Eating Dinner Out with Friends

For some reason I remembered the tipping thread not to long ago and I wanted to see how TNL weighed in on this subject.

I think if there is one golden rule when you go out to dinner with friends it's that when the check comes you split it evenly. i.e. If the check is $150 including tip and there are 5 of you, you would each pay $30.

I have had nothing but fucktard friends over the years and each and every time we go out to eat, it is a good 15 minute ordeal with some shit cellphone calculator to try and figure out what each person owes.

The other thing that happens on rarer occasions is one jackhole wants to pick the whole check for everyone and refuses anything else but that.

Personally it doesn't bother me if someone orders a more expensive meal than me or decides they want a nice glass of wine.

Maybe this is a little mini rant but I am hoping that there are more like minded people out there about this subject.

Also I have never posted a poll before, so lets see what happens.

One person should always pick up the check if you eat anywhere above Chipotle level restaurants.

If only I could negative rep.

I'm serious. Why ass up and have 4 people dividing a check? Somebody should get the check one week, his buddy the next, and so on until the cycle is completed.

I prefer split checks. Otherwise I always end up overpaying.

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Originally Posted by Josh

I prefer split checks. Otherwise I always end up overpaying.

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Agreed. Pay for what you get.

I think the problem is that a lot of my friends are poor students. I need to make some adult friends.

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Originally Posted by nameless_one

I think the problem is that a lot of my friends are poor students. I need to make some adult friends.

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Well I didn't know you were in college. Then you split the check and pay for what you ordered. It's the only way to save yourself from getting fucked. However once you have a good job, you should pay for everyone at least once every 4 meals.

I guess it depends, what usually happens is we all just get seperate bills and pay for what we ordered, but the other night I went out to eat Sushi and we all swaped and shared, so we split the bill evenly.

There's always people who are tight wads, and people who don't mind splurging, so I just say just pay for what you ate. I don't want anyone else paying for what I order.

For example: TNL Los Angeles.

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Originally Posted by Biff

Well I didn't know you were in college. Then you split the check and pay for what you ordered. It's the only way to save yourself from getting fucked. However once you have a good job, you should pay for everyone at least once every 4 meals.

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I am not in college but I have many friends that still are.

I had this one friend who would always "forget" her wallet or "Shit, my boyfriend took the money out without telling me" so I always ended up picking up the tab. At first I didn't mind at all, what are friends for. Then it got old. It got to the point where she wouldn't even make up excuses, she just would sit there and wait for me to grad the check. Finally I had to be the bitch and tell her to cut the crap.

When a group of us go out (unless it's someone's birthday or a celebration) we all pay for our own meal. We don't calculate to the penny, but we figure out roughly what each person will pay. Going out for drinks is totally different. We just go in turn buying rounds for the whole group.

TNL has tightwads?

My girlfriend and I don't drink, so it's never in our best interest to split bills evenly when everyone has 2-3 expensive drinks almost doubling their portion of the bill. Although, in theory, a rotation is the classiest solution.

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Originally Posted by Samba De Amiga

I had this one friend who would always "forget" her wallet or "Shit, my boyfriend took the money out without telling me" so I always ended up picking up the tab. At first I didn't mind at all, what are friends for. Then it got old. It got to the point where she wouldn't even make up excuses, she just would sit there and wait for me to grad the check. Finally I had to be the bitch and tell her to cut the crap.

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wtf is wrong with women? I've never seen a guy do this.

I generally go with everybody pays for their own. But me and my homie Ed alternate tabs. We used to eat at Katina's Kitchen 3-4 times a week and one time he forgot to get money beforehand.

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Originally Posted by buttcheeks

wtf is wrong with women? I've never seen a guy do this.

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I don't think it's necessarily a women thing. I have seen it happen on both sides of the fence.

People are just assholes.

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Originally Posted by buttcheeks

wtf is wrong with women? I've never seen a guy do this.

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What? Dudes do it ALL the time. Uh, Hey bro, can you spot me until payday?

It's never been a problem getting the checks split among each person. Thats what I prefer.

