Page 8 | To think you don’t get out of paying the bill because you don’t drink?

ThatHardyWaspAgain · 2025-04-09T18:58:43+00:00

I’m sure this has been done many times before by people in similar scenarios. I went out for a bit of lunch with two friend’s and one of them brought another friend along that I’ve never met but was nice enough. However, when it came to the bill, she said ‘’Can we please calculate it all with the alcohol you’ve had separately paid for? Because I only had classical cokes’’ So, we did as she asked. Added up everything but removed the drinks. So 3 of us paid for our drinks in a split, and then did another split for the rest with her and her food ^and^ classical colas. The annoying bit is, she had 3 of them. And they weren’t really much different in price to most of our alcohol. We all had the same roast and mango cheesecake. I wouldn’t mind but she kept insisting we all had a dessert so she didn’t feel alone in having one. We’re adults after all but it is a bit annoying Separate thread to come to see if I would be U to tell my friend not to bring her along again She also didn’t tip.

Pinkissmart · 09/04/2025 21:20

MidnightPatrol · 09/04/2025 20:00

What’s a classical cola?

Hits all the right notes

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 21:21

If there’s not much difference in price with the cola and the alcoholic drinks then it seems a bit petty to not just split the bill 3 ways. But where I live alcohol is considerably more expensive than soft drinks and i wouldn’t want to sub someone else’s alcohol bill if I wasn’t drinking or not drinking as much.
Also if I don’t want dessert I couldn’t be persuaded to have one to keep someone else company. Super annoying when people ask that. Similarly if I want dessert & no one else does then as long as I’m not delaying anyone I’d eat dessert alone 😄.
as for tipping , if it’s evening / unsociable hours I think it’s nice to tip.
my issue is that people who work in retail are often on minimum wage & don’t get tipped … also this isn’t the USA where restaurant staff are paid so low vs uk?

Somersetlady · 09/04/2025 21:21

You say you are adults. Yet you were forced into purchasing a desert you didn’t want. That does not sound very adult.

OurChristmasMiracle · 09/04/2025 21:22

She should have paid for her drinks, each of you pay for yours (or split the alcohol bill equally between the 3 of you) and then split the food 4 ways if you all had the same

Gowlett · 09/04/2025 21:22

The drinks should have been split into her Coke / your drinks.
And the food bill split four ways. Her Cokes ended up on that bill.

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:22

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 21:21

If there’s not much difference in price with the cola and the alcoholic drinks then it seems a bit petty to not just split the bill 3 ways. But where I live alcohol is considerably more expensive than soft drinks and i wouldn’t want to sub someone else’s alcohol bill if I wasn’t drinking or not drinking as much.
Also if I don’t want dessert I couldn’t be persuaded to have one to keep someone else company. Super annoying when people ask that. Similarly if I want dessert & no one else does then as long as I’m not delaying anyone I’d eat dessert alone 😄.
as for tipping , if it’s evening / unsociable hours I think it’s nice to tip.
my issue is that people who work in retail are often on minimum wage & don’t get tipped … also this isn’t the USA where restaurant staff are paid so low vs uk?

But would you ask for alcohol to be paid separately but everyone to split the cost of your coke, which is what the OP is annoyed about?

incandescentglow · 09/04/2025 21:23

classical cola had proper tickled me

Cherrytree86 · 09/04/2025 21:23

HelloVeraPlant · 09/04/2025 21:10

Yabu because alcohol is more expensive. 1 alcoholic drink = 3 cokes. She probably didn’t realise that the cokes added up but maybe she had been in situations where she’s split the bill and took on the cost of alcohol.

@HelloVeraPlant

you are wrong.

Aworldofwonder · 09/04/2025 21:25

She sounds like a knob, I wouldn't be keen on seeing her again.

BetterWithPockets · 09/04/2025 21:25

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 09/04/2025 20:02

YANBU.

Either you split the bill equally or everyone pays for what they had.

You don't say, "You can pay for your own drinks and also pay for most of mine."

This!

fromthegecko · 09/04/2025 21:27

Who are the 45% who think it was okay for CF to demand a 75% subsidy of her drinks bill?

