Be honest, who has ever done this?

[Moomin8]

I've seen this happen soooo many times. Just why do people think it's ok? To clarify, it does not happen with good friends usually. It's usually when there's a 'party' of some kind or meal made up of either work colleagues or mums from some kind of school or hobby group.

Everyone goes out, some people know each other better than others and earlier on in the evening a sizeable number of people slink off leaving others to foot the bill. Quite often it's those who can easily afford to pay!

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever done it? Because it seems to happen quite a lot ime!

Never happened to me. If people leave early they leave more than enough money to pay their share of the Bill. Seems as though you need to reassess who you go out for a meal with.

Never happened to me but it id fallen victim to it once I definitely wouldn't be stupid enough a second time

BIL used to try to avoid paying at pubs, hanging back instead of paying for a round. He thought it would go unnoticed but that's not the case. The only way round it is to pay for one's own meals and drinks at the point of ordering though it depends on the 'system' used at particular places. Some people will always take advantage.

MillicentMartha, I have frequently encountered the "must get back to work" people who leave six pounds and ninety-five pence to the penny to pay for their pizza, and carefully forget about their two cokes and the tip.

No I’ve never seen people actually slink off without paying

Ive seen people drink and eat lots of expensive stuff (50 quids worth) and then suggest splitting the bill with people who’ve had a cheap pasta and water coming to about £12. And people who drink loads of wine and split the bill amongst the non drinkers as well. But nobody actually walking out!!!

Yes I’ve been out when some of the group left eArly, but they estimated their part of the bill and we ended up £100 over.

We paid everyone back, honest.

Never happened to me. I suggest you find new friends!

I've never had people walk out before paying their share, but I did have one occasion where I went out for a meal with three of my friends.

I was very very short on money at that time - in trouble with it, if I'm honest. So I'd paid £4 to get a return train ticket, and had £10 left in my bank (with unpaid bills and credit cards that I was barely coping with). I told my friends this beforehand, and said I was sorry, but could I just pay for my food. So I ordered a cordial and a bowl of pasta which came to £6. The rest of them had 3 courses, bottles of wine, shots and all sorts. At the end of the meal, two of them worked out the bill together and told us what we all had to pay. My £6 turned into £40 which I just didn't have.

They said they would sub me for that night, but that I would have to pay them back. Pay them back for food that I hadn't touched?? I said no, and they haven't invited me out since. I guess they weren't really friends, then.

My financial situation is much better now thank goodness, so I am more than happy to go for bill-splitting meals, but back then I couldn't afford it, and would have thought that my friends would have been more understanding. I could have made excuses and just not gone, but instead I told them that I was struggling (which I found embarrassing), and said that I would be paying for just my food.. which I think is absolutely fair!!

Yes, it's happened to me a few times years ago. Not the sneaking off, but "oh, I'm so mortified, I forgot to bring my purse/wallet". Once when there was a group of us and one person had done this, she went off to her car to check if it was there and everyone decided to put a bit more in, but as they all sat there looking at each other, expecting it to magically appear, I quietly added her full amount. When she got back, she said, "oh, thanks everyone" and they all said "that's ok" as if they had all contributed! I was too shocked to say anything.

I've never known someone slink off without paying at all.

Known lots who leave early and leave "their share" on the table, but only paying the exact amount of their main course, forgetting drinks, tip, coffee, shared wine/garlic bread/olives etc (that they've eaten more than their fair share of) etc. Tbf these people tend to be underpaying "work out my share to the penny" types when they stay to the end too.

We always slink out and settle the bill before the others know as some of our friends earn less than us/students etc. If we go out with people that earn relatively the same amount we all split it evenly.

