Never a dine-and-ditch that a restaurant took it on the chin for, but a couple of years ago I caught up with some old students of mine in for a visit and totally absentmindedly and unintentionally stuck them with the tab for a few pints. I didn't get drunk or anything, but i was running late to meet the family somewhere and it completely slipped my mind to leave any money for the drinks I'd had on their tab. I didn't even think about it until the next day when I was at the hardware store and looked into my wallet to find the $20 bill that shouldn't have been there because I intended to pay my bill with it.

 

When I was 12 we dine n' ditched Happiness chinese food. I remember I felt so bad because that was like my favorite place to go eat with my friends with it being close to our house and now I couldnt go back there. You have very limited options when your 12, that was just f***ing stupid because we could have got money from our parents.

was at the Portage Denny's once at around midnight, we got our beverages, waited around like 45 minutes for the waiter to return, never put in an order for the meal, walked away without paying for the drinks. Closest I've come.

I'm calling the cops on everyone in this thread.

Did you leave a nice tip?

 

He did. It was keep an eye on drunk Blackhawk fans

He did. It was keep an eye on drunk Blackhawk fans

That and $20.

The waitstaff are actually responsible for the bills at most places, so you most likely were taking money out of their pockets instead of the restaurant.

 

I wasn't aware of that. Makes no sense at all.

I wasn't aware of that. Makes no sense at all.

Yes it does, they're non-union.

I wasn't aware of that. Makes no sense at all.

 

Oh yeah, my wife has come home crying a few times when this stuff happened to her. Basically as you are ordering food and drinks the waitresses are "paying" for the food and drinks in the computer. When you pay your bill, you are paying what they have fronted for you. When you dine and dash, that food comes out of their tips when they cash out at the end of the night and the drawers are counted out.

Yeah, it has happened to my friends gf more than once, extremely s***ty thing to do. The only time Id even think about doing it if the waiter/waitress was a complete b****. Even than, id probably pay the bill and just not leave a tip.

Oh yeah, my wife has come home crying a few times when this stuff happened to her. Basically as you are ordering food and drinks the waitresses are "paying" for the food and drinks in the computer. When you pay your bill, you are paying what they have fronted for you. When you dine and dash, that food comes out of their tips when they cash out at the end of the night and the drawers are counted out.

Yup. And that error in your order or it taking a long time may have zero to do with the waitstaff and yet dumbass asshole people still dine and ditch and steal money out of people's pockets.

Nope, I've worked enough s***ty jobs to not do it.

 

Amen!

Yes it does, they're non-union.

What does being non-union have to do with it? Most industries don't require the sales/customer service reps to pay unpaid bills.

Edited April 22, 200916 yr by JorgeFabregas

What does being non-union have to do with it? Most industries don't require the sales/customer service reps to pay unpaid bills.

 

I think they do it to protect the establishments from having their waitstaff hooking their friends up with free food and then claiming it was a "dine and dash".

 

It sort of also puts more responsibility on the waitstaff in making sure all tabs are paid.

 

But I still think it's wrong.

 

Also, I would never dine and dash, but not leaving a tip is something I would consider if the waitress/waiter was awful and rude.

Steve, I respect you correcting your error. Here's a beer! (figuratively)

 

-bmags

The wrong has been righted.

 

No wonder we thought it a passable idea at the time, seeing as we each drank the equivolent of 12 beers in the span of the Blackhawks game.

 

I'll never do that again.

 

Wait, you went back and paid the tab????

Couldn't they have had you arrested? I know I would have.

Wait, you went back and paid the tab????

Couldn't they have had you arrested? I know I would have.

 

Why would you call the cops on someone who came back to do the right thing? Id only call the cops if I saw someone dine and dash and than saw them eating at the restaurant again on a later date.

Why would you call the cops on someone who came back to do the right thing? Id only call the cops if I saw someone dine and dash and than saw them eating at the restaurant again on a later date.

 

Prolly because its still wrong regardless..

 

What I am interested in is how Steve remembered how much it was. Unless they took the ticket with them. Or asked them if they remembered the Dine and Dash night and they said "yeah asshole, you owe us $54"

 

 

Prolly because its still wrong regardless..

 

What I am interested in is how Steve remembered how much it was. Unless they took the ticket with them. Or asked them if they remembered the Dine and Dash night and they said "yeah asshole, you owe us $54"

 

If your going to have the people who come back arrested, whats the incentive for anyone to actually come back?

If your going to have the people who come back arrested, whats the incentive for anyone to actually come back?

 

Haven't you ever watched a movie? You never return to the scene of the crime.

Prolly because its still wrong regardless..

 

What I am interested in is how Steve remembered how much it was. Unless they took the ticket with them. Or asked them if they remembered the Dine and Dash night and they said "yeah asshole, you owe us $54"

 

Restaurants keep receipts.

Haven't you ever watched a movie? You never return to the scene of the crime.

 

Steve proved that wrong

Prolly because its still wrong regardless..

 

What I am interested in is how Steve remembered how much it was. Unless they took the ticket with them. Or asked them if they remembered the Dine and Dash night and they said "yeah asshole, you owe us $54"

Well, I just went up to the guy and said "my buddy told me he paid the tab last night, we were wasted, and this morning he said he didn't... was there an open tab?"

 

I don't know if they believed it or whatever, but by paying hte tab they didn't seem to care one way or the other.

 

Yeah, they keep receipts... the tab was $75. I paid it, added $20, all is well.

Well, I just went up to the guy and said "my buddy told me he paid the tab last night, we were wasted, and this morning he said he didn't... was there an open tab?"

 

I don't know if they believed it or whatever, but by paying hte tab they didn't seem to care one way or the other.

 

Yeah, they keep receipts... the tab was $75. I paid it, added $20, all is well.

 

The "we were wasted" story is perfect. They really would not call the cops, they would have to explain why they "over served" their customer.

Well, I just went up to the guy and said "my buddy told me he paid the tab last night, we were wasted, and this morning he said he didn't... was there an open tab?"

 

I don't know if they believed it or whatever, but by paying hte tab they didn't seem to care one way or the other.

 

Yeah, they keep receipts... the tab was $75. I paid it, added $20, all is well.

Honestly, good for you. The service industry is a very thankless industry for the most part, and people ditch out on tabs even with good service and quality of food. In this economy, many of those servers may have taken that job to supplement their families income, and some folks need to remember that that 20 dollar tab you skipped out on and thought it was hilarious could have been needed for some diapers for the children of a very hard working mother or father.