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See the original image at cnn.com —

Welcome to my party -- NOW PAY UP!

cnn.com — "When the bill came,"...the birthday girl "smiled and made a big production by way of a toast, saying, 'Thank you all so much for my lovely birthday dinner. I really do appreciate it. You guys are great. Here's to you!' Then she just sat there, waiting for us to decide how to split the bill." The bill for Birthday Girl and the 7 Guests? USD $3,450!

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  • PolishLogic, on 09/10/2008, -6/+207Let's hope the birthday girl in this first incident has a dud for a womb.
  • kowcun, on 09/10/2008, -2/+146I don't think those people are going to be her friends anymore.
    • DiggzDE, on 09/11/2008, -0/+21I had a very similar experience. Luckily it wasn't that high of a bill though. Still close to $1000 total. Invitations to birthday (dinner) parties without stating you plan people to pay for it is ***** up. I'm not friends with that guy anymore who pulled that ***** with me and others.
      • assbeard, on 09/11/2008, -1/+12If I had a friend who tried to pull that ***** I'd probably end up telling him to go ***** himself. That kind of douchebaggery is inexcusable.
      • DiggzDE, on 09/11/2008, -2/+9When the time came to pay, I told him straight up I wasn't paying as I hadn't brought any money and had expected it to be paid for, as that is what, seemingly to me, was implied when someone invites people to a party the way he did.


        Then I excused myself from the table and walked out of the restaurant full and not a penny short. :)


        Let him deal with the bill situation, that stupid *****.
  • snareguy17, on 09/10/2008, -2/+247In the words of everyone there, "what a bitch."
    • bluezinc, on 09/10/2008, -0/+17That's the exact phrase I thought when I read the article description.
      • thebza451, on 09/11/2008, -0/+9mine was, '***** that *****, i'm out'
    • jabberwolff, on 09/11/2008, -1/+23I would probably just cover myself... then leave.
      Why should I cover everyone else's extravagance ?!

      Always expect to pay at least for yourself. If someone else expects you to pay for them, than that's their assumption and their problem!

      500 per guest? Dam and I thought 100+ was alot.
      What the hell did they order? Gold plated caviar?!
      • xaxxon, on 09/11/2008, -1/+9a lot
      • Zipko, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3only tricky situation with that is when the host acts like they're covering everyone, and you end up ordering more for yourself than you would have if you had to pay because you assume it's covered.

        In that case it's best to have asked beforehand how the bill is being covered and if you were expected to pitch in. but personally if I forgot to do that and was left assuming everything was free then I would not feel obligated in the slightest to pitch in if I was put on the spot for it. It's really on the host to take care of those details, and forcing people into awkward situations is not a good way to take care of things.
      • crocodilexp, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5Zipko, if someone is ordering significantly more than they could afford because he's assuming the host is paying for it, he's a pig who deserves whatever is coming.

        Yes, people might order a bit more when they think it's free, but it shouldn't be over ~50% more than they'd normally pay/afford -- so if they're asked do pay they could say "ouch" and do it. Possible exception is if the host is Bill Gates, or someone so obviously rich that the expense would be negligible for them.

        Of course, inviting people and then expecting them to pay without telling them upfront is awfully boorish to start with. You're asking someone else to pay for your event, after the fact. In fact, I think it's almost always a breach of etiquette not to state price upfront (approximate if not full) -- that's what riles me about doctors, for instance.
    • arkaycee, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2Everyone here too.
    • Calcheesmo, on 09/11/2008, -0/+0Now I agree, she is a bitch, she should've been responsible and told people that they'd be paying or she should've set a limit. I mean if you think about it, those people that went to HER party are being assholes in their own right by hogging down that much money in food. They were going to pin the bill on her...so maybe it was her plan to say f*ck you!
    • fedja, on 09/11/2008, -0/+4Unless expressly stated otherwise, the host covers the expenses. In the civilized world at least.
  • tykwondingo, on 09/10/2008, -3/+47did she get her spankings?
  • MrsBabyLady, on 09/10/2008, -76/+4Dude.....I'm MrsBabyLady!
    • JeffH, on 09/10/2008, -0/+26If you were looking to parody him, you fail.

      MrsAdultLady would be correct if you're just trying to do opposites.
      • StepCousin, on 09/10/2008, -1/+11MsAdultWoman, if you want to get technical.
    • BXRWXR, on 09/10/2008, -1/+17FAIL
    • nadcraker, on 09/10/2008, -5/+9You're also kind of gay!
    • LeonHRodriguez, on 09/10/2008, -1/+4Dude, you are just weak in every regard. The comment, the MrBabyMan schtick...honestly, I'm embarrassed for you.

