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Original poster

Would you leave a bar without paying for food?

69 replies

carlywurly · 26/01/2013 17:37

If a bill hasn't been given to you?

A couple of friends did last night in a small, local tapas type of place, and seemed to think this was fine. It's been bothering me all day, to the extent that I might go back and settle it myself. (It was probably under £10)

Dp and i had a separate tab which I made sure was cleared before we left, but they were of the opinion that if the bar weren't going to ask them for money for the food they'd had, they weren't going to offer it.

What would you do?.. They are generally lovely people but this just smacks of wrong to me.

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 26/01/2013 18:12

I have been tempted when I can't seem to get a waiter to take my money but I have never actually done it.

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/01/2013 18:14

We did it once when a very drunk friend needed to be poured into a cab and everyone thought someone else had paid. We went back to offer to pay the next day but they had cashed up and said no. They got VERY well tipped every time we went there after that.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 26/01/2013 18:19

I wouldnt do it,. it is theft! However i do get annoyed when you ask for the bill, they bring it over and then they leave you for half an hour. my blood pressure goes through the roof.

i like those places where you pay first. Wink

Lastofthepodpeople · 26/01/2013 18:19

Horrible thing to do. As others have said, the servers sometimes are made to pay (no idea if its legal here). Once when I was waitressing at 16, had to pay the bill for a couple who walked out. They'd drank a fortune in wine and I ended up having to work about a week for 'free' to cover it.

Lastofthepodpeople · 26/01/2013 18:21

That was years ago in South Africa, probably not legal in the UK but its still taking something you haven't paid for.

PureQuintessence · 26/01/2013 18:21

Why did they do this?? Shock

That is dishonest, and embarrassing. I would not go out with them again. If they ask you out, I would be honest and say no because it is embarrassing to be out for a meal with people who dont settle their bill, and you dont want their behaviour reflect badly on you.

HecateWhoopass · 26/01/2013 18:27

That's shit of them.

Did they not say "can I have the bill please?"

That's normally what you do when you've finished.

How does the place know you're finished and leaving if you don't ask for the bill Hmm

I think they're thieves.

FoxtrotFoxtrotSierra · 26/01/2013 18:29

As everyone else says - it's theft! Someone else is paying for their meal, it could be the serving staff or it could be the owner of the restaurant. When I was a waitress our tips would be confiscated if we had people take off without paying - so other diners paid for people's meals instead of rewarding the staff.

Why are people so dishonest these days? It feels like nobody has morals anymore.

quoteunquote · 26/01/2013 18:30

What is wrong with people,

nasty gits.

please do go any pay so you don't get tarred with the same brush,and some poor sod doesn't get their wages docked or get sacked, and find better friends.

TeamEdward · 26/01/2013 18:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sundaesundae · 26/01/2013 19:23

I used to work in a very busy hotel lounge on the M40, constantly used for business meetings. We would have at least one walk out a day and these people were usually on expenses!

I think leaving without paying for no reason is just plain wrong.

specialsubject · 26/01/2013 19:26

right up there with the FB post I've just read about theft from a charity shop. Tell your friends to go back and pay. They are not 'lovely people'.

BumpingFuglies · 26/01/2013 20:37

Good God no. That's thieving.

Original poster
carlywurly · 26/01/2013 20:38

Thanks all, and no we won't be going out with them again. We have plenty of other friends who wouldn't dream of behaving like this. Dp has just told me he overheard them putting drinks on there as well. Angry It did and does make me cringe - I'm the type who puts coins in a charity box if I find them in the street. I've never nicked anything in my life.

Dp also got in 2 rounds of drinks which weren't reciprocated even though they got themselves some (clearly now we know how, we wouldn't have wanted them!) so they'd marked themselves out as round dodgers even before the great escape at the end of the night.

OP posts:
toomuch2young · 26/01/2013 20:39

That's really sad.
Can't imagine anyone decent even thinking of doing that or that it could possibly be ok!

bumperella · 26/01/2013 20:39

Agree: it's theft.
To do it by mistake is an embassassing accident, to say "I'm not prepared to pay for this food as it's inedibly bad so we've not eaten it" is OK, but to walk out without paying becuase you think you'll get away with it is just stealing.

mamalovesmojitos · 26/01/2013 20:40

Never! And I wouldn't socialise with people who did.

manicinsomniac · 26/01/2013 20:45

not intentionally, no. I've done it by accident three times - once I realised almost as soon as I'd left and went back, once I realised later that evening and went back the next day but the third time I realised that night but was 200 miles away by then so never went back. I do feel bad though.

MrsHoarder · 26/01/2013 20:48

No! I've been tempted in pizza express when we'd been waiting for over an hour and asked for the bill multiple times (the conversation was actually "if we start putting our coats on do you think they'll let us pay"). But its stealing.

Original poster
carlywurly · 26/01/2013 20:52

We've had that in pizza express! I use the app now and pay by PayPal, otherwise they always keep you waiting ages to pay.

OP posts:
ZillionChocolate · 26/01/2013 20:52

Scumbags.

SomethingProfound · 26/01/2013 21:33

The staff will probably of had to make it up.

I have worked in bars and restaurants for years and its common practice to make staff pay for walk outs.

Poor server, but also keep in mind they probably wont be forgotten, any walkouts I had when I was a manager I would get a picture off CCTV for the staff to see and they would be refused service if they tried to return in the future.

StickEmUp · 26/01/2013 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Corygal · 26/01/2013 21:40

I've done it with a friend by accident - we both assumed the other had paid. Cue enraged old lady storming out to shame us at 1000 decibels in the street - howling so loudly we couldnt work out what we'd done. Some people do take it rather seriously - not everyone is on the rob.

thisisyesterday · 26/01/2013 21:40

God, that would really, really, really bother me yes! How awful.

DP and I once left a small cafe in Chichester and were walking up the street when we heard someone calling, and this poor woman from the cafe was chasing us.... because we'd forgotten to pay!
I've never been more mortified in my entire life! I'm so used to paying for things and then sitting down and eating it that I just hadn't even thought about it when we got up and left.
I can't even comprehend not paying on purpose!

Did your friends even ask for a bill? if not then how were the staff supposed to know they were ready for it???

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