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Originally Posted by Josh

I prefer split checks. Otherwise I always end up overpaying.

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I agree with this. It ALWAYS happens to me.

If I ever bump up to a higher tax bracket, the "pay rotation" method is the way to go.

Not especially likely for a while. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Josh

For example: TNL Los Angeles.

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where TNL overpaid by my $3

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

If I ever bump up to a higher tax bracket, the "pay rotation" method is the way to go.

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Especially if you can work it out that you pay on Applebees night and your buddy gets stuck on bar night.

All the more reason to split even each and every time.

Applebee's?

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Originally Posted by PaCrappa

Applebee's?

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When you come from Ohio, your choices are limited to applebees and 60 other chain restaurants.

I generally pay for everyone, unless I was with the exact same group and picked up the tab last time or I honestly cannot afford it. People you don't know that well sometimes throw twenty bucks or more at you if you pay for their meals, so you do recoup some of it, but it is never expected and totally beside the point. Generally, you will get it back in some tangible form later, but the main idea is that you are generating positive feelings in a sometimes depressing world and you are sharing some of the blessings you have.

I failed to bring cash to the Saturday dinner at TNL Los Angeles, so that was kind of awkward. I almost decided to just pay for the whole thing, but that would be going way over what I had budgeted. Opaque/Rhydant and Josh/Rebecca overpaid, I think, so I gave Rhydant $20 and spared Josh's life in return.

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Originally Posted by PaCrappa

Applebee's?

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Guaranteed food poisoning imo.

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Originally Posted by B-Ri

where TNL overpaid by my $3

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I dropped $100 that night because you fags can't handle addition. Just saying.

I recall a higher-than-normal average of Bennigan's in Ohio.

also on a bit of a tangent here, but when i went out to Seattle to visit a friend everybody would order dishes and then all communally eat from them like we were in another country. we all ordered seperate dishes and there's me eating mine and everybody else put theirs in the middle of the table and started sharing. it was kind of weird. then the check would come and we'd split it four ways. sorry, when we go to a fish place (i dont eat fish) and everybody gets expensive shit and i get a cheaper non-fish plate, i don't want to evenly split the tab.

Lots of tightwads in this group, lots. Except Josh and Nick apparently. I personally get negative feelings when the cheapo on the left insists that he only owes 20 dollars for his meal and that the appetizer was shared so he is only paying 2 dollars for that. Gives you a "I suck dick" aura.

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Originally Posted by Biff

Lots of tightwads in this group, lots. Except Josh and Nick apparently.

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did you miss the part where Josh was bitching about over paying?

Oh yeah, the "even split at the sushi resturant" rule applies. Everybody orders different stuff and a couple bottles of sake, community fun.

I don't mind picking up the bill every once in a while, but when it's expected, that's when it's wrong.

If Josh hadn't goddamn disappeared without a word after dinner, I would have thrown much cash at him.

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Originally Posted by Nick

If Josh hadn't goddamn disappeared without a word after dinner, I would have thrown much cash at him.

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like you do with your whoares? could he have done a line of coke from your dinker first?

I agree with Biff on this one. If you go out with a regular group, just have one person pick it up and someone else get the check next time. Fuck splittin hairs over a few bucks. Although when it's someone else's turn to pay, I'll get something cheaper and not bogart my drinks just out of courtesy.

Come to think of it, my whores disappear after dinner a lot, too. The last one jumped out of a second-floor window while wearing heels.

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

Oh yeah, the "even split at the sushi resturant" rule applies. Everybody orders different stuff and a couple bottles of sake, community fun.

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Another slight tangent here but what you wrote reminded of this:

I took some friends out to get sushi and when our orders arrived they proceeded to take all of the sushi they ordered onto their own plate and not have any of the other sushi or share.

For meals get your damn check (at least now, I'm poor and have no job). I do however buy people lots of drinks, especially when I am drunk (one of the reason I am taking a long break from drinking out). I had to force my friends to let me buy a few rounds on my birthday (21) and on the night I got jacked up, I spent over $100 on drinks for friends/girls/people I have no idea.

