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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what is the rudest thing a friend or relative has ever done at a meal out?

279 replies

BallsforEarings · 27/12/2014 15:50

When out at a meal with a bunch of friends, my ex-friend (never popular -known for rudeness!) once asked if she could taste my chilli con carne, I said 'of course' and she proceeded to take a huge forkful and then pronounce loudly 'UGGHHH!! That is SHIT'.

I was left to 'enjoy' the rest of my chilli after that!

Anyone got/had a friend/relative with worse manners?

OP posts:
Bifflepants · 27/12/2014 20:55

My horrid father got drunk at a posh Chinese restaurant and proceeded to do an overacted and excruciatingly bad impression of a Chinese accent whenever the waiting staff were near. I wanted the ground to swallow me up.

AshesOfRoses · 27/12/2014 20:56

I went on a date with a guy who started counting out coppers and silver at the table. I was mortified. Went to the ladies, paid, left in a taxi.

ThreeFrazzledFandangos · 27/12/2014 21:03

I also went out for a very expensive Chinese meal with DP's then boss.

He too did a terrible Chinese accent to all waiters and threw dim sum at one one of DP's colleagues. Who retaliated with spring rolls. This went on throughout the meal.

Their wives just sat there laughing Confused

Tulipblank · 27/12/2014 21:23

When I was pregnant I went on a city break with a friend. Some of her friends happened to be in the same City and we met them at a restaurant. They had been drinking cocktails all afternoon and evening, and had a meal.

We met them in the early evening and as I was pregnant I only had 2 soft drinks. We'd had a meal earlier so I picked at a side order of garlic bread.

The bill came to around £250.

Everyone suggested splitting the bill.

As I didn't know the other 3 very well I didn't feel I could object.

£50 for some bread and 2 glasses of juice. I am still annoyed about it 5 years later!!!

expatinscotland · 27/12/2014 21:39

I met a man on an online dating site. I suggested we met for a coffee, but he pressed for a meal, suggested a particular restaurant.

I was working for a temp agency as a secretary so money was tight. I had a coke, a burger and chips, no dessert, whilst he had a couple of bottles of expensive microbrew, starter, expensive main, dessert and liqueur coffee.

Bill came and he tried to pull the ol' 'I forgot my wallet'. Not even a split it (which I wouldn't have done anyway)!

Haahaaa. I said, 'Nice try!' and paid for mine and made to leave.

He couldn't believe it. 'You mean you're not going to spot me just this once? C'mon, I'll get the next one.' Sure. He must have thought I was born yesterday.

No idea what he did as I never heard from him again, which I know I wouldn't have had I paid for his expensive meal.

Twat.

whisket · 27/12/2014 21:59

Myself, dh, mil, fil, f at a restaurant with mezze type sharing dishes, I was the only vegetarian and there was 1 veggie dish on the menu. We had a total of 8 different dishes on the table and as soon as everything was put out my f grabbed the veggie dish, spooned himself a huge helping and passed it to mil saying 'we'll take what we want before she has hers'. My mil's face was a picture and lovely as she is passed the dish straight to me whilst giving f a withering look.

I have no idea what f was thinking but it certainly backfired.

MrsHathaway · 27/12/2014 22:09

You're welcome to Aunty Knobhead - the original expression is Uncle Knobhead which is so fixed in my vocabulary I can't recall its origins!

TipsyMcStaggers · 27/12/2014 22:10

I think it's great!

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 27/12/2014 22:16

I have a friend who tried to get you to share something you didnt want with her to make her bill cheaper, then if you didnt she'd bitch to the other person that you make the meal more expensive. I found out about her moaning and kept picking what I wanted on purpose, if I'm paying I'll have what the fuck I want.

MrsTawdry · 27/12/2014 22:25

Uncle Knobhead comes from a Peter Kaye standup routine! "Uncle Knobhead and his white slip on shoes"
Grin

Pico2 · 27/12/2014 22:30

My grandmother always wanted a taste of everyone else's food. Not a problem, except that she would just plunge her fork into your food and take what she wanted without asking. She stopped doing it to me when my dad had a big go at her (he doesn't make much of a fuss most of the time, so when he does, people tend to listen). However she did continue to do it with my cousins and the most revolting time was when my cousin had spat something out (probably gristle) and my grandmother did her usual trick, not noticing that she had picked the bit he had spat out.

Tutt · 27/12/2014 22:37

Loads of us went out to a really lovely restaurant, my ex-friends husband proceeds to get extremely drunk to the point that the waiter put his pudding in front of him and this man pukes all over the pud,table, others puds and waiter. He then proceeds to shout that he has been poisoned whilst smirking to us all and then he and his wife get up and walk out... without paying any of the bill.
Same man would always, always order the most expensive food and drink on the menu ( £100 bottle etc) knowing we always just split the bill!!

