The Bill

In my opinion, the way people pay their bills, says a lot about their personalities. Excluding your close group of friends (which one would assume offer to pay tabs on a regular basis, with a half-expectation of you “getting the next one” without any hard feelings if you don’t) who’s spending tactics are impeccable, based on the mutual understanding that the other party is not an asshole, you can judge people on how they spend.

Example: You’re out for dinner/appys/drinks with some acquaintances, and the bill comes. The table has agreed that one tab would be sufficient, and everyone could just throw in cash. One could assume that everyone would calculate and pay their own portion, then throw in a bit for the tip. Red flag one: some people are less generous than others with their tips. They actually consider things like waiting longer than usual for food, and argue that the service wasn’t “exceptional”. Others think that the waitress paid enough attention to the table, was personable and friendly, ect.

NOW, tips aside so I could get to the point of this blog: What gets me most after a fun hangout and a couple of drinks, is when, after everyone’s thrown in their portion and the bill is not shorted, the one person who counts out how much of a tip the waitress is getting and argues that she should get less. “We’re tipping 30%, and the service wasn’t that great”. Seriously?!? Everyone has parted ways with their money in whatever fashion, why is it up to this one person to judge how much of a tip one should get. Why is this even a discussion? Should everyone really take back a loonie, as if it’s really going to make a difference?

I looked over at the girlfriend of this boy, who initiated this debate at our table yesterday evening, and asked “you’re the one dating him, does this happen often?” because I was shocked that it had to take place at all.
At my favorite bar, when my friends and I go out, you better believe that the tip is almost 50% of our bill. That’s the way it should be. Otherwise, people should drink at home.

And that’s AnnaB’s opinion on that.