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Originally Posted by Josh

I dropped $100 that night because you fags can't handle addition. Just saying.

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our addition was fine, people just kept tossing money though so we couldnt prosecute whoever wasnt tipping as much as they should. Kthx <3

I have so many cheap friends that the whole alternating tabs thing wouldn't work. I remember going out to eat for my brithday with one of my friends, and I ended up paying.

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Originally Posted by Jed

I agree with Biff on this one. If you go out with a regular group, just have one person pick it up and someone else get the check next time. Fuck splittin hairs over a few bucks. Although when it's someone else's turn to pay, I'll get something cheaper and not bogart my drinks just out of courtesy.

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a regualr group, sure. that was not stipulated in the OP. i mean, everybody i eat with is a friend, but not always the same group.

$100= 1 year of being reminded of said incident at any times josh chooses.

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Originally Posted by Nick

Come to think of it, my whores disappear after dinner a lot, too. The last one jumped out of a second-floor window while wearing heels.

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Josh, do you wear heels? we may be onto something.

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Originally Posted by nameless_one

Another slight tangent here but what you wrote reminded of this:

I took some friends out to get sushi and when our orders arrived they proceeded to take all of the sushi they ordered onto their own plate and not have any of the other sushi or share.

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I hate eating sushi with ppl I don't really know very well. I never know how they want to handle it. Even if my friend/friends use their own sushi menu to order it, we always offer and make it known that we can share.

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Originally Posted by Rated E

I have so many cheap friends that the whole alternating tabs thing wouldn't work. I remember going out to eat for my brithday with one of my friends, and I ended up paying.

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That's total bullshit. Did you punch her in the face?

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Originally Posted by nameless_one

Another slight tangent here but what you wrote reminded of this:

I took some friends out to get sushi and when our orders arrived they proceeded to take all of the sushi they ordered onto their own plate and not have any of the other sushi or share.

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WTF? That is not the way to operate.

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Originally Posted by Samba De Amiga

That's total bullshit. Did you punch her in the face?

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i would lol even more if it was a guy taking her out on a "date" for her birthday. THAT would be fucked up.

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

Oh yeah, the "even split at the sushi resturant" rule applies. Everybody orders different stuff and a couple bottles of sake, community fun.

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Do you think any of my friends wants to cover any part of the $50-80 worth of sushi I will pound any time I go to any reputable place?

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Originally Posted by Rated E

I remember going out to eat for my brithday with one of my friends, and I ended up paying.

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That's fucking cold. You should've just told a random older man you were eighteen/nineteen/whatever that day and gotten the meal for free.

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Originally Posted by PaCrappa

Do you think any of my friends wants to cover any part of the $50-80 worth of sushi I will pound any time I go to any reputable place?

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I would without a doubt, as long as you were ready to cover my 50 dollars worth of beer on football sunday.

UFC saturday night, sure. Football Sunday, no thanks.

I just divide the check evenly. Sure, it is not perfect (especially for me since I don't drink), but it is easier than asking for separate checks or adding up your own meal + tax + tip, which some people will fuck it up inevitably (and always pay less).

I just order an extra appetitizer or something to even things out.

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Originally Posted by Samba De Amiga

That's total bullshit. Did you punch her in the face?

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Nah, she's actually one of my really good friends. She's just way frickin cheap, and stingy.

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That's fucking cold. You should've just told a random older man you were eighteen/nineteen/whatever that day and gotten the meal for free.

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Yeah, if only you had been there!

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Originally Posted by PaCrappa

Do you think any of my friends wants to cover any part of the $50-80 worth of sushi I will pound any time I go to any reputable place?

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That's when it turns into an arms race to order the most expensive rolls. That can get nasty in a hurry. :lol:

"It's deep fried manatee roll with little four leaf clovers for 'ears', plus a baby alligator's head".

If the dinner engagement was my idea, I pay.

If it was somebody else's idea I order the cheapest thing possible and no alcoholic beverages and then I only pay for what I ordered and 25% tip on that.

