Have you ever witnessed this while eating out.

[MichelleVW]

But when you order, do you take the ONE lemon most places put in the glass and be happy or do you ask for several more to be brought out.

I will ask for 2 lemon slices...one just isn't enough.

 

[IUTBAM]

We eat out on average once or twice a week, and we always order water with lemon. We aren't soda drinkers, and we have iced tea all the time at home. Sometimes the servers bring plates of lemon, and sometimes it's just a wedge or two in the glass. I drink water with lemon because I like it, and because it's refreshing. My husband will sometimes add sweetener packets to make lemonade, but I personally think its gross. But I'm not going to judge him or anyone else for what they do, as it doesn't affect me and they aren't hurting anyone or breaking any laws. And I guess I could also add that restaurants that charge $3 for a soft drink or iced tea or lemonage beverage that costs them probably 10 cents are ripping people off...I bet more folks would order beverages if the drink prices were reasonable.

 

[sbell111]

I can't figure out why anyone actually would care if some other person puts lemon and sweetner in their drink when the restaurant provides it for this purpose.

Further, I can't see what the big deal is if someone orders water and then adds flavoring (tea, crystal light, whatever) that they brought with them. If a restaurant owner/manager has a problem with this practice, they can easily put an end to it. I suspect that they really couldn't be bothered, however.

 

[barkley]

just be thankful the guy you were with did'nt decide to make up a batch of "poor man's tomato soup".

my father never had to resort to it but said it was fairly common during the depression-you ordered a cup of tea, and asked that the teabag be put "on the side". then when your pot of hot water arrived you used the hot water and the catsup, salt and pepper on the table to make yourself cup after cup of soup (and you held on to the teabag to use at a future time when you could'nt afford to order tea but you could ask for a cup of hot water).

 

[Arielle22]

I can't figure out why anyone actually would care if some other person puts lemon and sweetner in their drink when the restaurant provides it for this purpose.

Further, I can't see what the big deal is if someone orders water and then adds flavoring (tea, crystal light, whatever) that they brought with them. If a restaurant owner/manager has a problem with this practice, they can easily put an end to it. I suspect that they really couldn't be bothered, however.

For some posters, it was a dining companion who did this and it seems they wre embarassed to be dining with someone who would do that.

 

[tlbwriter]

I think waitstaff often consider it cheap because the customer is getting the same amount of work from them (if not more, because they have to clean up the extra lemon and sweetener packets) but not paying for the drink so they do not tip on it.

 

[MIGrandma]

As a former waitress it never bothered me if someone asked for hot water and then used their own tea bag if it was a flavor/brand that we did not carry. Now if we had the same one, yes that is cheap. But if they had a preference and wanted to bring their own, what difference should it make to me?

People order plain water (or with lemon) all the time to drink in a restaurant, most people don't think that is cheap. It's what the customer wants.

I would rather have the customer come in, order food, bring their own teabag or Crystal Light or whatever to put in their water, than not come in at all. I'm still (99% of the time) going to make a tip off them, and usually a pretty good one. Drinking water or putting in their own additives usually didn't make much, if any, difference.

I would rather have a happy customer who tips, instead of an unhappy customer who doesn't.

 

[JoiseyMom]

My Sil does this, but asks for LOTS of lemon slices.

 

[kamik86]

For those that think we are using packets of sugar and multiple lemons... I only use what they bring when I ask for "water with lemon" most of the time it is one wedge and then I use about half a packet of sugar.

A few places I"m a regular at that bring this stuff before we even order it give me 2 wedges.

 

[jen0610]

For those that think we are using packets of sugar and multiple lemons... I only use what they bring when I ask for "water with lemon" most of the time it is one wedge and then I use about half a packet of sugar.

A few places I"m a regular at that bring this stuff before we even order it give me 2 wedges.

The way you drink your water, I wouldn't have an issue with.

But the co-work that I mentioned. She would put 5-6 lemon wedges in her water. Squeezing them to get all the juice out of them that she could. She would then add 3-4 packets of sugar. She would get her "water" refilled 3 or 4 times during the meal. Each time, she would add the lemons and the sugar. She was making lemon-ade instead of purchasing a drink. This is wrong. If she was just doing like you 1-2 wedges and 1/2 a pack of sugar, not an issue. But she was just being cheap.

