Splitting the bill.

[fluxrad]

I was in speech class tonight and one of the girls did her pursuasive speech on courtesy and politeness. Most of her suggestions were standard fare: don't park like an [censored]; cleanup your dog's [censored]; let the people with two items through in the line if you've got a cart-full. But her last suggestion got me. It was as follows: if you've just been out for dinner or drinks with friends, you should always add 20% on the bill and split it evenly between the total number of diners. Her logic was that, in the end, cost evens out (at one point, she suggested something along the lines of "If one of your friends ate more, maybe next time you're out you can order the steak and a glass of wine.")

I couldn't disagree more. Now if everyone's total came to approximately the same, I can certainly see a case for simply splitting the bill. But I don't think it's right, for example, to try to split a $100 bill among 5 people when one guy may have ordered $10 worth of food and drinks while another ordered $30. At least when my GF and I go out with our friends we always split the bill based on who had what. Sure, it creates a bit of work for our waiter or waitress, but we always tip well and no one gets the shaft when it comes to paying for my $20 steak au poivre. Am I wrong here?

Of course, there is the third way (and in my mind, a way that is at least as equitable as the first option with the added benefit of keeping everyone from splurging). We did this once, but my friends copped out after that because of the fear of...idunno: At the end of the meal, everyone throws their credit card into a hat. The leader then holds the hat above head level and shakes the cards up. When the waiter/waitress comes by to collect the bill, the hat is held above their head and they select one card at random. Loser pays...

So of these three, what's the best way to pay the bill?

[EMcWilliams]

I like the CC in the hat idea. It gives all incentive to order a moderate meal, and adds a sense of gamble to it.

[SackUp]

If it is close then just split it if among good friends.

If it is with randoms and not close then pay your own. I have no problem with putting a little extra in though.

The worst is when everyone pays their own and fools do not know how to add. Tip and Tax can be mystical things to so many smart people...that our they are just cheap bastards!

[Derek in NYC]

In the post-college real world, among friends, there's even this concept of not splitting the bill at all. As in "I'll get this one."

[daryn]

pay for what you ordered. it's not hard, it's simple math.

i am a BIG proponent of the "credit card game" as i call it. usually what we do is get all the credit cards.. say 3 or 4. one person shuffles them under the table, then lines them up with each other (still under the table), top = 1 all the way down to bottom = n where n = # of cards. then the waitress is asked to pick a # between 1 and n, and there you have it.

best way to pay hands down.. but, if your friends aren't gamblors... just pay for what you ordered!

[daryn]

[ QUOTE ]
In the post-college real world, among friends, there's even this concept of not splitting the bill at all. As in "I'll get this one."

[/ QUOTE ]

this has never been done with any of my friends, and they are all even older than me, early 30's... the only time something like this is done is if one of us helps the other guy move or something, or does him a favor that he appreciates,.. he will say this the next time we go out or something.

[daryn]

[ QUOTE ]
I like the CC in the hat idea. It gives all incentive to order a moderate meal,

[/ QUOTE ]


huh? how does it give anyone incentive to order a moderate meal?? if anything i want to splurge

"I'll get this one" is the way things should go. Grown men splitting the bill should not happen.

Options 1 and 3 are just near-random ways of accomplishing option 2. Go with option 2 and skip the bullshiz morans

[daryn]

[ QUOTE ]
"I'll get this one" is the way things should go. Grown men splitting the bill should not happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

i disagree. pay for what you ordered