Couple arrested for not paying tip
Phantom Pain
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http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/loc ... html?yhp=1
Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip
Patrons claim service was so bad, they had to get napkins and silverware for themselves
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 12:20 PM EST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009
If you’re frustrated by poor service at a restaurant, think twice before you decide to not tip. You may be in for a bit more than just a dirty look from the waiter.
"Nobody, nobody wants to be forced to pay a tip or be arrested for terrible service," Leslie Pope said when her happy hour ended in handcuffs.
Pope and John Wagner were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 percent gratuity totaling $16 after eating at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends.
Pope claimed that they had to wait nearly an hour for their order and that she had to get napkins and silverware for the table herself.
“At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.
After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
“I understand that, you know, we didn’t pay the gratuity, but it was a gratuity, it wasn’t something that was required,” said Wagner.
The owner admitted that the group waited unusually long for their food, but said the pub was extremely busy that night. He said managers offered to comp the food, a claim the couple denies ever happened.
“Obviously we would have liked for the patron and the establishment to have worked this out without getting the police involved,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Stuart Bedics.
Police charged them with theft since the gratuity was part of the actual bill. However, it is doubtful that the charges will hold up in front of a judge. The couple is scheduled to appear in court next month.
First Published: Nov 18, 2009 9:44 PM
Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip
Patrons claim service was so bad, they had to get napkins and silverware for themselves
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 12:20 PM EST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009
If you’re frustrated by poor service at a restaurant, think twice before you decide to not tip. You may be in for a bit more than just a dirty look from the waiter.
"Nobody, nobody wants to be forced to pay a tip or be arrested for terrible service," Leslie Pope said when her happy hour ended in handcuffs.
Pope and John Wagner were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 percent gratuity totaling $16 after eating at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends.
Pope claimed that they had to wait nearly an hour for their order and that she had to get napkins and silverware for the table herself.
“At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.
After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
“I understand that, you know, we didn’t pay the gratuity, but it was a gratuity, it wasn’t something that was required,” said Wagner.
The owner admitted that the group waited unusually long for their food, but said the pub was extremely busy that night. He said managers offered to comp the food, a claim the couple denies ever happened.
“Obviously we would have liked for the patron and the establishment to have worked this out without getting the police involved,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Stuart Bedics.
Police charged them with theft since the gratuity was part of the actual bill. However, it is doubtful that the charges will hold up in front of a judge. The couple is scheduled to appear in court next month.
First Published: Nov 18, 2009 9:44 PM
My drinking team has a hockey problem
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
HaHa !
His favorite past time
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
wow ... is that how you spell conniption!?? ... always wanted to know!
they say there's no such thing as bad press but i'm not too sure that i want to have my restaurant or bar in the news for this ...
I know...come on for $16 ?
The service sucked and they admitted it
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
Should be an interesting court case!
From the article it said it was a party of 6
I guess it was on the receipt maybe at the bottom...I've seen it there before
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
That's completely punk ass to call the cops.
what an asshole too to call the cops, if it was that bad service.
Seattle Key Arena 9-21-2009
Seattle Key Arena 9-22-2009
I wonder if Dunk has successfully completed his move :?: We'll have to keep this topic bumped until he returns
it really is bogus on the restraunt, and cops. that whole auto tip thing on larger parties is bs
I should have been given a tip.
DO NOT DRINK OUZO TILL 5.30 IN THE MORNING WITH DUNK!!! :oops:
I know its not right...
I know I would be considered an asshole by many....
But it is what it is....
Had that fucking manager called the cops on ME for refusing to leave a tip.....
By the time the cops showed up, they would have been able to charge with me with a few more misdemeanor crimes...........
And that manager would have eaten his meals through a fucking straw the next 6 months......
hehehehehehe
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
In most places they are
I think that some places in the States, instead of paying a decent living wage, businesses (and/or the State) expect customers to pay the employees, above what they are already expected to pay (for meals/drinks, etc., at least this is what I have garnered from numerous tipping threads in the AET).
This is terrible publicity for the pub and shows a lot of arrogance/ignorance.
I hate the 18% auto tip because I generally tip more, and they get nothing more from me if they already tack it on.
EDIT: The bill should have been 89.00 to have a 16.00 tip right?
Something doesn't jive here. Interesting.
Regards,
Mathematics Forensics Expert Investigator
That is exactly what I am thinking. Why the hell would you call the cops? I mean now there is a national story (this is the second place I have heard it) where an important part of the story is that the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa, has terrible service. That kind of press is only going to lead to less business and staff possibly losing their jobs. All over $16, way to go geniuses.
We stayed in a hotel last month for a wedding outside of Boston... Instead of the usual continental breakfast, you had to pay ($10) for the breakfast buffet. Not only that, but they added an 18% gratuity to your check... for a buffet! The waitress/server cleared our plates a couple of times and refilled coffee (juice was at the buffet).
Ridiculous..
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
you can have shit food and shit service, and its still somehow bad on you to not leave a tip.
and if you complain about it, you are somehow painted as a cheap ass hole for not helping these people 'make a living' because they work for minimum wage - something that may be true in some areas of the USA, but not where I live. A person working in retail and a person working in food make the same minimum wage, only in food you can make an extra 500 dollars a week in tips.
this bartender was dumb! :roll:
I've eaten in a restaurant where it says on the menu "18% service charge included in bill" or something to that extent. Doesn't matter if there is only one person, it's still included. That was at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. I'm sure that other restaurants are following in Alice's footsteps.
Exactly what I thought after reading the original post.
If it's on the menu then it is theft. They new prior to ordering that there would be a required tip.
I spent 10+ years in the business and sometimes you're just to busy to give the service people want.
My gut feeling is the costumers were Assholes, for I have waited on many.
Hooray for the law!
the tip was included on the bill & most likely it was written on the menu. They have no excuse for not knowing this already. They should have explained the situation to the manager before they ditched out.
Well sure they probably should have complained to the manager but you don't have to tip for bad service. I don't care if it's written on the menu.
hee hee.. i just said us Scottish people would donate money.
thats funny.
so, on what channel can i watch this couple get their Congressional Medal of Honour?
good times!