      Thank god for internet anonymity, eh?
    • MissBabyWoman, on 09/10/2008, -4/+1You think you're clever huh?
  • Hosalabad, on 09/10/2008, -4/+217Normally I oppose itemizing a check to split tickets, but there is no way I'd just fork out $500 to cover for some other glutton.
    Then again, I'd never waste $500 on sushi when there are so many titty bars in town.
    • ousthouse, on 09/10/2008, -1/+76You actually split the bill evenly when you go out? I thought that was something only done on TV.
      Tell the waiter you want separate checks - where's the problem?
      • jcharak58, on 09/10/2008, -12/+1I split it sometimes if it is only $1 or so
      • lynx44, on 09/10/2008, -3/+16A lot of places won't do separate checks. It doesn't make sense to me - you could theoretically get your own table separately - but still, many places will not separate the bill into individual orders.
      • centran, on 09/10/2008, -2/+43Some restaurants will refuse to split the checks. Never ask the waiter to split the checks after dinner. Always discuss it beforehand.
      • synystar, on 09/10/2008, -1/+13That's very good advice centran.
      • Tomchei, on 09/10/2008, -1/+18That ***** happens in real life.
        A friend of mine was invited to a restaurant party and there was alcohol being served.
        My friend does not drink at all and ordered conservatively and had to split the bill at like $100 a head.
      • nomadxx7, on 09/11/2008, -4/+4Because once you've ordered and the check has come it's a little rude to ask the waiter to split the checks. If, however, in the beginning they separated them then that would be a different story.
      • saltydawkins, on 09/11/2008, -0/+28Splitting only works when the orders are comparable and I do it all the time. I also usually have the waiter separate the food from the bar because plus or minus a couple bucks on a plate of food isn't that big of a deal, but the water drinker, or even cheap-beer-on-tap guy, shouldn't have to pay for my top-shelf drink.
      • coolshorty, on 09/11/2008, -1/+21Thanks CENTRAN!
        as a waiter myself i appreciate your consideration. All too often people come in in groups and start ordering, sometimes people will even order for others that have not arrived yet, then when the bill comes for the table, they say, "separate checks" expecting that i started a tab on the computer for: girl with big boobs, guy with baldspot, semi-pregnant chick, etc.
        Asking for separate checks as you order is best. I can provide as many receipts as you want but remembering who ordered what and how many is extremely difficult. Please don't do this to your server.
      • DivisibleByZero, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5My friends in college always wanted to do the math ourselves and throw in cash. Which was great when I was the guy with a credit card.
        They all bitched because they had been waiters and for some reason thought it was oh-so-hard to split up a check. Lazy *****.
      • LacY, on 09/11/2008, -1/+14Some restaurants won't split the bill, regardless of when you ask. I don't get it, but there it is. I hate it, because given a large enough group, someone *always* gets screwed. I've finally stopped inviting one friend, b/c every single time I've gone out with her, I (or me and the rest of the group) end up paying for part of her meal. She checks the bill, puts in her "share" and insists it's right... ignoring pesky things like drinks, tip, and tax. If her meal is priced at $10.99, she will put in $11 and be like "that should cover it." And then gets all pissy when you try to explain how that it no way covers it.

        Splitting the bill just makes things so much easier. I attended a birthday party at an Indian restaurant b/c it was a friend's favorite. I don't eat Indian food, so I only had a water and a piece of naan (no more than $3). When the check came (the place refused to split), everyone decided to just split it down the middle--there were at least 20 of us, and several people had gotten drinks, appetizers, etc. I ended up paying about $30+tip for my piece of naan. I didn't feel comfortable refusing to pay the extra, but in hindsight I wish I had, not b/c I couldn't cover the $30, but out of principle.
    • haikuFU, on 09/10/2008, -1/+151My buddy went out for birthday drinks with some girls he met in Santa Clara. They went to some crazy expensive champagne bar, and he just had a single glass of cheap champagne. All of the girls ordered bottles, and the total came to over $5k. He paid for his glass only, and every single one of those girls bitched and screamed at him as they paid their portion on their daddy's credit card. He left.

      A couple weeks later, he looks at his credit card statement, and there was a charge on it for "his portion." He called the place, threatened to report them for fraud, and they reversed the charge. He then gave them the contact info for all of the girls that were there and the bar went after those girls. They all called him several times a day for over a month to yell at him and call him an *****.

      What the ***** is wrong with people? Stupid spoiled rich girls think everyone owes them something.
      • sildude, on 09/11/2008, -0/+39man people like that make me physically sick. How can anyone in their right mind behave like those bitches?
      • oxymoron69, on 09/11/2008, -0/+42...he shoulda paid cash
    • diulei, on 09/10/2008, -1/+52If you don't hang out with assholes, evenly splitting is no problem. If it's just a few dollars, sometimes you'll pay less, sometimes more.

      The problem is usually the people you're eating with. My friends and I usually split the bill evenly, but only after taking into consideration what people ordered. So if I only ordered a dessert because I wasn't hungry, I've never been expected to pay the "even" price among my close friends. Everyone order a plate for $12-14 and a drink? Then we split evenly and no one minds.
      • Zipko, on 09/11/2008, -0/+7^ this is what I do with friends too. guess it only works if you and your friends agree on it ahead of time. Noone really takes the time to crunch numbers and figure out what everyone owes, but it's common knowledge in our group that if your drank more than everyone else you should pay more. And if you ordered steak when everyone else got a sandwich you should pitch in a little extra.
      • Flamekebab, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3When I've gone out with friends and ordered as a group, we tend to just roughly split it evenly. I don't see all the fuss over a small amount more or less. A friend of mine paid for my lunch totally and my drinks on one occasion, no questions asked. Later I did the same for him.

