Splitting the bill

[Fallingovercliffs]

I know this topic probably comes up every Christmas but how do people feel about this?
I was out with some friends a couple of nights ago and we all had more or less the same amount of food and drink, but when the bill came someone took out their phone and started calculating who had what and how much each person owed. A couple of us said 'Look, we'll just split it. Less complicated' but they insisted on doing the 'Susan didn't have a starter. John had a beer before the rest of us got here' stuff.
AIBU to think this is incredibly petty?
Obviously if someone wasn't drinking I'd make sure they didn't pay for any of the wine. Or if I ordered a very expensive main course I'd insist on throwing in a few extra quid. But otherwise, just split the bill!!

I tip good service. Not just because I sat down. Hate 12.5 added for the heck of it.

I used to buy the cheapest on a menu. Got fed up eating spag Bol while all n sundry ate steak. I now do meat and wine. And save for it. Or don't go. Or turn up late and just have wine and desert. That works well and confuses issues wonderfully so I always get to pay for mine only.

I tip in restaurants. Tip my hairdresser sometimes (when I have cash of the right amount generally!). Tip taxis. Don't tip anyone else.

I think tipping is a social minefield, and also is used by employers to justify paying too little. I dislike it and wish it wasn't the culture. But it is, so I tip.

In restaurants particularly, my view is that a tip is part of the price of the meal. I will only withhold a tip if I've had awful service (and due to total lack of effort rather than a mistake etc).

Hee Hee, we had a bill splitting incident today and I thought of this thread.

Out for a team lunch, bar menu with prices and order known in advance. I had a cheap and crap fish chowder and a diet coke. All in with a tip around £10. Most other people have more expensive burgers.

Someone works out cost at the end and says £15 each. I didn't say anything but inwardly I was as even the dearer dishes were about £8-9 and we all had one non alcoholic drink each. Then bless her the other person that had the soup said in a shocked voice " £15 for soup?" so we got to pay less and it turned out it had been worked out wrong anyway and should have been £12 a head which I wouldn't have quibbled to be honest.

Probably wouldn't have minded paying over the odds had my lunch been nice !