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Originally Posted by Biff

I'm serious. Why ass up and have 4 people dividing a check? Somebody should get the check one week, his buddy the next, and so on until the cycle is completed.

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because sometimes you don't dine with the same people every week.

meals and soft drinks get split evenly. have some couth and skip on the surf & turf. alcohol should be split out to its own tab or drinkers should just pony up more per.

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Originally Posted by Biff

Lots of tightwads in this group, lots. Except Josh and Nick apparently. I personally get negative feelings when the cheapo on the left insists that he only owes 20 dollars for his meal and that the appetizer was shared so he is only paying 2 dollars for that. Gives you a "I suck dick" aura.

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yes, and these fuckers always give some "double the tax" tip or less and i always get stuck putting in more to cover for their cheapness.

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Originally Posted by Dyne

Josh, do you wear heels? we may be onto something.

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I'm comfortable with my height.

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Originally Posted by nameless_one

I took some friends out to get sushi and when our orders arrived they proceeded to take all of the sushi they ordered onto their own plate and not have any of the other sushi or share.

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I don't do this, but I don't feel like there is anything wrong with it. 99% of the time if I order something its because I want it, not because I want to give it to you and then take a piece of some shit you ordered that I didn't order because I didn't want it.

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Originally Posted by Josh

I'm comfortable with my height.



I don't do this, but I don't feel like there is anything wrong with it. 99% of the time if I order something its because I want it, not because I want to give it to you and then take a piece of some shit you ordered that I didn't order because I didn't want it.

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You order stuff because you want it? Noob.

I've been eating sushi for 22 years now. I know what I like, I rarely want to try something else and I don't get rolls very often unless they sound really interesting or I'm doing the vegetable thing.

unless you there is some preunderstood expectation that "we're all getting all this stuff for the table" what you order is yours and yours alone

Summary:

Group of friends - alternate who pays, with one person picking up the entire tab.

Group of strangers - pay for you what you ordered.

Simple.

Unless your friends are tightwads.

Great timing for this topic. The past couple of weeks some guys I know and I started going out to eat together once every week. The first few times, I'd take a look at the bill roughly adding my shit together, add in a few bucks tax, and then add in 25% for tip. The first time, I threw in $10 for the tip. After everyone else threw in, there was only $8 over the total of the bill (in other words, only $8 for a tip). I pitched a fit and everyone swore they threw in what they should have, and no one would pony up any more. I threw in another $10 cause I frequented the place and didn't want to seem like a total douche.
Next week, different place and though there was more tip money thrown in, it still was no where near what it should have been.

So now I just refuse to go anywhere I normally go, and try to hand my part of the tip directly to the waitress.

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Originally Posted by Type Ryan

Group of strangers - pay for you what you ordered.

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this fails because some of the strangers always lie/fudge/miscalculate and leave the check holder short.

more effective: "everyone give me $x unless you honestly want to declare 'attention! i'm cheap!'"

honestly, if someone is so concerned about overpaying a bit, he should skip the gathering and hit the dollar menu alone instead.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

honestly, if someone is so concerned about overpaying a bit, he should skip the gathering and hit the dollar menu alone instead.

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Well said. Too bad we always have some cheap ass friends who don't have any other friends and insist on this shit. I don't let them do it.

I was thinking about it, and I think it's been at least 6 months since I've gone to a place with friends where I pay at the end. Classiness +10

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

Well said. Too bad we always have some cheap ass friends who don't have any other friends and insist on this shit. I don't let them do it.

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I plan to order a 200 dollars worth of Japanese beef and sake and then stiff you by running out after the meal. Just saying....

Typically we split the check based on what you ordered for yourself, then you toss in a couple for tip. Easy to do with 2 or 3 people. I hate going out with a large group of people because it's like pulling teeth to get people to pay their share, whether you just split is 10 ways or whatever. You always come up $100 short and 4 people end up paying way too much just so we can leave while the cheapskates walked out 5 minutes ago. Much easier to break it up into tables instead of one massive bill.

