"This is an invasion of my privacy!" or the walk out chronicles

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

This story was related to me by a friend who owns a restaurant.

During a busy breakfast hour on a weekend a group of 15 people came in to eat. The guy who was handling everything for them was relatively respectful and didn't seem like he'd be a problem initially.

In fact everything went fine until the bill came. When SC saw the 16% gratuity that had been added (as it was mandatory for large groups) he went completely nuts.

SC:(loud enough so everyone in the restaurant including many kids could hear) What the F*** is this?!
Waiter: Please keep your voice down sir. What's the problem?
SC: You tacked a damned tip on my bill, that's the problem!
W: Sir that charge is mandatory for large groups, it's indicated on the menu and on the sign by the entrance.
SC: I never saw a sign so I refuse to pay.
W: You cannot refuse sir, it's a required charge.
SC: F*** you! Get me the manager!

(The manager shows up and gets brought up to date on everything)

M: Was there something wrong with the service sir?
SC: No, the service was fine, but I didn't come here planning to pay a tip. I NEVER tip. I pay the price on the menu and that's it because I am NOT required to pay a penny more.
M: In this case sir you do not have a choice. It's a mandatory charge.
SC: Take it off.
M: I can't.
SC: TAKE IT OFF NOW!
M: No
SC: YOU TAKE THIS F***ING CHARGE OFF OR WE'RE ALL LEAVING WITHOUT PAYING!!
M: If you do that the police will be contacted and you'll be charged with theft
SC: F*** you! (to group) Come on, we're leaving.

(at this point he grabbed the ticket, crumpled it up and threw it on the floor)

SC:(to M) and you can kiss my ass!

So the SC and his group leave. The manager goes to call the police and has one of his employees walk towards the windows to write down the plate number of the SCs vehicles. The SC notices this, comes storming back in and smacks the piece of paper out of the employees hand.

SC: You can't do that, it's an invasion of my privacy!
Em: There's nothing illegal about writing down a number sir.
SC: YES THERE IS! It's invasion of my privacy! I did not consent to having my plate number written down!
M: Sir the police are on their way, you can either wait and talk to them now or talk to them later.
SC: F*** you!

He turned around and drove off. They did get the plate number and turn it over to the police. I don't know if SC ever did get caught but I hope he did.

After this incident the owner started having his servers remind ALL large groups of the mandatory gratuity BEFORE they are given any food or drinks.

[MaseMan]

Wow, what a raging a-hole.

[lineswine]

I hope the cops sort it all out & his "This is an invasion of my privacy!" rubbish, preferably with a LARGE fine/probation & restiution of said bill.

[Kristev]

Yes. Oh yes. Perhaps even assault for attacking the employee like that.

[Mr Hero]

It's such an invasion of privacy that the plates are prominantly displayed on the car where anyone can see them.

[Mr. Anubite]

The guy doesn't tip ever? We've got a real winner there.

[MoonCat]

It's interesting that no one else in his group spoke up and said never mind, I'll pay it, don't cause a scene.

[ShootMePlease]

Amazing.

This guy expects people to serve him and not tip them ? Then he assaults an employee and steals food ?

Assault and Theft of Services sounds like some jail time.

Perfect

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The fights not to wind up waiting on that guy must be legendary.

[jjc927]

I don't agree with gratuities much either, but it is mandatory and deserved for the wait staff that attends to such a large group. I make sure to tip at least 15% percent no matter what.

[TonyDonuts]

Point the first.

Doesn't tip, ever?

And probably wonders why, on his SECOND trip to that restaurant he like so much the service is . . . correct, and nothing more. Oh maybe not openly hostile or anything, but not real friendly, either.

Some guys never get the hint.

Point the second.

"Invasion of his privacy?"

The c-store chain I work for encourages us to write down plate numbers when we approve people for pumping gas, to prevent drive-offs.

One day, a douchebag driving a Lexus saw somebody doing that, and got all offended and upset that we would do that to him.

Not the other, lesser mortals driving Fords or Hondas or whatever poor people drive. Obviously they're all thieves. No, he was pissed that we had written his plate down.

He's rich, and as everybody knows, rich people are always honest and never steal.

We pause here for the group to snicker.

I, brothers and sisters, laughed in his face.

That went over as well as you think it did.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

In the UK tipping isn't as big a deal as it is in the US (although most people WILL tip, its not seen as obligatory)...personally I dislike it when a mandatory gratuity charge is placed on the bill. That happened to us at a restaurant once, and my parents didn't contest it because, as they discussed, they felt the service had deserved the tip and they would have done so anyway, but they didn't like the sort of...presumption that a tip would be charged. I suppose in my view, you choose to give a tip because you appreciate the service (but then again here, we do not count tips as part of the national minimum wage, hence why its not seen as such a big deal). I suppose if we had felt the service hadn't deserved a tip, we would have contested it. We discussed it at the time as it was kind of interesting (mentioning it because this reminded me of it, and its not something we've come across since, must be a slightly unusual practice). I personally always try to leave a tip, even if only a small one, where I can. Only time I haven't tipped is if I've recieved poor service.

And in our case, we were not informed of this in anyway prior to ordering. At least this establishment had the thought to put it on signs and on the menu. I say its a good idea for them to inform large groups in future- for one, serving a large group does take a lot of work, but more importantly, should help to avoid blow-outs like that. Whether or not you agree on a poxy little tip, the SC's behaviour was just bang out of order! For the sake of a tip (that would have been, I assume, split amongst the group?) he'd rather get arrested for theft?

And privacy invasion my butt!

[Brojekk]

Too bad you couldn't add an extra 2% for each F bomb he dropped.

[Solumina]

Some of the places around here have decided to call that a "large party surcharge" instead of anything related to tip or gratuity, it is still the same damn 15% (and it is still tip money for the servers) but people seem a lot less likely to bitch about it.

[ShadowBall]

Wow, now that was cute.

Also, if his license plate was "private," why was it out for the whole world to see? That's like saying his house number is private when it's right on the front of his house. No, he just figured he'd throw around some fancy phrases her heard on the intarwebs that often let people get their own way like "lawsuit" or "I'm never shopping here again."

What a cockbag. I hope he gets caught and charged with something.