Not paying for a meal after you eat half of it
By bdugas
@bdugas (3578)
United States
April 5, 2008 6:01am CST
My daughter has a friend that we have went out to eat with several times. Each time as soon as she gets most of the food on her plate eaten, she start to complain and gets loud saying the food is not good, not cooked right, has a bad taste. She will complain till they tell her that she don't have to pay for her meal. So she eats free. In the 4 times that we have gone out with her I have not seen her pay for one meal yet. i don't go out with my daughter anymore if I know she is going. I am sorry but if the meal was good enough to eat 3/4's of it then why complain now. I think they just give her the meal free to shut her up so others won't hear her complaints. i would offer maybe to give her another meal, which she isn't going to take, but I be damn if you eat 3/4's of it I'm going to give you your meal free. It only takes a few bites for me to tell if something wrong with the food not till most of it is gone. What do yo think, should they just let her slide on the bill?
5 people like this
16 responses
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I would suggest that your daughter not go to dinner with her any more. If it was me, I'd tell the girl she was embarrassing and until she could have a little respect, she'd have to dine alone. Also, the restaurants will catch on and they all talk to each other. They'll tell the other place to watch out for her and she might soon start getting refused service. If your daughter is seen with her a lot, they might think she's in on it also and refuse her service.
I worked in the restaurant business for many years and I tell ya, those people sick out and eventually they'll get their payback. Some people in food-service are kinda spiteful and it would be a shame if your daughter had something wrong with her food because of her "friend".
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
6 Apr 08
It's horrible that people can use others that way. I think maybe she needs some "help" herself for her illness. I believe that your daughter may in a way be letting her friend think it's ok to act that way because she keeps going around her when she's doing it. There's a reason her other friends have left her.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
My daughter is the peace keeper, she tries to tell her that it is wrong, and once in awhile she will say something when she is yelling about the food. My daughter has been friends with her for quit a while and she does have some other nice points. I do think this is a game for her to see if she can get away with it.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I think my daughter feels sorry for her, she has no friends or she ran them all off, she has a sick little girl and has to spend a lot of time with her. MY daughter when ask how is her food, she tell them fine, and it is because they go to good resturants, so there is nothng wrong witht he food and she pays for hers, she gets up I know and leaves the table now, as soon as she starts complaining. Lasttime I was out with them she said oh look how bad they cooked this food and I knew it was about to happen. I don't think my daughter has been out with her lately, but it is not only the food she is ripping them off, she is going to a church where she has manipulated them into buying her a car, and a group made a down payment on a house for her. And the sad part is she works several jobs and has almost a $5000. a month income. I believe it is just to see if she can get away with it.
1 person likes this
@celticflower29 (82)
• United States
6 Apr 08
That is pretty amazing. I do not know, how people can behave like that. Yep, that is definitely someone I would not want to go out to eat with.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
Right but this is not just the resturants that she is ripping off she has joined a church that she has conned into buying her a van and a group that feels sorry for her because she has a retarded daughter and they made a down payment on her a house. She has a good job and she can afford to pay, like I said earlier I think it is like a game to her.
@celticflower29 (82)
• United States
7 Apr 08
I think that all you can hope is, that she will realize that how she is living her life is wrong. It is kind of like a house of cards, eventually they all are going to fall on her.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Apr 08
you can't pull that here in montreal, they tell you straight if the meal was no good you should have told us after the first couple of bites. Some places will even take a taste of the food.
And if the person gets loud they call the police.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I believe after you have eaten more than a couple bites you pay for the meal unless in the middle of it you find something that should no be in there. Most places here if you are loud will just let you have the meal and get it over with instead of having a big show in front of other people eating,
@p3halliwel2005 (3156)
• Philippines
6 Apr 08
That is not nice at all at 1st taste you can taste the food if it's yucky...why eat loads of it before you complain..She should be told to pay for it and if she nags about it If I was the owner of the place I would tell her that " You don't like the taste of our food yet you ate almost all of it and complain later.I can see some of the people eating the same food as you yet they don't complain so I suggest you pay for the meal you ate. Just to let you know complain when you take a taste of it first and don't eat loads of it before you complain." hehe..I guess that would give her an open mouth.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
She orders several things on the menu and when she is full she then starts to complain. When they ask me how mine is I say very good, I am wondering if they wonder how both eating the same and probably made in same bowl how can one be so bad they just let her go rather than have her make anymore of a scene. Yes it only takes me about 2 bites to know if it bad or not
@queenofarms (1659)
• United States
5 Apr 08
I wouldn't give her a free mea. I'm with you if it was good enough to eat 3/4 then she should have to pay for it. I see the issue on a talk show where this couple would go to restuarants and do the exact same thing. They would get of paying for meals then ask for a doggy bag. They eventually was barred from going into reatuarants.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
There are so many resturants that she could go to a different one each night for a long time. The last time she called my daughter told her she way busy. My daughter is very concerned about what people think of her when she is out, always dressed nice and groomed to the max and when this person does this it does seem to make my daughter look bad although when ask how her food is and it the same thing she say it was great and pays her bill.
@queenofarms (1659)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I bet it is very embarrassing for you daughter. Her friend is not a friend to do this while she is out with her. She's not a friend I'd want to hamg with.