Protip: with a group of 8 or more, somebody is going to try to cheap out of shit, every time. Watch for the single dorky guy all the way at the end of the table.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

this fails because some of the strangers always lie/fudge/miscalculate and leave the check holder short.

more effective: "everyone give me $X unless you honestly want to declare "attention! i'm cheap!"

honestly, if someone is so concerned about overpaying a bit, he should skip the gathering and hit the dollar menu alone instead.

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LOL. That's why I always look at the receipt and make sure I put in what I owe.

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Originally Posted by Biff

I plan to order a 200 dollars worth of Japanese beef and sake and then stiff you by running out after the meal. Just saying....

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You can try. I am outta there before you even get your beefu.

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

You can try. I am outta there before you even get your beefu.

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I'm 1/2 Jewish, you better recognize byotch.


See what I'll do is tell them you are taking me to dinner but you are very cheap and dirty (asian, natch) and that your company is doing very poorly. Then when you try to sneak out they will apprehend you and I'll probably get a kiss from the hostess.

It really depends on the crowd. I don't think its an issue for ppl to ask for seperate checks to pay for their portion because modern technology makes it easy to do so. HOWEVER if you plan on paying in 8 different methods and making your server break 5 $20 bills and force them to spend all their time cashing out YOUR bill while ignoring their other customers, you best tip accordingly.

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Originally Posted by Josh

I've been eating sushi for 22 years now. I know what I like, I rarely want to try something else and I don't get rolls very often unless they sound really interesting or I'm doing the vegetable thing.

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I was more referring to you ordering what you want in general, not just sushi. Noob.

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Originally Posted by Biff

I'm 1/2 Jewish, you better recognize byotch.


See what I'll do is tell them you are taking me to dinner but you are very cheap and dirty (asian, natch) and that your company is doing very poorly. Then when you try to sneak out they will apprehend you and I'll probably get a kiss from the hostess.

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You miscalculated, since I am Asian, I can pretend to be a waiter. I will pee in your soup and wipe my ass with your beef before they serve it to you.

Damnit, you asians have all the angles covered.

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

Typically we split the check based on what you ordered for yourself, then you toss in a couple for tip.

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I think this is the best overall solution. If you had a $12.95 entree, put in about sixteen bucks. For $8.95, put in eleven. In a larger group, you might end up going well over a 20% tip, but if you were in a larger group, you were probably obnoxious anyway, so it'll help make that up to the server.

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Originally Posted by Rated E

Yeah, if only you had been there!

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You know it, baby!

We are leaving out a very important thing here so far.

If you're going out to eat with a group of friends BRING SOME FUCKING CASH. It's fucking embarassing handing the waiter the bill back with 4 credit cards tucked in there.

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Originally Posted by stormy

We are leaving out a very important thing here so far.

If you're going out to eat with a group of friends BRING SOME FUCKING CASH. It's fucking embarassing handing the waiter the bill back with 4 credit cards tucked in there.

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No doubt dude, I bet a waiter has a shit fit when she goes to collect everybodies split fucking checks and then has to ring in 11 $12 sales.

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Originally Posted by stormy

It's fucking embarassing handing the waiter the bill back with 4 credit cards tucked in there.

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Embarrassing? Fuck that. I have plastic and he brings me food for a living.

If you need to whip out the AMEX for a 12 dollar bill you're doing it wrong.

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Originally Posted by stormy

We are leaving out a very important thing here so far.

If you're going out to eat with a group of friends BRING SOME FUCKING CASH. It's fucking embarassing handing the waiter the bill back with 4 credit cards tucked in there.

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When me and my co-workers go out to lunch (i.e., Chinese restaurant) we give our 3 credit cards and ask that the bill be divided 3 ways. Simple enough.

But yes, especially when with a group of stangers - BRING SOME FUCKING CASH.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

Embarrassing? Fuck that. I have plastic and he brings me food for a living.

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it's not about that. how about being conscientious about your fellow patrons? they would like some attention from your server too, but they have to run 4 credit cards for your table that neglected to visit the atm.

No to mention she has to then ring in all the tips at some point as well.

