I have never in my life experienced someone in a restaurant refusing to pay their fair share

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it was so embarrassing ended up with me and Friend B paying over the odds to make up for it

Chinese so all sharing all dishes, china tea, prawn crackers etc

Family A - Mum (not eating but drinks tea), Dad (only ordered soup, but gorged on everything else on table)and 18 year old

Family B - 2 adults

and US - 2 adults, 2 kids (one a 6 year old who barely eats)

Family A mum said he only ordered soup so we're only paying for one adult

divided by 8 (there were 9 of us but she didn't eat) bill was just under £20 each

she said we only pay for what we ordered
she repeated it despite minor protestations that he'd eaten everything - her 18 year old was mortified

I ended up paying £80, Family B paid £50 and Family A £20

am still aghast

would you do it? would you say anything after the fact? am so tempted to email and say wtf were you thinking you fucking freak (she a relative not a friend)

I'm with you on the hygiene thing too,Wimple.
Double dipping is yet another hazard of sharing.

All these tales are examples of why I loathe eating out in bigger groups. It's often such a pain at the end & my £10 main course & glass of wine always ends up costing me £30. I so much prefer eating out with my DP or one friend.

I've got a big joint hen/stag meal coming up at a fairly ££ restaurant - I am P so won't be drinking, but I know this group will be tucking into their wine at £25/bottle - am already dreading the resentment I'm going to feel when they inevitably suggest the bill is split equally!

Their poor son must have been so embarrassed. His parents really should apologise to him as well as to the OP and her family. I can't think why they went. The son is obviously a relative also so he could happily have gone with the rest of the family with Mum and Dad at home.

Letthereberock... You're not on your own at all. We all like different stuff and I find that the ones who insist on 'sharing' are some of the biggest and quickest eaters around, hoovering up their own 'share' and then picking at the rest of it surreptitiously.

Eeew!

"Dip-slurp" "Dip-slurp"

.... with a giraffe if you stand on a stool....

With Chinese food, if you order one item and eat only your own dish it is rubbish and boring, but as long as there are other people I can share with I will put up with it.

If you order one thing, and eat everything else as well, and then insist on only paying for what you ordered then you are a nasty scrounger and I will definitely not be going out with you again.

Yes, the wine was brought to the table.

We checked the bill after he'd gone - they were definately on there.

nomoreheels... Forewarned is forearmed... can you just tell the girls that you're happy to split the bill but can they keep the alcohol separate as that will add insult to injury (even if it isn't) that you can't drink.

That's right nomore...it always seems to be the big consumers who want to split...whilt people who dont drink or eat smaller amounts are meant to go alon with this.

I've seen people consume quite unreasonable amounts of food starters, mains, pudding, champagne and not even notice that I've had coke and a main.

Its not that I'm pious or aything...I just can't eat that much due to medical issues.

God she sounds awful
going out but not eating because she doesn't eat out? Stay at home then love
is she sister , sil?
And the bloke , what a pita
I feel sorry for you! I'd text her and tell her she owes you £20

They're tight bastards.

I don't go out often - but if I do then if things are really really tight (as usual I explain before we even go out that I will order my own plate of food (so if there's sharing stuff I'll "opt out") and just pay for "my share" (ie what I ordered) before hand. It's never been a problem - I suspect because it was agreed in advance.

If I've gone out and we've shared (last time we went out like that) I split. There's no other way to do it when it's a selection of food on the table that you all take bits of.

Wimple - I am a small eater too usually - no medical reason - just am - sometimes I'll find an appetite from somewhere and eat a "normal" meal - but often not

Wimple... I know exactly what you mean about OCD too.

It's one thing for me to order my meal, take what I want of it and then offer what's left to everyone else but I don't want them plunging in while I'm eating. It makes me really uncomfortable and not want to eat anymore.

I would have been really annoyed at the previous post about the pizza... so greedy and it just teaches children to be greedy.

Eating out in a group is supposed to be social - conversation as much as food - there are some people who just put their heads in their food (and everyone elses), never looking up or contributing to any part of the chat. Then when their plates are empty, their beady eyes are looking around for more.

If everybody still had good manners, this would all be a non-issue, but they don't... and it makes for imbalance in a group and can cause a lot of resentment.

Yes LyingWitch...my DH does the stealing the DDs food too! I hate it as they would often eat more but he gets in before they've had a chance!

I boolocked him in Pizza Hut the other day for the same thing!

He's trying to stop it now.

[angry Mother]

Wimple... my Dad did it too. It's a bit controlling really although he was just a greedy-guts.

Good luck trying to stop your DH with the pizza though... I think that men have a natural affinity with it somehow? :)

Sorry - I thought "DH (greedy pig) always clears everyone else's plates at the end if they've left anything" made it clear that everyone had finished eating.

Cheeky fuckers.

Tanith...with 2 year olds though you don't always know when they've finished right away....mine can take twice as long as DH to eat.

He inhales his food...leves it ten minutes and then thinks he can eat the kids because they're colouring in the things the waitress has given them

He seems to think that unless they're actively eating then they have finished.

I would rather the toddler was allowed to relax and take her time without thinking

"Here's Daddy pig with his grabbers!"

Seems to me that it was the Man who was in the wrong here...HE ate other peoples food and then did not chip in.

SHE had tea and paid for it.

she did not pay for tea

Did the man just sit there while his wife announced they'd not chip in??

Wha did their teen eat?

I know that, Wimple: I'm a childminder and I've had loads of experience of 2 year olds eating! This was at the end of the meal and she'd definately finished - the plates were pushed away, ready for the waitress to collect.