At what point does 'trying a bite' become grand theft entrée?
By @tessish · Friends
I have a friend who always orders the cheapest thing on the menu (like a side salad) and then 'tries' half of everyone else's actual meal. The rest of our friends think I'm being dramatic about it.
The full story
We have a repeat offender in our friend group. Every single time we go out to eat, she gets the smallest, cheapest appetizer or a side salad, and then when the food comes, she turns into a human forklift. It's always, 'Ooh, can I try a bite of that?' but a 'bite' for her is like, a quarter of my pasta dish. Last night was the breaking point. We were at a decent Italian place. She ordered a $9 Caesar salad. The rest of us got actual mains — risotto, a steak, lasagna, etc. Her fork was in every single person's plate multiple times. By the end of it, she'd constructed a full-on sampler platter for herself while her sad little salad sat there untouched. She probably ate $25 worth of food off other people's plates. Then the bill comes, and she wants to split it evenly 'because it's easier.' So not only is she eating our food, we're all subsidizing her culinary tour of the table. I said we should just pay for what we ordered, and you would've thought I suggested we dine and dash. Now half the group chat is calling me stingy. I don't get it. Is this a normal friend thing, or is she a food bandit?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 29% (30 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 38% (39 votes)
- You’re Fine — 33% (34 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 38% — 103 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@kayla — She's weaponizing social awkwardness to get a free meal.
@noelkindof — Oh honey, you are not being stingy at all, that person has no manners whatsoever.
@matt — If all your other friends are siding with her, maybe you're leaving something out.
@benyk — I had a roommate who would do this with our groceries... ate my expensive cheese but would only buy the cheapest store-brand bread.
@quinn — Why does everyone agree to split the bill evenly in the first place?
Keep reading
- We cannot agree on if you have to pay for food you ordered but didn't eat.
- Every time my friend group splits the bill at dinner, somehow I owe the most.
- I have been formally banned from choosing the restaurant for my friend group.
- Our friend group chat now has a 'no memes' during work hours rule.
- At what point does being 'thrifty' just become rude?