Man Refuses To Pay An $825 Restaurant Bill For ‘Strangers’ Despite Being Told He Should ‘Be A Gentleman’
He pointed out that it wasn't discussed prior to the dinner that he would have to pay for the entire bill.
Dejan Dundjerski | Shutterstock A man opened up about feeling blindsided after going out to dinner with one of his friends, only to face expectations that he should cover the entirety of the bill.
Posting to Reddit, he recalled that he didn't appreciate how he was expected to just pay for the entire dinner bill.
He refused to pay an $825 restaurant bill for 'strangers' despite being told he should 'be a gentleman.'
In his since-deleted Reddit post, he explained that he was seeking advice after having dinner with a group while on vacation in his country of birth. After reaching out to an old friend to meet up, the friend "asked me whether he could bring 3 women and a man he is cool with, which I agreed to," he recalled. "I also suggested we go to the place I rented after dinner. I suggested the restaurant and everyone was fine with the location."
Everyone got there, and it started off fine. He noticed people were ordering cocktails, appetizers, and main courses but didn't think much of it, probably assuming that people would pay for their respective meals. However, once the dinner was over and the bill came, the issues began.
Their total was €700, or $760, and he told his friend that they could all split the bill evenly, which his friend was fine with. But the other guy that his friend brought along piped up that he didn't have enough money right now to cover his cost and could only spend €25 ($27), despite ordering closer to €100 ($108) worth of food.
The other two women sitting at the table had been quiet up until this moment, but one of them interjected that he should just cover the bill since he was a "gentleman" and "doing better" in life, referring to his financial status.
fizkes | Shutterstock
"I asked her why she'd assumed that and she said, 'That's what it seems on [Instagram].' Mind you, all I have on my [Instagram] are [pictures] of business-related stuff and holidays. No fast cars or any of that," he continued.
This is a prime example of why it's so important to discuss expectations with friends ahead of time.
While these things tend to happen, you should know before going out to eat with friends if you have enough money to spend on the meal. If you don't, then it's your responsibility to make sure you either stay within your budget or politely tell your friends that you can't afford to eat out right now and maybe suggest doing something else with them instead.
To just assume that because he's, one, a man, and two, supposedly makes a lot of money at his job based on his social media, he should be responsible for paying such an expensive restaurant bill is a bit absurd. He didn't show up to the dinner thinking he'd be paying for everyone, he just assumed he'd pay for his own meal and everyone would pay for theirs.
If that had been discussed beforehand then it would've been a different story. There's absolutely nothing wrong with talking about finances in friend groups because it helps clear up confusion and allows for compromises to be made if certain people can't afford one thing compared to others. If the other people at this dinner really couldn't afford it, they should've been smarter about the meals they were ordering and mindful of the prices as well.
Dean Drobot | Shutterstock
"I got fed up and said that I was not even going to split it evenly anymore and just cover my spend," he added. "I felt a little bad as they were trying to figure out how to pay."
He pointed out that if they hadn't just assumed, maybe he would've thought more about covering the tab, but the fact that it came down to both his gender and how he presents himself on social media, he felt obligated to pay his own share and leave the restaurant.
In the end, no one should just be told to pay an entire bill like that, especially when it's people he doesn't know that well either — it's both presumptuous and brazen.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.