I just don't get it thread!!!

I think it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. I can't imagine going to dinner and then asking the server to separate out from everyone else what I ate and what I drank and then give me my own check. I think it is silly.

You said you thought it should be illegal. I thought you were just being dramatic but here you say that it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. You actually do think asking for split checks should be against the law? And you think that is perfectly reasonable? I'm in awe. Absolute awe.

I think it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. I can't imagine going to dinner and then asking the server to separate out from everyone else what I ate and what I drank and then give me my own check. I think it is silly.

You said you thought it should be illegal. I thought you were just being dramatic but here you say that it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. You actually do think asking for split checks should be against the law? And you think that is perfectly reasonable? I'm in awe. Absolute awe.

I am glad I could awe you. I guess that makes me awesome.

Separate checks should be illegal. Nothing pisses me off more. How hard is it to divide a check total by the number of diners? If people want to have their own check they should go to a buffet.

Hard? Not at all. Also possibly not fair depending on the place and the situation.

Expecting a large party to pay on one check is somewhat understandable, but your opinion of split checks, which I acknowledge is hyperbole, is rather extreme...

I think it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. I can't imagine going to dinner and then asking the server to separate out from everyone else what I ate and what I drank and then give me my own check. I think it is silly.

You make too much money. You are to eh about it.

Nope, just a regular middle clas fella here. It comes from having been a server for many many years. I learned to dine out by the code. I will never break it. I don't order my dressing on the side. I don't ask to split entrees. I don't bring my own food to a restaurant. I don't special order. I believe that dishes should be ordered as the chef conceived them. I say please and thank you. I have tremendous respect for restaurant owners, chefs, and servers.

My respect doesn't come from making their job easier. Why the holy hell would I do that? I am the one paying. Here is my money and how can I accomodate you? I am not a handful by any means, very easy to please actually. I also understand that I am NOT the only customer in the place. My respect is where it really counts...I tip about 30% most of the time. 20% if they are bad. I may have too much money. I never thought split checks were difficult, I just didnt like when it was a surprise and had to do it all over again. Then you learn to ask ahead of time and its no biggie.

Separate checks should be illegal. Nothing pisses me off more. How hard is it to divide a check total by the number of diners? If people want to have their own check they should go to a buffet.

Hard? Not at all. Also possibly not fair depending on the place and the situation.

Expecting a large party to pay on one check is somewhat understandable, but your opinion of split checks, which I acknowledge is hyperbole, is rather extreme...

I think it is neither extreme nor hyperbolic. I can't imagine going to dinner and then asking the server to separate out from everyone else what I ate and what I drank and then give me my own check. I think it is silly.

You make too much money. You are to eh about it.

Nope, just a regular middle clas fella here. It comes from having been a server for many many years. I learned to dine out by the code. I will never break it. I don't order my dressing on the side. I don't ask to split entrees. I don't bring my own food to a restaurant. I don't special order. I believe that dishes should be ordered as the chef conceived them. I say please and thank you. I have tremendous respect for restaurant owners, chefs, and servers.

My respect doesn't come from making their job easier. Why the holy hell would I do that? I am the one paying. Here is my money and how can I accomodate you? I am not a handful by any means, very easy to please actually. My respect is where it really counts...I tip about 30% most of the time. 20% if they are bad. I never thought split checks were difficult, I just didnt like when it was a surprise and had to do it all over again. Then you learn to ask ahead of time and its no biggie. I may have too much money.

different strokes for different folks I guess.

Nope, just a regular middle clas fella here. It comes from having been a server for many many years. I learned to dine out by the code. I will never break it. I don't order my dressing on the side. I don't ask to split entrees. I don't bring my own food to a restaurant. I don't special order. I believe that dishes should be ordered as the chef conceived them. I say please and thank you. I have tremendous respect for restaurant owners, chefs, and servers.

Didn't you say on another thread that you were a lawyer? "Regular middle class fellas" tend to not make anywhere as much as a lawyer.

I've had many family members who have worked as servers who have taught me many things about dining out and interacting with servers. Chief among them is to tip well. But not a one of them has ever said that it's tacky to ask for a check to be split.

Nope, just a regular middle clas fella here. It comes from having been a server for many many years. I learned to dine out by the code. I will never break it. I don't order my dressing on the side. I don't ask to split entrees. I don't bring my own food to a restaurant. I don't special order. I believe that dishes should be ordered as the chef conceived them. I say please and thank you. I have tremendous respect for restaurant owners, chefs, and servers.

Didn't you say on another thread that you were a lawyer? "Regular middle class fellas" tend to not make anywhere as much as a lawyer.

I've had many family members who have worked as servers who have taught me many things about dining out and interacting with servers. Chief among them is to tip well. But not a one of them has ever said that it's tacky to ask for a check to be split.

Don't let that fool you. Lawyers can make a lot of money but most of them don't. There is a huge gap I hear.

I am glad I could awe you. I guess that makes me awesome.

If it makes you feel better to take it in a positive manner, more power to you.