I haven't done it to a group, but I have left a pub without paying my tab more than once - left my card behind the bar with tab open and then when I left forgot it was unpaid and just left! Had to ring them/go back the next day

Seen it happen loads over the years. I'm usually a take it and accept paying a share is better than adding up individual bills as people get it wrong and leave the last person standing. It did it for me when I went on an evening out. There were 16 of us but on slightly separate tables..inches apart. There was a group who had three courses and were downing cocktails like they were going out of fashion whereas myself and a few others were having 1-2 courses and small numbers of soft drinks.

The cocktail drinkers ordered the bill as one bill. It was astronomical. Like I had a bowl of pasta fr £11 and two soft drinks totalling £5. The overall bill meant I would be paying circa £60. It was at this point I put my foot down and suggested we as a table pay our own bill. I asked and the table next to us did the same. Caused a real row as the cocktail drinkers said it wasn't fair....couldn't articulate why it wasn't fair when they were totally pissed on expensive cocktails and we were sober on a main course and soft drinks.

Since then, I have made sure we agree arrangements before hand and that doesn't include everyone adding up what they think they have had.

@SunshineAngel

They are twats and no loss.

People who insist on splitting the bill lack the manners and class they think they are displaying by being nonchalant about dropping a lot of money on food.

It is the HEIGHT of bad manners to cause a companion or guest discomfort, ESPECIALLY when that relates to their perceived breaches of social etiquette.

If anyone wants to pay for themselves the polite thing to do is to graciously accept and not make them feel bad about it.

Never happened to me. Also, I don't go for bill-splitting. Everybody pays their bill and that's that. I would be very cautious with what I order, thinking that someone will have to pay too much because of me. I wouldn't enjoy the meal at all. I might go for splitting a bottle of wine, but that would be it
I'm happy doing "rounds" in the pub, but even there, if it's a big group, we usually split in smaller 2-3 person groups because it's easier to keep track

I've never know this no but I do have a question. I go out with a group of friends sometimes who are really lovely but they all drink like fish and so the bill can be astronomical. I will have one drink at most so don't feel like I can say I didn't drink but I end up paying far more than my fair share, I just don't think it occurs to them, they are not being unfair - what do I say?

@Bottleof that you're a bit skint so you'll just get your own drinks

Thank you AmI Do I say it at the start though? Then there's all that horrible splitting of the bill at the end isn't there if I've had different as the food and drink will be together? I just wish I had the money to not care but sadly I don't

@Bottleof yeah tell them at the start and ask the waiter/waitress to split out your bill from the start then you'll just get a separate bill and don't need to worry about what they're paying

@Bottleof they know what they are doing.Just ask for your bill to be done separate.And just put your own amount in with a tip.

And @Moomin8 how come they can keep getting away with it.Just pay your own and give the restaurant the people who dont pay,their name.

No, I've not experienced this. If I leave earlier, I leave enough money to cover my share and tip, as a pp said. Once it turned out that we'd miscalculated and I hadn't left enough so someone from the group sent me an email the next day and asked if I could let him have another £5, so I did.

This happened years ago when I was a student and lots of us went out for a meal for a birthday dinner with our friend, her parents and some of her parents' friends.
Three of us arrived late so we missed the initial drinks order. So we ordered our own separately. Towards the end of the night the parents friends left without paying.
The parents were not happy about this.
When the bill arrived we three were given our separate drinks bill to pay, whilst the main bill with everyone else's drinks was split evenly. I think the parents part subsidised the couple who had left but not completely, as we (poor students) had to pay an enormous amount for just our food.
One of us was vegetarian and her meal should have been even cheaper.
I wished we had stood up and said we weren't paying more than we had consumed.
The parents and their friends were wealthy as well (private schools, nice holidays, good jobs etc).

I have had a few cases where people leave early and put down some money which covers their main course where they've partaken in the nuts / olives / mineral water / wine and the per head price is about double.

Or people who count your tip and pay less of the bill than they are meant to. Always the ones with lots of money!

Three of us from work once didn't pay for our breakfast at a hotel as assumed included.. The manager we were with paid as was not impressed!