I-5 was in the grip of Friday night gridlock, and I knew there was no hope of getting to the restaurant on time so I did what any good customer would do: I called to say we would be half an hour late and maybe there would still be a table available at 7:30. No problem, said the woman who answered the phone, and I guessed by the silence behind the echo of her voice that the restaurant was empty. Sure enough, it was.
