Bill splitter karma

[Payforyourowndinner]

I wanted to share this as often read stories on here of people getting stung by people insisting on splitting the bill when they’ve gone all out on cocktails and steak.

I went out with work tonight, and don’t go often. I was driving so no drink but did have a starter, main, and dessert.

There is a person who works for the company but not on my team who often hears about meals out and adds himself on. No one ever stops him. He does get on with some of the men on my team so all good, but he does go for the steak, wine, sides etc and insists on splitting and folks are too scared to challenge him for some reason. Now as he’s not on my team he’s not on my team WhatsApp group so I put it out there on the chat I wouldn’t be splitting, just paying for my own. A few added that they’d much prefer to do that (and a few of the newer staff are on a lower wage). No one updated the other man (why would they?) so out we went, all ordered. Some preferred one course with water, others the same as me. Some shared wine. He ordered- (I made a note as it was crazy)
bread and oil
A starter
bottle of Rioja
main (steak and chicken)
two sides
dessert
2 pints.
Now, I’m all for going for it, fill your boots, but pay for it.
The bill came, he said “usual is it?”, I said what do you mean, he said well spilt like always. I took so much delight in telling him that we had all decided to pay for our own, times are hard and we have junior members etc. Oh the face, the face!! He said he would never have ordered what he did if he knew we weren’t splitting and I took great delight in saying “you wouldn’t have ordered what you did if you knew you’d have to pay for it all yourself? Didn’t you see some had one meal and a glass of water?”
As we paid the bill I also made sure that they took our payments before his so he couldn’t wangle. He was so red, he paid and left without saying a word.

I can’t believe the cheek of some people.
hope it will make him think twice. I understand friends splitting bills but why would he assume colleagues from other teams would want to pay for his dinner.

I wanted to share the little win. When I was a junior I wouldn’t have stood up to him either, but menopause does things to a woman.

I think OP decided to go in today to see how it all went and to see the team.

I know I would have done. I frequently change office days at short notice.

Love that!

Just a thought. You might want to ask for this to be taken down before the tabloids use it as a "story".

It the kind of story they like.

@Noca im very lucky I can come in when I want. I have my own desk so no hot desking. I had a crap sleep as well (probably too much food) so decided to come in. I booked tomorrow off though, last minute.
I definitely won’t be in on Friday!

Still no response, so I consider the matter closed. If he does reply I don’t think it warrants a response.

We’ve had a chuckle all day, and a few went down to work canteen for lunch and laughed about him.

I answered up thread, but rereading what was ordered, I am amazed he could actually finish it all.
He had Steak AND chicken?
A bottle of Rioja? Is that wine, a whole bottle all to himself, plus 2 pints?
I have found before there being problems if one orders wine, and then shares it.
I only now ever order a glass, to avoid this bill splitting.

I expect they do eat normally at home but even one course when eating out is a strain on some people’s budget.

I can pick and choose when to WFH and go into the office. If I have a lot of Teams meetings, I tend to WFH. If I want to sit at a desk with a headset on and have calls all day, I can.

Me too. I often decide in the morning based on how early I have woken up.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
that is class, I was literally howling 😂 I’d actually say something similar <in my head>, however I would definitely call him out on his freeloading tightwaddom in some form 💐

Fight him in the car park OP. Loser buys dinner.

@UncleHerbie it was a fabulous response, but even at my level of not giving a fuck, I think it may have got me in some trouble.

It’s done now, and he knows not to do it again. (With my team at least)

Loved your whole thread, thanks O.P. Cant believe your update!! Sounds like he was stewing over it all night!!!
Weirdly I tried searching for a C.F karma thread the other day but couldn't find one. We need more of these uplifting stories!!

Yep but people need to say no to this dickhead, being invited the more the merrier attitude to inviting someone like this has been subsiding him for multiple trips until yesterday.

@PersephonePomegranate23 it's a work meal. Plenty of people won't want to be there but feel obliged. If I go out for dinner with my friends or my partner it's because I want to go out, at a place I actually look forward to and will likely have more than one thing and water.

But for a work social where I have to pay myself? That's not a treat, that's an enforced social and plenty of people won't want to waste calories and money on a three course meal they didn't want in the first place. They are there out of obligation, especially if cash strapped.

Ugh - thank you.

It had me puzzled, too. I thought it might be regional dialect.

(Yet when you explained it was bliddy obvious - don't know where my brain had gone, but I'm pleased it wasn't alone there! 😅)

Hopefully he will say in writing "I can't believe I was left to pay an £83 bill for my own food".

I suspect he'll keep quiet now. But, he clearly has a friend somewhere on @Payforyourowndinner team so I hope that person realise TW is a CF.

Brilliant, had a terrible sleep and it’s perked me up.

personally I think bill splitting should only be a thing if everyone has had a very similar meal and it’s only a few pounds in it and it saves you working it out.
The moment someone orders more stuff or some people drink and some don’t, separate bills.

Did it not occur to the idiots that if you had been flush that month, and ordered steak and wine, they would have had to pay the same anyway because the bill would have been £X more?

Entitled twats.

Maybe put a bit of practice into having a surprised sympathy face for when he tells you he's developed gout, because that's a LOT of rich food and alcohol for one meal. (You'll have to practise because I can guarantee you will be neither surprised nor sympathetic, I wouldn't be.)

He's probably working from home as he's hungover to fuck after a whole bottle of rioja and two beers.

I bet he's having a nap right now.

I do this quite often. If I don't want alcohol, then frequently the only thing available for me to drink nowadays IS water.

@murasaki probably. He did drink it all.
My female best friend can drink like him though, so to me it’s not a lot. When we go out she polished off half a bottle waiting for her meal, and then the rest and then a cocktail or 4 after. She doesn’t eat that much though, not even a full course.

Amazing!! Well done you (and team)

Good that you've called him out but is there a way you could get HR or the directorate (if you have one) to politely put a message re if you go out for team meals then you pay for what you order (can even blame it on CoL) because otherwise him and people like him will think it's ok.

It's great he was called out, and in clear sight, as it were, because it proves you weren't targeting him or victimising him, he's a work meal splitter CF'er and he knows it!

Perhaps the CF is finally realising that he's been thoroughly caught out and is raging about it at home ... hence the failure to respond thus far again.

Brilliant job calling him out, OP. Just brilliant.