Mumtobabyhavoc · 09/04/2025 21:27

Cherrytree86 · 09/04/2025 20:46

She had three cokes?! That’s a load of calories

Not to derail...😂

MumWifeOther · 09/04/2025 21:28

I don’t drink and no I won’t pay for others to drink either.

Justlovedogs · 09/04/2025 21:29

MolkosTeenageAngst · 09/04/2025 20:08

You should have taken all drinks off the split bill and only split the food and then all paid for your own drinks separately, you’re right that her drinks shouldn’t have been included in the split bill of your drinks were taken off.

This

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 21:30

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:22

But would you ask for alcohol to be paid separately but everyone to split the cost of your coke, which is what the OP is annoyed about?

Show quote history

I’d have pointed out that Colas were similar price and asked her to pay for her own colas !

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:31

MumWifeOther · 09/04/2025 21:28

I don’t drink and no I won’t pay for others to drink either.

Jesus, nobody suggests anyone should. But would you ask them to pay for their drinks and also for a share of your soft drinks?

LarkspurLane · 09/04/2025 21:31

HelloVeraPlant · 09/04/2025 21:10

Yabu because alcohol is more expensive. 1 alcoholic drink = 3 cokes. She probably didn’t realise that the cokes added up but maybe she had been in situations where she’s split the bill and took on the cost of alcohol.

It's interesting that people who don't realise stuff always seem to get a better deal than everyone else.
If I was out for lunch I likely would only have one glass of wine - which would be considerably less than 3 cokes.

It's a live and learn situation, OP.

Original poster

ThatHardyWaspAgain · 09/04/2025 21:31

LarkspurLane · 09/04/2025 21:31

It's interesting that people who don't realise stuff always seem to get a better deal than everyone else.
If I was out for lunch I likely would only have one glass of wine - which would be considerably less than 3 cokes.

It's a live and learn situation, OP.

Show quote history

Very true

OP posts:

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:32

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 21:30

I’d have pointed out that Colas were similar price and asked her to pay for her own colas !

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Yes, and the OP thinks that's what she should have done, had she thought about it at the time. The question is, is she being unreasonable to think that? And she isn't.

Sofiewoo · 09/04/2025 21:33

Sunbeam01 · 09/04/2025 21:12

A lot of places say they cannot accommodate that or waiting staff look nervous (students etc) or waiting staff accommodate but then triple check everything so it all comes out together which is cumbersome and can be awkward.

The food still arrives at different times.

The bill arrives with questions and more triple checking.

There should be a very simple system whereby the kitchen receives it all as one order and you can just pay for your own meal and drinks at the end. No fuss.

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I’ve literally never eaten anywhere and not been able to just put different amounts on different cards and I’m talking about being at literally thousands of restaurants, cafes, bars over the years.

Coconutter24 · 09/04/2025 21:33

ThatHardyWaspAgain · 09/04/2025 20:04

But it’s okay for us to pay for her drinks when it was about £2 difference in total?

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Why did no one say we’ll just take all drinks off the bill in that case because they came to nearly as much as the alcohol?

Meadowflower2023 · 09/04/2025 21:33

My DH is asleep at the side of me and I’m sat here trying my best to keep the giggles at bay every time I come across the words ‘classical cola’.

OP you’ll know for next time, if there is one. Not an expensive lesson learnt so there’s no need to dwell on it.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 09/04/2025 21:34

My head is hurting at how you worked this out.

why did you not just pay for what you ordered?

she sounds like a knob for calling them “classical cokes” irrespective of anything else tbh

JorgyPorgy · 09/04/2025 21:34

AthWat · 09/04/2025 21:32

Yes, and the OP thinks that's what she should have done, had she thought about it at the time. The question is, is she being unreasonable to think that? And she isn't.

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I already voted YANBU, and it’s implicit in my comment that is what I think…are you feeling ok Athwat?

Soontobe60 · 09/04/2025 21:35

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 20:01

YABU. I don’t drink and I won’t facilitate other people drinking either.

I don’t split the bill - I will pay for what I’ve eaten and drank.

Oh and no, I don’t tip either. You aren’t helping when you tip, you know. You aren’t being kind or a good citizen.

You’re part of the problem and you’re keeping wages low by tipping because employers have no incentive to up wages when mugs like you will flash the cash to make yourselves feel good.

So you don’t drink anything when you eat out?