Facing up - stole a meal

**Quid** · 12-23-2006, 13:18

I apologise now already as this thread will not ba as spectacular as the title might suggest.

The other day I went out to have lunch at my favourite restaurant. Now, this in itself is hardly something to start a thread about, bear with me, please.

Let me expand, I often go there to have a quiet coffee, espresso or a good, cool iced tea and to read one or two newspapers. The atmosphere is extremely relaxing and one is never disturbed by loud and obnoxious people that are so often found in such places.

I usually pay right when I receive my beverage so that I will not have to think about that before leaving. Now, since I had decided to take to me a pleasant meal that day, I was not able to pay outright.

To cut a long and boring story short, I left without paying, wishing everybody a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. I simply forgot. I will now go back there and apologise profusely, leave a big tip and make a quick exit.

That's extremely embarrassing to me as receiving a service without paying I find deeply immoral and simplay wrong (probably a reason why there is a law against theft).

I thought I would share this with you lot. No particular reason either.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone! - 'Leaves without paying'

Quid

**Beirut** · 12-23-2006, 13:26

A man's qualities can be judged by how he acts when no one is watching.

Some would not return to pay since the transgression, though a mistake, was not witnessed.

To return and pay is most Frontroomish.

**MSB** · 12-23-2006, 14:48

Don't worry, I do it all the time. I once left a posh restaurant without paying, I returned the next day to pay and they told me that they would have called the police if I did had not turned up within the day to pay the bill

**Quid** · 12-23-2006, 18:05

Well, I went there today, ordered my iced tea and wondered if they would say anything. When the waiter brought me my beverage, I told him about the most embarrassing episode of earlier this week. He turned round and came back saying that they had kept the receipt especially for me. How kind. So I ended up paying for the meal, after all, and installed a big tip for him also.

No harm done. He could have called the cops on me. He didn't and relied on my integrity instead. Cheers, mate. Will come back soon...

Quid

**Reenk Roink** · 12-23-2006, 21:34

An excellent story. Really shows the spirit of Christmas.

**Hepcat** · 12-24-2006, 02:54

Sounds like something I did when I was 7, oddly enough it was a little bit before Christmas and my mum had given me the wrapping paper to hold on to, then I got bored of waiting with my mum in the queue so I went outside to find my younger brother, then he asked me if mum had paid for that wrapping which was in my hand, being 7 I had this idea of all these people watching security cameras and phoning the police to arrest me, so I sprinted back into the store and got there just as my mum reached the counter.

**Grey_Fox** · 12-24-2006, 03:06

I've done the same thing a few times as well. Fear not, for you are not alone.

**Fragony** · 12-25-2006, 11:55

Did it once. Went eating with some friends in a classy place, we had something to celebrate, forgot what. We were treated like scum. As it turns out we are, we left after the second course. Wasn't that great anyway.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 12-25-2006, 20:33

Everyone makes mistakes. You totally forgot so it's not a big deal AT ALL. I personally think if you did it on purpose, but saw that it wasn't right and fixed it you should be forgiven anyway.

I'm sure this was to just get this off your chest.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 12-25-2006, 20:33

Everyone makes mistakes. You totally forgot so it's not a big deal AT ALL. I personally think if you did it on purpose, but saw that it wasn't right and fixed it you should be forgiven anyway.

I'm sure this was to just get this off your chest.

**GoreBag** · 12-26-2006, 10:19

Originally Posted by Beirut

A man's qualities can be judged by how he acts when no one is watching.

You do realize the inherent humour in this statement, right?

**AntiochusIII** · 12-26-2006, 10:23

Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs

Don't worry, I do it all the time. I once left a posh restaurant without paying, I returned the next day to pay and they told me that they would have called the police if I did had not turned up within the day to pay the bill

That was rude of them. I mean, come on, you returned voluntarily.

Originally Posted by Fragony

Did it once. Went eating with some friends in a classy place, we had something to celebrate, forgot what. We were treated like scum. As it turns out we are, we left after the second course. Wasn't that great anyway.

**Tribesman** · 12-27-2006, 01:17

OK , sligjhtly very different .
Honesty ?????????????(well possibly)without the thought of services recieved.

Down at the track the other night (free inof course) , few winners ,few losers(Children cleaning up , the little bar stewards cou;ldn't put afooot wrong{ one had 8 winners straight, plus two forecasts and a treble}......
Eldest one comes up and says she has found some money (a very very large denomination note).
Where is it ?
She handed it in

but

End of the night , she got it back .
No one claimed it .
10% to the counter staff she handed it to who handed it back
10% to eaach of her siblings
10%each to mam -dad-grandad
Rest to herself .
What a star

To have kept it without saying nothing might have been tempting , but in doing the right thing she not only showed her sense of value , she also gave a lot of people a good drink out of it