Asking for separate checks at a group dinner is rude.
By @ivyyy · Hot Takes
At my birthday dinner, one of my boyfriend's friends asked the server to split the check 12 ways. It held the whole table hostage for twenty minutes while the server tried to figure it out.
The full story
I said what I said. If you can't afford to evenly split a bill with the table, you can't afford to eat out. We're not talking about a five-star restaurant, this was a normal mid-range Italian place. My boyfriend invited a bunch of his friends to my birthday dinner. At the end of the meal, when the check came, one of them flagged down the server and asked if she could split the bill twelve ways and charge everyone for exactly what they ordered. The server was clearly annoyed, and it took her forever. People were getting antsy and it completely killed the vibe of the party. I think it's incredibly tacky. Part of going out with a large group is understanding that you subsidize each other a little. Sometimes you pay a few bucks more, sometimes a few bucks less. It all evens out. If your budget is so tight that you have to itemize your single glass of wine, you should have stayed home. It just signals that you're not really part of the group's social contract.
How people voted
- Facts — 40% (17 votes)
- Depends — 26% (11 votes)
- No Way — 33% (14 votes)
Readers are split: “Facts” leads with 40% — 42 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@remylol — I feel like we're not hearing the part where one person ordered a lobster and three cocktails while someone else had a side salad.
@maraok2 — Why didn't you just offer to cover the whole bill if you were that worried about the vibe?
@willalol — I would've Venmo requested him for my emotional damages.
@forrealthough — Refusing to split a check evenly is a classic sign of financial anxiety.
@paigewelp — this is so much less drama than one person getting stuck with a 400 bill lol
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