Another ex friend who always managed to forget her purse... she managed to forget to pack it for a 2 week holiday in Spain when we were 18.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 27/12/2014 22:38

My (late) very eccentric uncle had zero social awareness, and instead of just politely declining anything he didn't fancy he'd make loud, fake throwing-up noises - at home, in restaurants, wherever - he didn't discriminate

MIL saves her "best" and most graphic descriptions of illnesses for when others are eating; the more pus, phlegm or vomit involved the better, and deflection is useless; try to divert the conversation and she'll just talk louder

A friend's much older and very abusive "boyfriend" turned meanness into an art form; we literally never saw him pay for anything, always leaving it to her. Then one night at a pub quiz the venue handed out free packs of crisps - they weren't even decent ones, just "Happy Shopper" type. He leapt up like a rocket and proceeded to stuff packs into his pockets, under his coat, in her pockets, in her handbag ... then sat back with an "aren't I clever?" expression

TattiePants · 27/12/2014 22:54

An ex-friend could be quite off hand and abrupt to restaurant staff, rude but nothing compared to the trip advisor reviews I later learnt she was writing. The worst review was a small local Italian restaurant that we had been to with our families. I found the review completely by chance and it bore no resemblance to the meal we had! She absolutely slated the food, service, decor, basically everything. Whilst I appreciate everyone can have a different experience, she stated that her family AND ME both came down with food poisoning due to eating there. She also wrote the review a year after we ate there which made me realise how vindictive she was. Unfortunately it was another year or so before I found the review so there were many more reviews (all equally bad).

lemisscared · 27/12/2014 23:00

my bil is an ignorant fuckwit.

one time in our local indian, where we always went and was friendly with the owner, he kept calling all the waiters abdul BlushHmm and another time he asked the cafe owner to bring him a spare chair and said "there's a good boy" by way of thanks Hmm- he is a fucking wanker and i vowed to never eat out with him again, thankfully dp agrees.

kennyp · 27/12/2014 23:03

my horrible and plop-ridden mil never acknowledges when a waiter/waitress has cleared her plate. it's so rude (says me). (although haven't been out in public with mil for 929384 years so she might have learned some manners by now). she used to always ignore the waiters though. mortifying.

weeonion · 27/12/2014 23:08

BIL & SIL like to tell us just how wealthy they are and send us photos of themselves - outlining the designer and price of every single accessory and item they are wearing.

we rarley socialise with them after one memorable night when they were so obnoxious. When we arrived ar restaurant they asked if we could have a table occupied by other diners as they wanted to sit by the window. BIL threw a bit of a hizzy fit when told no. They insulted waiting staff when they offered to take their coats by telling them that they knew everything that was in their coat pockets "so don't even think of trying to,steal any of it". When they finished eating their first course - they lifted their dirty plates, turned round and set them on table behind them. Which had people sitting at it - eating their meal. BIL was so rude to staff all night - incredibly sexist and inappropriate. When it came to the end - he produced a handful of coins as his share of the tip and mixed them,into the remains of his dessert - let them work for it he said.

they also allow their kids total free rein out in cafes etc - able to wander wherever they want, saying its the staffs job to look after them they also allow their kids to make real messes - pouring drinks / sugar/ salt mixed with food etc into a puddle on tables as "potions" and refuse to clear up - as again it is the job of staff! SIL finds it "hysterical" when i clear up, as i clearly showing my working class roots Hmm

Original poster
BallsforEarings · 27/12/2014 23:22

weeonion your BIL and SIL have me dry-retching to rival Puzzle's uncle when presented with a dish he deems unsavoury! That is truely obnoxious!!!

OP posts:
Jumblebee · 27/12/2014 23:30

Weeonion I think you win on this thread, they sound like a bloody nightmare Shock

Corabell · 27/12/2014 23:50

Wee onion I have just gone red with embarrassment at the behaviour of your in laws. What disgusting creatures!

thenightsky · 27/12/2014 23:56

Weeonion wins the internet with her wankerish relatives Shock

She also outs herself as we will all recognise them now Grin

Walkingonsunshine00 · 27/12/2014 23:57

'd'F always always always always burps really smelly and doesn't say excuse me or anything! Hmm

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 27/12/2014 23:57

Weeonion, how has no one dump a meal on them before. I'd do it just for entertainment of the poor waiters who have to deal with the snobby cunts.

samithesausage · 28/12/2014 00:05

I've just remembered a couple more.
When I was young, we (mum,dad and me, nan and gt grandma) used to stay in a caravan park. We had two caravans between us, and in the morning used to traipse over to nan and grandma's caravan for breakfast. Gt Grandma would then describe in detail her bowel movements, down to whether she had to strain and even texture!

Another one, I took a friend out for lunch in a posh department store. He was feeling down so I treated him. He then proceeded to order two/three main meals for himself... Things like kippers to start, ratatoue and steak and chicken breast. (4 main courses) Then he leaves half of it. It came to about 40 pounds (I had an orange juice because I couldn't afford to eat after I saw his choices).

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 28/12/2014 00:17

Oh this is a cathartic thread:

I used to waitress and was working at a very posh wedding where the guests had been asked not to smoke till after the toasts. My table just lit up and when I went over and said 'the father of the bride has asked that you don't smoke, this isn't me or the hotel' one guy said 'fuck off peasant' and continued flicking his ash in the coffee cup. thankfully it was silver service and I burnt his ear with a roasting salver later

Once at my birthday a DF turned up with people who were staying with her who I didn't even know. I'd met them earlier and knew they were skint, 'it's ok', said friend, 'they'll just put a tanner in'. Yes fine but they both had 3 courses and 3 glasses of wine and she was pg!

But this all pales before wee Jim, an ex-colleague of DH who made it his mission in life to steal a bottle of wine every time they went on a work night out. That was fun.