Etiquette question:
I've gotten used to being prepared to split any group bill evenly, instead of calculating what I ordered and working from there. It's a risk I assume when I sit down at the table with friends. Not a biggie.
Yesterday afternoon, a bunch of us went out for drinks, appetisers, and three of us ordered burgers. The waitress kept cheques separate about in order of arrival: First group of 4, then a couple, and then two singles.
Still with me? Good. I was in the group of 4. I drank one drink, ate of the appetisers that one of this 4 ordered (as did everyone at the table), and then ordered fries. Perfectly straightforward expectation that either it'd be split four ways, or we'd do the complicated math.
But no. Two of the four left early, and they didn't leave any money.
Now, let me be clear that in the goes around comes around food game, I owe. Big time. I eat out about twice a week on someone else's dime. So I don't begrudge splitting that bill two ways instead of four. Not at all. The other guy seemed unbothered too.
But the two people that left early--that was a faux pas, right? Or something? I can't imagine leaving after having eaten or drunk without making some sort of monetary gesture. Especially the drinking part.
Okay, that is in line with what I thought.
I'm not mad at either of them, or anything. Just confused.
There was one group dinner in honour of someone leaving where two of the diners refused to split the bill evenly, since they'd purposely ordered the cheapest food.
But it was an in-honour dinner--you know you're going to pay for more than just your meal. Do you guys usually split those evenly, or do you do the math and then add the appropriate fraction of the honouree's stuff?
As a general rule I think it's a courtesy to split the bill, but I think people have the right to request to pay for only the food they ordered instead. I don't think either happens more frequently when I go out. If you are only paying for the food you ordered you can still pay an even share of the honoree's portion. It's easier to split the bill under those circumstances, but I don't think it's required.
I got out of work early!!
I do admit to getting a little upset when people order lots of drinks and then want to split. I rarely drink, and get a little burnt when my portion would amount to 20 bucks and I end up spending 40 for other people's margaritas.
My group generally splits dinner bills evenly, but if someone wants to do otherwise, we whip out the calculators and spend a few minutes laughing at our collective inability to do simple math even with tools. But if your group doesn't have a standing rule like last-people-at-the-table-pay, then yeah, I'd say your friends made a faux pas. Like you, though, I'd let it go unless it became a habit.
