You’re out to dinner with friends and having a great time when the bill finally hits the table. Suddenly, things get a little tense—awkward glances, nervous laughs. Do you split the bill evenly, even if everyone ordered differently, or does each person pay for their own? It’s a question we’ve all had to deal with, but one Reddit user did something so unexpected that it shocked everyone at the table.
I(27M) have been a part of a small friend group, around 8 people total, basically since college.
For some background, 2 people from the group, Susan and Greg, are just absolute leeches. Going out for lunch? Expect them to order the most expensive on the menu, then feed you some sob story about their finances, and then dumb half the bill on you.
Last weekend, Dan, one of the people from the group, told me about a casual dinner. I told him how if Susan or Greg were there I wouldn’t be able to come. He tells me that they would be there but I should just put my opinions aside and come just once.
This is kind of where I might be a bad guy. I agreed with him and told him I would be there. I show up and we all get to talking.
Everyone began putting in their orders, most of them spent about $40. There were only about 6 people there. When it gets to Susan and Greg, they both order expensive dishes, around $200. When it was my turn to order, everyone looked at me, but I just pick up the menu and point to the $4 drink and sent the waiter away. Dan asked why I hadn’t ordered anything and all I said was that I lost my appetite. The other 2 friends got up as well to cancel their orders and just have drinks.
After the main courses came out, I saw Susan and Greg picking at their food. The waiter then brings over the check. Greg then grabs the waiter and asks him to split the check 6 ways. I stand up and correct him saying the check was to be split 3 ways. Greg looks at me confused and asks why since we “always” split the bill. I reminded him that the 3 of us had not eaten any food so we would just be paying for our drinks. So basically at the end of the night, Dan, who probably only ate around $50 worth of food, was stuck with a $146.98 check at the end. (Yes, I remember the exact number.) I swear I saw his jaw drop when he picked that receipt up.
I slid a $10 towards the check, said goodbye everyone, and walked out. The next morning, I found my phone full of texts from Greg and Susan telling me I was a bad guy for not ordering any food and forcing them to pay more than they had accounted for. I honestly laughed because the steaks alone were more than what they had paid but to each their own right?
I also got a lot of messages from Dan saying that I could have just not came instead of pulling that stunt and getting him stuck with an outrageous bill.