Couple arrested for not paying the tip

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Time-In-Prison--70426052.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

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.

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[djarmy2004 10+ year member]

I read that on yahoo news this morning, Thats deffinately some bs as i would be pissed as hell and try to sue that resturant

 

[PIITB Wut Wut 10+ year member]

:shank:

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

mandatory gratuity? how about mandatory service....? you dont work, you dont get paid. the judge will laugh at this, and i'm sure the patrons will pursue it legally.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

That's why i refuse to go to places that have a 'mandatory' gratuity. You almost always get worse service, since the employees know they have a tip coming no matter what. And 18%... is a rip off. And clearly management is lying when they claim they offered to comp the food... like after being offered this, the patrons would still pay full price but refuse to pay the tip? Sure.

But in this case, mandatory does in fact mean mandatory. The patrons are simply stupid for claiming "it wasn’t something that was required". That is exactly what mandatory means.

 

[TMali 10+ year member]

that place would be on fire now, if that was me

 

[hatedonmostly 5,000+ posts]

The bartender sounds like Milton to me. Didn't do shit until they walked out the door, and then called the police like a *****.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

Im sure that place got a shit ton of negative press from this and now there is no thing as a "busy night" for them now //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif Should get great service there now!

 

[Annnarbor84 5,000+ posts]

Husband should have manned up and shanked the bartender. Hard to talk to the police with a steak stuck in your throat:fyi:

 

[4-teh-lulz? 10+ year member]

complete bullshit.

 

[Synyster97XLT 10+ year member]

Yeah, I would deff get really mad.

 

[Synyster97XLT 10+ year member]

Husband should have manned up and shanked the bartender. Hard to talk to the police with a steak stuck in your throat:fyi:

Haha, it's also hard for him to explain why the steak was stuck in the guy's throat in the first place.

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

I've never heard of a mandatory gratuity. If I entered a restaurant that had such a thing I would turn around and walk out.

 

[CRXBMPN 5,000+ posts]

usually over a certain seat limit is mandatory gratuity...

HOTEL ROOM SERVICE HAS GRATUITY BUILT IN!!! 20% at the place we went for our wedding, and on top of that we all got trashed and gave the guy another $15 or something... so gratuity was like $30 for one trip up...double dippers!

hope that place gets what they deserve //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif which is no more customers.