Wait till you hear this!

[theoarn]

In reply to susieh
It is against the law in the US as well. Different codes will classify it differently but some area's call it theft by appropriation.

I once walked out of a resturant without paying.
About 6 or 7 years back I went to lunch with a group from church and 2 of the girls had to leave before the waiter had come by so they gave me 20 dollars and asked if I would take care of it for them.
I put the 20 dollars in my breast pocket and when the bills came I put the bill in my pocket intending to pay. By the time we left I had forgoten about their bill and paid mine and left.
The next week I put my Mickey shirt on (yes I reuse shirts if they are still clean) and felt something odd in my pocket......The bill and the 20 dollars.
Luckilly the servers name was on the bill so I went back to the resturant and that server was there that day so I was able to fund him and pay him.
There are some people in The world and even in America that have such tight finances that $20 could be enough to cause them to loose their car or their place to stay or maybe some other great suffering. It could be devestating for them.
And yes it is stealing to walk out on you tab.

 

[fishermouse]

Thanks for "doing the right thing", and hopefully it was a "pay it forward" type situation, and someone else will do something nice like that for you in the future.

I am apalled that the waitstaff would have to take care of the bill like that!!! That is just awful!

I never realized that the server had to foot the bill for walk outs, but I guess in a way it makes sense. The house has to protect against servers letting their friends eat without paying. Managers should know the trend in thier resturant and if it happens to the same server more frequently than others, I can understand making them pay. Seems the manager is allowed some discresion, since he was able to allow this one to go unpaid. Hopefully he was telling the truth and lets her off the hook. Makes you realize how important the tip you leave could be. Also the next time a server is eyeing us up when we're finished I'll know why, I always figured they just wanted the table, I'm one of those people that likes to sit a few minutes, nurse a cup of coffee and relax after eating.

 

[bobbiwoz]

7-8 years ago, we were at Cape May Cafe for dinner with my DM and DSis. DS was going to treat us because it was our anniversary. DH and I left, earlier than those two, and we just assumed all was fine. We were staying at CBR, DS and DM, at BW. When we checked out of CBR, we found the meal for Cape May Cafe on OUR bill. I had made the dinner arrangement and that's how Disney tracked us down. I forget the story of DSis credit card, but she obviously had thought she did pay the bill, and was embarassed that we got the charge. So, if that couple made an ADR or was staying on property, there's a chance the bill would be taken care of.

Bobbi