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Originally Posted by Hubbitron

it's not about that. how about being conscientious about your fellow patrons? they would like some attention from your server too, but they have to run 4 credit cards for your table that neglected to visit the atm.

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Sounds like the manager should have more or better servers. I tip well enough that I can pay for it any damn way I like.

It is not a solution if people order a bunch of appetizers and everyone eats it. Cheap asses will always dodge out of paying for those, not to mention not adding the correct amount for drinks, account for tax/tip.

People carry cash?

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Originally Posted by burgundy

I tip well enough that I can pay for it any damn way I like.

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Originally Posted by Hubbitron

HOWEVER if you plan on paying in 8 different methods and making your server break 5 $20 bills and force them to spend all their time cashing out YOUR bill while ignoring their other customers, you best tip accordingly.

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circular speak

Not even, really. It's a server's job to have change available. I do not need to carry a purse full of exact change to make his or her life a little smoother.

Also, most places allow the server to add a mandatory tip to a check for large groups.

Burg, this is not an argument about servers being prepared. If they have change readily available, a table can STILL be a pain in the ass by making them break several large bills. I know because I've spent almost all my life in this business. I'm just putting these things out there because most patrons don't know that when they do the seperate payment game, it WILL take time for the server to cash out all the checks. You could have a 2 table section and one of your 2 tables can make your life hell enough to screw your tip for both tables. I'm very involved on the floor with my staff and I see everything that goes on from start to finish with my customers. I believe that the customer is always right and I will cater to their every need. I'm just trying to spread some awareness so next time you go out, you might think for a second that maybe if you make the simplest adjustment to how you conduct yourself in these establishments, things might be better for you and everyone around you. That's all. This is the toughest business I've ever worked in because everyone that eats is an expert on it.

That's a fierce block of text.

True stuff, though.

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Originally Posted by Hubbitron

Burg, this is not an argument about servers being prepared. If they have change readily available, a table can STILL be a pain in the ass by making them break several large bills. I know because I've spent almost all my life in this business. I'm just putting these things out there because most patrons don't know that when they do the seperate payment game, it WILL take time for the server to cash out all the checks. You could have a 2 table section and one of your 2 tables can make your life hell enough to screw your tip for both tables. I'm very involved on the floor with my staff and I see everything that goes on from start to finish with my customers. I believe that the customer is always right and I will cater to their every need. I'm just trying to spread some awareness so next time you go out, you might think for a second that maybe if you make the simplest adjustment to how you conduct yourself in these establishments, things might be better for you and everyone around you. That's all. This is the toughest business I've ever worked in because everyone that eats is an expert on it.

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All true, but THIS IS YOUR JOB so DEAL WITH IT.

I mean, it would be easier if I cooked the food and carried it out to my table, right?

I dunno, I almost always get drinks when I go out to eat so I like to get my check separate. I feel bad for people who don't drink overpaying for my stuff. It hadn't mattered much recently because my last boyfriend never had money so I always had to pay for dinner. It was actually kinda akward because the waiters would always give the check straight to him and he would have to sheepishly hand it to me. The best I could hope for was that he had enough money to cover his own meal, so that I only had to pay for mine.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

I mean, it would be easier if I cooked the food and carried it out to my table, right?

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Now yore being ridiculous.

Like I said before, just trying to spread some awareness. Sorry if it offends you.

If I am in a large group I usually pay and tip separately from the group. If its drinks, I hope everyone pays individually.

And when I am with friends, since all of us don't make a ton of money ... each person pays individually. And we combine the tips.

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Originally Posted by Hubbitron

Now yore being ridiculous.

Like I said before, just trying to spread some awareness. Sorry if it offends you.

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Of course it's dickish for six people to whip out hundies, but if you think your clientele should worry about what sort of denominations of cash they are carrying, you're missing the whole point of a "service establishment."

I don't Burg. I just hope people respect other people's work as much as they do their own. In the industry there are customers that treat you as a "servant" and not a server. That's the point I'm trying to make. Still, I would not dream of having policies that limited the way a customer wanted to enjoy their experience. I can understand if there are cards coming cause I have taken this shit way off topic.