@cinderella2007 (2662)
•
5 Apr 08
Sounds to me that she is after a free meal, I think the restaurant staff do this to keep her quiet so other peopel dont hear her complaints.
Does she do this in the same restaurants or are they different ones everytime?? If they are the same, would you really go and eat in tehe restaurant if the food was bad last time??
Have a word with your daughter and see what she thinks about her friend doing this!
I agree with you on this, if you manage to eat 3/4 of the meal then why complain. After the first few bites, you complain!!
@cinderella2007 (2662)
•
6 Apr 08
Atleast your daughter knows that it is wrong and Im glad that she doesnt approve as then atleast you know she wont be doing the same thing!!
It sounds like your daughter's friend knows she's doing wrong but trying to succend in getting a free meal!
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
6 Apr 08
woww... that will be very embarassing... i think what she is doing is cheating... she is trying to get a free meal especially of she does it everytime... i wouldn't want to ever go to a restaurant with her ever again as it is just too embarassing... and you are right... it doesn't take me long before i know whether the meal tastes good or not... it doesn't have to be until i finish 3/4 of the food... she should be banned from restaurants... and your daughter should be very careful when making friend with her...
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
i think my daughter only goes with her to this one resturant with her now where she does pay for her food, the food is great and there is nothing to complain about. I was so embrassed the second time we went out with her she was loud and wanted people around us to know there was a problem with her food, that way the resturant wasn't going to fight her and have everyone watching. Ijust got up paid my bill and went out side to smoke let them handle her.
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
5 Apr 08
wow....thats not fair! Maybe its her strategy so that she will be saved from the bills..I am wondering, is there anybody who tries to correct that behaviour? like hey, if you didnt like it why you were able to eat more than half of it?lol...lets know how she will react on this? or whats her reason beyond for always doing and acting like that!
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I believe it is like a game to her, to see if she can get by with it. She has the money to pay, maybe like those stars you see who is shoplifting when they are more than capable of paying. But yes after half the meal gone you should be made to pay for it or at least half.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
5 Apr 08
some of the restaurants i worked for would most likely give her one freebee regardless,then tell her not to come back.
they shouldn't let that slide,but like you said they don't want a scene in the place.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
Yes whe she starts to complain she does it loud enough so that everyone setting close can hear her and the resturant doesn't want anymore of a scene and I guess it looks good on the resturant to the other people that if something is wrong then they made it good. Think I would in the same loud manner pick up her plate and say will if it was so bad why did you eat most of it. Might make her stop.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
5 Apr 08
That is really deplorable behavior, and no, I really don't think she should be allowed to slide. Restaurants should be able to black-list people who do that, just as they should do with people who buy clothes, wear them and bring them back for a refund when intented to do that all along. I am surprised that your daughter keeps this person as a friend.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I read that buying clothes and wearing them and then taking them back was a big thing. I usually spill something on whatever I'm wearing making it not able to take back even if there is something wrong with it. Think a lot of the upper class do this to wear fancy expensive clothes to big events then return them the next day. Or at least that is what I read.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
5 Apr 08
Some people do this a lot, they seem to think that it is fun and then of course to stop them making a scene they get the meal for free. I think that it is really wrong and I would be really embarrassed if I was out with that girl. I certainly would do the same as you and not go with them if I knew she was going. I do not think they should let her get a free meal, if they wanted to keep her quiet, a few free drinks or a discount maybe but not a whole free meal. If she gets a reputation for doing it and word gets out she will end up being banned from places!
@vulgarlittleprincess (919)
• Canada
5 Apr 08
it takes me about three bites before I know if I like something or not. Occasionally I will try to eat it anyway but usually this is not the case. Especially at a restauraunt. I wouldn't give the girl a free meal I would offer her to have the same meal replaced. Also, if it were my friend I would never go out to eat with her because it would be humiliating to have to go through that everytime I'm at a restauraunt.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
5 Apr 08
I think she's out for a free lunch.
If you witness it happening again, I'd go tell the manager after the fact. They can refuse to serve her in the future.
What she's doing is thievery, plain and simple. The rest of you pick up the tab in higher prices.
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I don't blame you for not wanting to go out to eat with her. I wouldn't either. not only is this embarrassing; it is just plain wrong.
One day it is going to catch up with her and she isn't going to like it.
@gerald_lian (2188)
• Australia
5 Apr 08
I guess this is just a tactic of your daughter's friend to avoid paying for any meals. I don't believe that the food in every restaurant your daughter and her friend goes to tastes bad. I think you should advise your daughter about this friend of hers and what the friend is doing to her. Manipulating others for monetary reasons is never good. You can advise your daughter to maintain the relationship with that friend but try not to go out for any meals again with that friend if the friend continues complaining about food and expecting someone else to pay for it.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Apr 08
Oh she not only pulls this on the resturants but she joined a church that she has scammed into buying her a car and another group that has made a downpayment on a house for her. My daughter is to the point she said she was trying to find out the church's name so she could let someone know she has about a $5000. a month income all tax free as she does not report it. And she is drawing food stamps and SSI check for her daughter to top it off. I would call and let them know if I could get her last name, especially the church, and the IRS needs to know too. These people make me so mad they seem to get away with everything. I know another girl that will rip you off in a heart beat and then take that money and go put it in a poker machine and win win win. Seems one like tht just keep getting more and more.
