Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for January 31, 2015
January 30, 2015
February 01, 2015
Transcript:
Goat: Did you try that new steak place downtown? Everyone eats at a big, communal table.
Rat: A communal table? As in, you eat with strangers?
Goat: Yeah.
Rat: Ahhhhhh.
Goat: Not a fan? Hell is a communal table.
Add me to the list of anti-communalists. Occasionally it has been forced upon me; college, banquets, etc. But I go to a restaurants to enjoy a meal, not to make conversation with strangers.
Hell is, indeed, a communal table. Where you’re only allowed to eat from spoons and forks … which are all 6-feet long. Works pretty well in heaven, but in hell…
He would hate the no-name restaurant in Boston. I liked it though, and they have a great seafood chowder! (That’s saying something, cuz I really don’t like seafood very much)
I can sympathize. The weirdest person in the room always sits at my table and wants to make small talk about the most inane things, until I want to chew off my own arm to escape. I can’t, though, because we’ve been married for 35 years now.
We get visited by feral goats from time to time (the subdivision used to be a goat ranch, and not all were captured during the transition). Their communal table consists of just about anything we plant, including nopal cactus.
Hold on a minute there, Baba Looey. Every single time the strip takes place in this coffee shop, Rat sits at the counter with all the other characters. Why doesn’t he get his own table?
A friend of mine says hell is a communal table where no one gets anything to eat because they have to use these incredibly long utensils to access the food, whereupon they can’t get the food into their mouths. Heaven, OTOH, is the same table with the same utensils; however, everyone eats because everyone feeds someone across the table using those incredibly long utensils.
It’s funny reading about a goat who likes steak…..whaz up with dat???!!!! Is not this goat the same character who consoles zebra when the crocs try to eat him? Anyway, where are the crocs? Have heard from them in a while.
Bilan about 9 years ago
But you get to steal food when the other person’s not looking!
alviebird about 9 years ago
I don’t even like having my own booth, if the restaurant is even a bit crowded. And I’m not always particularly fond of being seated with friends.
AGED_ENGINEER Premium Member about 9 years ago
Who knew Rat was an anti-communalist?
Well, I think we all would guess it if it came up in conversation.
Sherlock Watson about 9 years ago
I’m sure the other diners aren’t wild about having a rat at the table.
WaitingMan about 9 years ago
Hell is other people. Communal table? Hell squared.
Sisyphos about 9 years ago
I had plenty of experience with communal tables in college and beyond. I agree with Rat and WaitingMan (just above this post.)
Bontebok about 9 years ago
Add me to the list of anti-communalists. Occasionally it has been forced upon me; college, banquets, etc. But I go to a restaurants to enjoy a meal, not to make conversation with strangers.
Fredcritter about 9 years ago
Hell is, indeed, a communal table. Where you’re only allowed to eat from spoons and forks … which are all 6-feet long. Works pretty well in heaven, but in hell…
uniquename about 9 years ago
He would hate the no-name restaurant in Boston. I liked it though, and they have a great seafood chowder! (That’s saying something, cuz I really don’t like seafood very much)
Plumbob Wilson about 9 years ago
I can sympathize. The weirdest person in the room always sits at my table and wants to make small talk about the most inane things, until I want to chew off my own arm to escape. I can’t, though, because we’ve been married for 35 years now.
e.groves about 9 years ago
I ate at communal tables in the Marine Corps for four years. Didn’t bother me.
garcoa about 9 years ago
Everyone at the communal table will be texting or surfing on their cellphones, which even most young couples do now when they eat together.
puddlesplatt about 9 years ago
Ever been in the Navy? a large family, elbow to butt, with hundreds, a little madhouse on the water.
Charlie Fogwhistle about 9 years ago
We get visited by feral goats from time to time (the subdivision used to be a goat ranch, and not all were captured during the transition). Their communal table consists of just about anything we plant, including nopal cactus.
garypalmatier about 9 years ago
Hold on a minute there, Baba Looey. Every single time the strip takes place in this coffee shop, Rat sits at the counter with all the other characters. Why doesn’t he get his own table?
codedaddy about 9 years ago
Explains why rat was not invited to the last supper.
Mike Parsons Premium Member about 9 years ago
Meat-eaters eating as a herd? Absurd.
Number Three about 9 years ago
“Excuse me, Can you please eat with your mouth shut?”
Shudder!
xxx
celeconecca about 9 years ago
Then don’t go to Mrs. Wilkes in Savannah.
rgcviper about 9 years ago
Got so upset he spilled his own coffee. Shame.
K M about 9 years ago
A friend of mine says hell is a communal table where no one gets anything to eat because they have to use these incredibly long utensils to access the food, whereupon they can’t get the food into their mouths. Heaven, OTOH, is the same table with the same utensils; however, everyone eats because everyone feeds someone across the table using those incredibly long utensils.
naturally_easy about 9 years ago
Might as well get used to it, Rat!
barister about 9 years ago
It’s funny reading about a goat who likes steak…..whaz up with dat???!!!! Is not this goat the same character who consoles zebra when the crocs try to eat him? Anyway, where are the crocs? Have heard from them in a while.
knight1192a almost 9 years ago
Isn’t that a school cafeteria table?
SomeOtherGocomicsGuy over 5 years ago
I thought it was a windowless room with polka music. Maybe with the table added, too.
Da Cat Guy over 1 year ago
Rat, it’s a very good thing that you’re not Norse.