Didn't you say on another thread that you were a lawyer? "Regular middle class fellas" tend to not make anywhere as much as a lawyer.

Careful with the generalizations Aaron. They cost Jimmy the Greek his job.

I wish I was rich. If I ever get there, I'll let you know.

I am glad I could awe you. I guess that makes me awesome.

If it makes you feel better to take it in a positive manner, more power to you.

What choice do I have? It's not like I can stop you from making nasty and sarcastic posts that are directed personally at me.

Didn't you say on another thread that you were a lawyer? "Regular middle class fellas" tend to not make anywhere as much as a lawyer.

Careful with the generalizations Aaron. They cost Jimmy the Greek his job.

I wish I was rich. If I ever get there, I'll let you know.

I'm not calling you a liar or saying you're actually rich and the statement probably did sound a little too presumptuous. Believe me, I know what it's like to be generally underpaid for your profession due to particular circumstances. But you have to admit, most "middle class" people tend to need to be a little less free with their money as you say you are when dining out. I know I can't be that free with mine.

Anyway, we're getting way off the point, so I apologize if you were offended by that question.

What choice do I have? It's not like I can stop you from making nasty and sarcastic posts that are directed personally at me.

Nasty and sarcastic? I've been neither. Everything I have said has been an earnest statement or question. I've apologized for being a bit presumptuous in once instance, but the rest I think stands fairly well.

When you could be doing something else? Like... serving other people?

Don't get me wrong, I understand how it can be a headache for you, but ultimately serving the needs of your customer is the job. When you make statments like the above, you make it sound more like the people who need seperate checks aren't as important as other diners.

.

In no way was I implying that people who request separate checks aren't as important as other diners. But just as they have a right to have separate checks, other diners have a right to speedy drink refills or their food coming out in a timely fashion, which is difficult when I'm getting change for thirteen different people. The issue of separate checks isn't really difficult anymore with modern POS systems, it can just be potentially time-consuming.

I can't say I understand what's so tacky about separate checks. I almost never carry cash and neither do most of my friends. What's the big deal if I pay for mine and they pay for theirs, or if a group of couples goes out and there's a check for each couple? I can understand how this could get problematic if it were a large group of people, but in most cases I think separate checks are fine.

Why would you need cash? Just hand the server your three credit cards and say, please put $_____ on each one. Voila, easy.

What the???!!! That IS separating a check, Ron.

No, it's not. The server present one check for $90 to a party of three. We ask that he put $30 on each card. We DO NOT ask for each of our own individual checks with just the things on it that each of us ordered, so that one check is $27.48, one is $32.52, and the last is $30 even.

Big difference.

First off, I can't say I've even given this issue much thought before because it seems that most of the time the server asks either before we order or or before s/he brings the check how it will be split up, which I appreciate. I really can't think of a recent situation in which one check was brought and then we asked to have it split up after the fact; it always seems to have been dealt with beforehand.

While there are instances in which I would split the check evenly (such as a meal of sushi or tapas in which multiple people are sharing the same dish), I don't make a practice of that. I'm a 20-something grad student with a low-paying job, and a lot of my friends are similarly situated. I don't expect them to subsidize me if I want something on the more expensive end of the menu, and I don't expect to subsidize them if they decide to have alcohol while I'm drinking tea.

It all comes down to what you're comfortable with. I don't see what the big deal is.

I can't say I understand what's so tacky about separate checks. I almost never carry cash and neither do most of my friends. What's the big deal if I pay for mine and they pay for theirs, or if a group of couples goes out and there's a check for each couple? I can understand how this could get problematic if it were a large group of people, but in most cases I think separate checks are fine.

Why would you need cash? Just hand the server your three credit cards and say, please put $_____ on each one. Voila, easy.

What the???!!! That IS separating a check, Ron.

No, it's not. The server present one check for $90 to a party of three. We ask that he put $30 on each card. We DO NOT ask for each of our own individual checks with just the things on it that each of us ordered, so that one check is $27.48, one is $32.52, and the last is $30 even.

Big difference.

I don't see what the big deal is.

me either Erin.

In no way was I implying that people who request separate checks aren't as important as other diners. But just as they have a right to have separate checks, other diners have a right to speedy drink refills or their food coming out in a timely fashion, which is difficult when I'm getting change for thirteen different people. The issue of separate checks isn't really difficult anymore with modern POS systems, it can just be potentially time-consuming.

I understand that wasn't your intention, but you can see why it feels that way to someone who sits in the customer's seat and needs a seperate check, right? I understand it's time consuming, but if the needs and rights of customers needing drink refills are equal to those of the customers needing seperate checks, then it sounds more like a problem of management giving you too much to do, not a problem with customers.

I don't see what the big deal is.

me either Erin.

Hold up. Erin doesn't see what the big deal is because she thinks it's all about what you are comfortable with. But from what you've said earlier in the thread you don't think that at all Ron. I really don't think it's good form to edit someone's response like that to change the way it reads.

This should be read as being neither nasty nor sarcastic.