This happened the other day:

A table (E5) paid for their check, leaving $40, on the their table. I picked up the check money and was walking out of my section when another table, E1, asked for their check. I said, “of course. I’ll bring it right out.” I grabbed their check and fortune cookies, and dropped one of the checks off at their table with a “thank you”.

I spun around and headed for the cashier counter and made it half way before I happened to look down at the check I was carrying. I saw that that check I was holding had the fortune cookies. I kinda of just thought, “oh shit, my bad.” So, I turned around, meaning to go back to E1 to apologize and give them the right check. I noticed that they had already gotten up from their table and was headed out the section. I was naive enough to think they were coming to give me the check themselves. But, nope. The couple walked right past me.

Baffled, I managed a “um excuse me sir.” He did a half-turn with just his head, as if only checking how far/close I was. He sped his walk up. Him and his wife was a bigger built than me, so I had to call my cashier to come with me to chase after him. By the time we had walked out the front door, they had gotten in their car and was (very quickly) backing up. They zoomed off, not even checking for cars when they pulled into the street. The total check (for both E5 and E1) was about $80; my manager left me off easy and I only had to pay $60.

I know that it’s probably “not my responsibility to pay for dine-and-dash” or it’s probably illegal. I like my job (most of the time) and would like to keep my job. So, I’m not going to try to argue myself out of paying that $60, just to lose my job over it.

I’m more so completely shocked that someone would do that.