And yes, I know she was being cheap, because in the six years of working with her, the only times she didn't do this at a restraunt, was when the company picked up the tab. Then she ordered lemon-ade off the menu. But each and every time a group would go out to lunch, she would do her water mixture.

 

[happygirl]

As a server you can tell the difference someone who just wants a glass of water which is fine however,we can also tell the cheapskates who don't want to pay for a drink and try to make there own lemonade

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

As a server you can tell the difference someone who just wants a glass of water which is fine however,we can also tell the cheapskates who don't want to pay for a drink and try to make there own lemonade

THAT!

It's one thing to request 1-2 slices (or wedges) with your water, but to ask for the equivilent of a whole lemon is just not right! That would be like taking your own beer or liquor into a bar, or taking fast food into a table service restaurant. You are intentionally doing something that is keeping the said business from making money.

Some places see things like that and have the beverage or food removed from the table. Some kick people out. It all depends on the establishment.

 

[sbell111]

THAT!

It's one thing to request 1-2 slices (or wedges) with your water, but to ask for the equivilent of a whole lemon is just not right! That would be like taking your own beer or liquor into a bar, or taking fast food into a table service restaurant. You are intentionally doing something that is keeping the said business from making money.

Some places see things like that and have the beverage or food removed from the table. Some kick people out. It all depends on the establishment.

... and some don't care. If the restaurant doesn't care, why should I?

 

[DawnM]

We often ask for more lemon slices BECAUSE when they come to refill the water in the cup there isn't another lemon wedge.

DH uses at least 2 lemon wedges per cup of water and does not add sugar to it.

We usually eat out for dinner and can't handle caffeine at that hour. I don't drink anything with sugar....so that really limits what I can order.

Dawn

 

[Angelhalo]

I do this all the time, have never been embarrassed by it, and have friends and relatives who do it too. I hate plain water, but can't have caffeine or sugar.

Never in a billion years would I imagine someone would be embarrassed by me doing it. If they're embarrassed by me then honestly they can pound sand. I have no time for someone so petty.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

This happens quite a lot at my restaurant and for the most part, it doesn't bother me. People often ask for extra lemons with water, and each time I refill the water, I bring more lemons so it's not much more work really to bring more sugar as well. I thought it was odd to begin with because I had never seen it before, but I'm used to it now. Same thing with the hot water and brining your own tea bag - not a big deal to me.

The only thing that bothers me is when people bring things like instant coffee and ask for hot water - especially when it's the brand of coffee we serve! It seems like a lot of effort to carry around a jar of coffee when we have it right here.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

... and some don't care. If the restaurant doesn't care, why should I?

I never worked somewhere that didn't. Most chains post signs indicating no outside food or drink allowed inside. I've never known a manager to turn the other way. That's wasted space for paying customers.

 

[okeydokey]

I do this all the time, have never been embarrassed by it, and have friends and relatives who do it too. I hate plain water, but can't have caffeine or sugar.

Never in a billion years would I imagine someone would be embarrassed by me doing it. If they're embarrassed by me then honestly they can pound sand. I have no time for someone so petty.

And if you leave a sufficient tip for the wait staff for all the work you cause them, they probably wouldn't care.

 

[punkin]

This happens quite a lot at my restaurant and for the most part, it doesn't bother me. People often ask for extra lemons with water, and each time I refill the water, I bring more lemons so it's not much more work really to bring more sugar as well. I thought it was odd to begin with because I had never seen it before, but I'm used to it now. Same thing with the hot water and brining your own tea bag - not a big deal to me.

The only thing that bothers me is when people bring things like instant coffee and ask for hot water - especially when it's the brand of coffee we serve! It seems like a lot of effort to carry around a jar of coffee when we have it right here.

DH's Grandmother used to bring her own teabags to every restaurant. It wasn't because she was cheap (though she was) but because she only drank one brand and no one had it. She particularly hated Lipton for some reason and that seems to be the prevalent brand around here. I was always embarrassed but the wait staff seemed to take it in stride.

 

[pixiewings71]

I get a water with lemon all the time. I don't ask for a lot of lemon, I'm good with the one I get with the water, I then squeeze the lemon into my water. I don't add sugar, that's just gross but I love a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon. And you know what, when I get the lemon without having to ask more then once I add a couple bucks to the tab for my non charged drink. So it would be in any servers best interest to bring me the lemon the first time I ask for it.