I'm a busser at a restaurant while in classes. The best part about it is the people that I come across who actually regard your feelings as important and are considerate. People who pick up after themselves to make my job easier make the day wonderful for me. Please, the next time you go to a restaurant, make sure that your plates are stacked (without food in between them) with the silverware on top of the stack. Stacking cups helps too.
I was a busser for a while. Try this out sometime: when people are sitting around and won't leave, have a server approach them apologetically and tell them that you are preparing to defend your dissertation, but first you have to mop the floor. If they don't care, throw them the fuck out. Of course, if the customers are attached to a university, they might call bullshit, depending on the time of year. Life's a gamble.
Stacking cups? Isn't that your job? :) I kid. I worked all through undergrad in restaurants. I've hosted, bussed, served, bar tended, managed, dish washed, and even line cooked. It was hard work, but I think back on it fondly.