To think you don't bring your own tea to a coffee shop

[baristagirl]

AIBU to think that you have to be a CF to ask for a teapot of boiling water and a glass as you've brought your own teabag with you in a coffee shop.
Not to drip feed, 3 of CF's friends did buy drinks.
To me this is like taking your own booze into a pub and asking them for a glass with ice for it.

I know two people who do this, usually bringing their own tea bags with them, and both pay for the hot water and one pays for milk.

Both have a special diet and always say "can I pay for a cup / pot of hot water (and milk) please" as that way they make it clear they don't expect it for free.

One of them now doesn't always even use it to make tea, she drinks the hot water on it's own.

It’s absurd expecting that for free - and no, buying a cake as a way of making a gesture towards paying isn’t sufficient. It’s a separate action - buying and eating cake - nothing to do with whether there is a drink purchased or not. The cost of the tea itself in a pot of tea ( pot ! Not even a cup !) is a minor factor in the pricing of the beverage in a coffee shop.

I didn't realise there was a law that said that if you order something to eat you must also order something to drink (or vice versa)

Sorry, when does an opinion become law?

Buying a biscuit, but expecting them to provide hot water and a cup is just very bad manners. I was bought up not to take the piss.

And for the poster who asks her friends to ask for a glass of tap water for her, you would be asking for it yourself! I am also teetotal but actual contribute to the bar running costs by buying a mineral water. tell friends you will buy your own drinks as you’re not drinking. Tightwads are embarrassing.

I order and pay for tea but I ask the host venue not to put a tea bag in. I like what I like - but I fully expect to contribute to the supply and running costs of a business. I just do not want to drink tea I don’t like the flavour of.

I do this all the time as I can't have caffeine (have some weird allergic reaction to it) and even though places do decaf coffee, sometimes it's not decaffeinated enough (same with the tea)

I always volunteer to pay for a tea though (or something with it).

This is just like somewhere charging corkage if you provide your own wine. In the case of the tea shop they still have to heat the water, provide a mug/cup and a seat at a table and clean up after the CF. Why shouldn't you charge?

TBH if 3 others with her all bought drinks I wouldn't think it a big deal to just give someone a cup of hot water. I would charge a bit for the milk though if they wanted that.

Same as I wouldn't charge for someone to have a glass of tap water. If they were alone and taking up a table during a busy period then thats a bit different but otherwise I couldn't get het up about it.

Fine if you expect to pay - CF if you expect it for free. (Perhaps the café might knock 5p off if you are providing your own teabag).

There was a CF at college with me who used to do this - no special diet - she just liked to get it for free but still get to go to the café rather than sit in the grotty college lunch room with a flask. I felt really embarrassed though when she tried it at a charity run shop where ordinary tea and coffee were less than £1 anyway and acted very shocked and annoyed when she was charged 50p for the hot water and cup.

I’m allergic to most tea. There’s one type I can manage. I don’t drink hot drinks when I’m out but if I did take my own tea bag due to this I’d happily pay full price for a cup of tea but ask them to use my teabag.

I had someone come in and ask for some in a takeaway cup. The first time it happened it threw me so I complied. Then it happened again and when I spoke with other members of staff, we realised she was coming in everyday, asking for hot water in my takeaway cups, plastic lids and then sugar and stirrers. Next time she came in I told her I’m going to start charging her £1.80 (the price of a tea) and she threw a fit, told me she’d never step foot in my cafe again and stormed out. I just shrugged, it wasn’t like I was losing actual custom was it.
On the other hand, I do have someone come in and sometimes if she doesn’t fancy her usual hot chocolate she’ll have just hot water but will buy a sandwich. I don’t charge her.

YANBU. They should still pay to cover the cost of the cup, the hot water, the staff time for cleaning etc. You could maybe knock off a token amount, but they should still pay something. They are a total CF to expect not to pay anything at all. Well done for saying that you wouldn't do it again.

Sale price of food and drink in cafe's has no relation to cost. We all know that the beans on toast that costs £2.99 would buy several tins of beans and loaves of bread, but we are choosing to eat out and paying for somebody else to do all of the cooking and cleaning.

I knew someone who did this. She always paid for a tea and requested no bag - some places did charge it, some didn't, some reduced the price, but up to the business as it still affects their electricity, washing up, staff time, space for paying customers etc.

In fact, I seem to recall a trip advisor ruckus over this exact type of thing - business owner had a beautiful response to such CF'ery

I have a cafe and this wouldn’t bother me. It’s not going to happen often and if she’s with other people they’re still buying stuff. I wouldn’t charge but only if it was occasionally- not every day.

all 3 of them can only drink special tea?

unlikely

Depends if it was a particular type, not sold by the cafe

I think some people must be completely clueless with regard to business rent and rates, insurance costs etc. It’s not just a pot of hot water.

I've got no problem with people asking for tap water or an extra pot of hot water for their tea, or someone asking for an extra bag ( not in the same order) but this just seemed really cheeky.
I must admit I was dying to know what this magical tea was and did actually give the teabag a good sniff once they had left but I couldn't tell.

Haha 😂 sort of thing my MIL gets upto!

She tried this once and was very annoyed when she was charged for a regular tea, I wasn’t with her thank goodness.

This is after reminding of me the time I bought one of those ice creams , swirls is it? That cost me 3 pound for my dd, she was 4 at the time and it was huge, my son was 1 so I asked the man if I could get a little kids cup and spoon and had my hand out with a pound coin in it to pay whatever it would be for the empty cup etc, he turned around and said I'd have to pay 3 pound same I would if I was buying another ice cream. Miserable git, I only wanted to spoon a bit into a little tub for the child. Needless to say I told him where to go, he closed down a few months later.

I drink red bush tea, they never have it in cafes so I order a herbal tea that I don’t really want but it’s the only option for me when I go out as I don’t drink ‘normal’ tea or coffee. I’d love to bring my own tea bag as I’m always gasping for my tea but I’m worried I’ll look like a CF (despite being happy to pay for the water and milk etc) so I never have. I certinaly wouldn’t expect to have the water and milk for free.

YANBU.

That's appalling behaviour!

They absolutely should have paid. Who do they think is paying for the building, the light the heat?

What if everyone did this?!

I go a pub quiz and it makes my blood boil when I regularly see the same people turn up at the last minute (to avoid paying the £1 entry fee) and then drink tap water. Clueless and cf-ery. They are part of a singles group and I feel like telling them I know why they’re single.

Sometimes, when I just fancy plain hot water I ask for a tea but no tea bag in it. It throws the staff usually, but I explain I just want the cup and the hot water no tea bag, no milk no sugar but would like to pay for it.

You should have explained that lots comes out of the price like rent, rates, electricity bills, cleaning and wages then charged the cheeky fucker.

YANBU