Pondering on Eating Out....Random

This week I went out to eat with my boyfriend and his family....interesting. I have much respect for waiters and waitress because I used to work at a coffee shop and tips were a great source of money for me. However, one question? Why is that cooks/waiters/waitresses whoever it might be always bring your food all at one time? I understand it is not the waiters or waitresses fault, but it is really confusing to me. We all ordered side salads before the meal and a tray of chips and salsa. We waited about a half hour or so before we even got the side salads and FINALLY they brought them out. Approximately 3-3 1/2 minutes later, five huge plates with the entree plus side plates with dressing were brought out. We ended up wasting a lot of food because we simply could not fit it on our tables. I understand that restaurants are busy especially in a town as small as this where as there are only a limited amount of places to go and sit down and eat. But if you are going to bring out the appetizers late (which we specifically told the waitress the salads and chips were) why not just wait 15 minutes or so to bring the actual dinner out? Again, I am not "bitching" I am just saying, it does not make much sense to me. Why the rush? not only that, but when the staff does this, especially this waitress, she actually got upset with us because we had too many plates. Regardless, we were paying for the plates so we can have as many as we want right? I guess not. I respect staff at restaurants and again, have been in the position. As irritated as I was, I left a good tip and smiled the whole time. It was actually more funny to me than anything, because when the waitress brought the plates she looked at us as if we were suppose to immediately swallow all the plates in front of us. No apology, no explanation. I understand she was more than likely overwhelmed, but hell, I would rather the food be cold then it go to waste. I know whoever is reading this will probably just say, "and if the food was cold, you would complain about that too," but you are absolutely wrong.
I have never been rude to a waiter/waitress because I understand, not completely, but somewhat. I am not blaming them for what happened, it was just something that got my blood going, I hate wasting things!
Anyway, aside from my eating out experience and the clutter of plates hanging over our table which eventually just got threw to the strays, the food was great!