I frankly think it's kind of horrible that being prepared to be insulted daily is part of serving.

I was listening to a lecture on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and the lecturer pointed out that in some ways, the rules of society haven't changed much since Shakespeare's time. Perhaps before I started my lucrative serving career I would have disagreed but now I just can't. We have televisions now but people are just the same as 500 years ago. I think part of what annoys me is that we all pretend, at least here in Canada, that we aren't part of a class system, that we are equal. But we aren't. The people, or some of them at least I have to serve clearly, indubitably believe that they are superior to me. I don't buy it but they do. The other thing is that we are all wrapped up in a constant show of politeness and customer service which at times seems ridiculous. Why is the customer right if they are lying, stealing or being rude? Because we have a social more that says that if you are a customer you have the right to act however you please and we all just have to quit whining and serve you anyway. I often hear people complaining about the service they get in European restaurants but I love the, at times, rude waiters and leisurely pace. As a customer, if I go to a restaurant I want to relax and enjoy my meal. And as a server I don't want to be polite to people who aren't polite to me. It seems like a great deal to me.