Large group meals can feel like they are laced with unspoken rules and etiquette, especially when you don’t know everybody. These gatherings can be a nightmare if you have social anxiety, and one woman’s experience with a $1000 meal bill will likely do nothing to change that.
Reddit user u/Fiorella613 took to the online stage and described the dilemma. The poster allegedly went for a birthday dinner in San Francisco for a friend in a group of roughly ten. They explain that they don’t drink or eat red meat. One person at the meal ordered “family style” for the whole table, although the poster is pescatarian, so they ordered their meal and drink separately.
The post explains that the group ordered far too much food, and most people had multiple expensive drinks. One woman reportedly footed the bill and took many of the leftovers home. A few days later, the birthday girl explained the bill exceeded $1000 and asked for $150 for the meal.
The poster was taken aback by the request, considering the little they had eaten and drunk. They allegedly agreed to pay $100, but the birthday girl was “clearly disappointed.” They then explained that it was commonplace to split the cost of group meals evenly as a “cost of entry.” The poster reportedly replied that it was “unfair and presumptuous” and shared the story to see if they were in the wrong.
Many Agree The Poster Shouldn’t Have Contributed To The $1000 Bill
u/Fiorella613 later clarified that the bill exceeded $1000 and they only knew two people at the meal. They also explained that they’ve never experienced any push-back for paying for itemized food. The comments section in the now-viral post is overwhelmingly in the poster’s favor. Most say that payment arrangements should never be presumed and should be decided in advance.
Others call it flat-out rude. One comment with hundreds of likes by u/kukonimz reads, “It wasn’t good intentions, it was gluttonous and rude. You either agree in advance on sharing or everyone gets their own food. Also, If I spend $150 at a restaurant, you better believe I am ordering what I want to eat and not let someone else decide for everybody.” Another calls out the meal-goers who bought expensive drinks, saying, “They’re trying to get you to subsidize their night out. I’d tell them where to go personally.”