“Attitude” is a word that can have both positive and negative connotations. “Johnny has a good attitude,” Ms. Grundy says in the parent-teacher conference. That’s a positive recommendation. But if she says, “Johnny has attitude” . . . well, that’s entirely different.

Why has the unadorned, unmodified word “attitude” come to have such a negative meaning? Has it always been this way, or is this something relatively new? I would imagine that attitude has existed as long as people have interrelated. Throughout literature there are many examples of people with attitude—in the Bible, in Greek mythology, in Victorian fiction, on YouTube. But it’s only recently that attitude has become the modus operandi  of the restaurant industry.

I bring this up because I just spent some time in a place with absolutely no attitude.  It was summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, so I decided to take a few days at the beach in Uruguay after visiting the wine country in Argentina. I chose a town that is so chic and happening that it puts East Hampton and Palm Beach to shame.

The first night there I went to the hottest restaurant on the beach, a sprawling scene packed with the Beautiful People. I arrived without a reservation, prepared to do battle at the door, but instead of icy indifference, I was met with a warm welcome. I was cheerfully led to a choice table and handed a menu. All during the evening I was treated by the staff in a friendly, respectful manner. I probably could have sat there, nursing my Caipirinha for hours without being hassled or rushed.  (I didn’t.) During my short stay in Uruguay, I went to this restaurant three times. The treatment was just as good each time.

The question is: Why do we put up with the major attitude that is dispensed so freely in many restaurants in this country? I guess diners just accept this shabby treatment as a standard, unavoidable element of the dining-out experience.  It doesn’t have to be this way.

Sometimes the attitude is generated by management, but most often it is employees—hostesses, reservationists, servers—who are the main offenders. It’s crazy that a 25-year-old making $200 a week plus tips can be rude and intimidating to a well-heeled customer who is comfortable spending $400 on dinner. Does that make sense? Is it good for business? I think not.

A note to restaurant owners and managers: Just for fun, cold call your own establishment and try to make an 8 o’clock weekend reservation. You may be shocked at the rude, unpleasant  treatment you receive.

Maybe it’s time for an attitude adjustment.