Paying the bill is, naturally, the most unpleasant part of going out to dinner, but it’s even worse if you feel taken advantage of by other people in your group. And one man took matters into his own hands while his two friends often chose the most expensive items on their list.
As one expert said Newsweek the man made a mistake by “walking away at all”, netizens supported him for the reaction he himself described as “small”.
The man, who did not give his name but said he was 27 and lives in Australia, shared his story on Reddit’s r/AITAH on July 27. He asked if he was wrong about that what he did after his three friends sent. he messages of anger.
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The man said he had a group of friends from college who used to meet for dinner, but two of the group, Susan and Greg, were total “leeches”. They would buy expensive things, complain about their bad money, and let the rest of the group, who ordered cheap food, pay the check equally.
Jo Hayes of EtiquetteExpert.org said Newsweek That split of the bills is a controversial issue for many people, especially when some eaters buy more expensive foods.
“It’s wrong to expect the group to split the bill evenly in this instance,” Hayes said.
The man thought so too: he put his foot down, and told his friend, Dan, that he would not go out to eat when Susan and Greg were there. Then he changed his mind, and ordered only beer instead, while the “leeches” spent $200 ($130) on food, and the others spent about $50 ( $32.50).
Two other friends saw what he had done and canceled their orders, also just drinking. When the bill came, he refused to pay six ways, instead he just paid for his beer, and the other two did the same.
So, it left Dan to split the “stormy” debt with the two who had spent more money than him, and he paid his way, “he said goodbye to everyone, and he went out. “
The next day, she woke up to angry messages from Greg and Susan for “not ordering any food and forcing them to pay more than they thought.”
“I actually laughed because the steaks alone were more than what they had paid for but everyone has their right?” he asked.
Expert Hayes called Susan and Greg, and anyone like them, “rude,” saying: “I’m fine with the OP. [original poster] for sticking to his guns, and standing by his conviction to pay for his simple meals alone.”
Dan, who had been trying to help the two friends with their financial problems, also sent her a message saying that she shouldn’t have come to the dinner at all, instead of “ pull that cover and make him stick with horrible debt.”
Hayes said: “If Dan wasn’t happy, maybe he should have done what the OP did, and worked hard to announce that he wasn’t happy about splitting the bill, when he ordered a much cheaper meal than others.”
However, doctor Alyse Freda-Colon of AFC Therapy in Huntington, New York, took a different approach. He said that, of course, no one should be expected to split a very different bill, but the group knows exactly what will happen.
“Why in the world would you go to dinner when you know very well that this divisive bill has always been an issue and will always be an issue?” he asked, adding: “You put yourself in that position and you know how it’s going to go down.”
“The mistake you made was ongoing,” Freda-Colon said.
And in my opinion, the people you call ‘leeches’ are not your friends, and you are not their friends. He said the best course of action is to “cut that tie and move on, even if it means you’ll have fewer friends.”
Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images
The artist admitted that he was immature, but said that he was “tired of being forced to play,” and asked netizens if he was wrong about what he did.
And Reddit users responded with No, instead applauding him for how he handled it, with one letter: “I don’t do separate bills, I believe you pay for that what you order. As someone who usually orders steak, don’t expect others who may have had cheap food to support my meal.”
Another wrote: “This is fun and clever, well overdue,” while a third wrote: “Dan insisted you come. He just wanted more head on help pay for Susan and Greg’s expensive meal, and you’re pissed you didn’t fall for it.”
And another suggested that it was a good lesson for Dan to learn, as he “should have spoken up and told the server that he would like a different check. It was and the experience of learning to speak for oneself.”
Newsweek Contact u/Additional-Wasabi357 on Reddit for comments. We have not been able to independently verify the details of this case.
Do you have the same financial problem? Let us know at life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story can be featured Newsweek.
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