        If you're having a problem with this sort of thing, you should probably get new friends!
    • EvilFerret, on 09/10/2008, -1/+43I don't think splitting the entire bill is very reasonable at all, I've never been requested to do this with my friends. If we go out for a special occasion such as a birthday, it's obviously assumed the person who is having the b-day isn't going to pay a dime. However the people attending the party should only pay for what they consumed themselves. What you split is the total cost of what the b-day girl/guy in question consumed.
      • Zipko, on 09/11/2008, -0/+9that works until the b-day person orders $200 worth of drinks for themselves when you only expected them to drink $50. Depending on the choice of restaurant, and what the people you're with are used to, it may be the birthday girl that's out of line and not the guests who don't want to pay.
    • awfulgrace, on 09/11/2008, -2/+11A group of economists actually did a study on this... and it's no surprise that how the bill is to be paid completely shifts how people order. The study was called "The Inefficiency of Splitting the Bill."

      It's total common sense, but the study showed that:
      Separate Checks = Lowest per-person order price
      Group Check = Mid per-person order price
      1-Person Pays = Extremely high per-person order

      http://econpapers.repec.org/article/ecjeconjl/v_3A ...

      or

      http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=c ...
    • Nerys, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5Hmmm I guess I am weird in this regard. I was also not raised in a wealthy environment at all. I was not poor. I had it much better than a lot of people but I struggle to pay my bills like anyone else.

      If its seperate checks I order anything I want based on whats in my pocket. If the host is paying I order very conservatively. I look for the $10-$12 meal and a soda and thats it. To me over ordering is rude but thats just me.

      I would never do a "split" the bill down the middle evenly. Thats just asking for trouble.
    • NCg8r, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1I also tend to order less if I am not paying for myself. My niece, on the other hand, ordered a whole rack of ribs when the rest of the table was having sandwiches. I could have strangled her...
  • nadcraker, on 09/10/2008, -2/+198I hate when people do crap like this. My girlfriend and I frequently share dinner plates at restaurants, because we're trying to save money and because the portions at most places are huge. Then the bill comes and everyone wants to just split it, since they ordered the extra sour cream with their potatoes and 3 mixed drinks. Yeah right *****(s), thanks a lot.
    • Hosalabad, on 09/10/2008, -0/+136Yeah exactly, it's never the person who just ate a salad and water who wants to split the check evenly.

    • natergin, on 09/10/2008, -1/+47For that reason, i always make it clear to the server that myself and my date are separate from the group. You can normally trust the server will remember that you wanted that.
      • Nupeper, on 09/10/2008, -1/+44I'm a server and yeah I wont lie like most people do and say we can't split a checks for a table, maybe you can't if you're an idiot... but just tell them before you order, its no problem... again unless your server is on the slow side...
    • foltaggio, on 09/10/2008, -22/+5Diggers have girlfriends?
      • jitterbits, on 09/10/2008, -1/+15Amazingly enough, some diggers ARE girlfriends.


        And no, that wasn't a gay joke.
    • Tomchei, on 09/10/2008, -6/+3You know, a family of 4 can eat a Carabbas for under $25 including tip by sharing meals.
      • xaxxon, on 09/11/2008, -1/+1Now THERE is a quality establishment. Mmm, chain italian. My favorite.
      • PrometheusBorn, on 09/11/2008, -1/+3I like Bravo Italian Cocina MUCH better. :)

        Though I've never come close to paying only $25 at Carabbas... for TWO. Not sure how 4 under $25 works out unless you goto Fazolis. :)

        Mmmmm... fooood.
    • mnemy, on 09/10/2008, -18/+6Damn you guys are stingy. If you're going out with a bunch of friends, then go with the flow. There's nothing more annoying than a couple people in a 10 person gathering wanting to coast the night on a salad and water and expect to pay $8 at the end of the night. When the bill comes, it's hard enough calculating how much everyone needs to pay plus tip. You start getting little side orders and things get real annoying. Add that on to people not paying the right amount, and you've got a bad end to a wonderful night.

      Be generous with your friends and they'll be generous back. Remember - all those outing you're going on, someone is probably paying double their split to cover for all the cheap asses to cover for the inevitable "we're short" complications.

      And if you can't afford it, then don't go. Make up an excuse, and make the next one.
      • mnemy, on 09/11/2008, -3/+14P.S. I'm talking about reasonable outtings. $500 for sushi (and I assume drinks) is something the host should have very clearly defined before the night, unless everyone in the group is used to that price range.
      • thebza451, on 09/11/2008, -3/+19screw that, if i'm "coasting the night" on salad and water and everyone else is eating steak and lobster, there's no way in hell i'm paying more than $8.00... if they want to split the bill and pay even amounts, they can eat salad and water too, otherwise have fun spending your own money on that buddy!
      • RidesAPaleHorse, on 09/11/2008, -2/+5Ah, but they CAN afford it if they go easy. It's not hard to figure out who ordered what and split the bill fairly. Let's take it a step up. Let's say I order the chicken and you order Surf and Turf. Is it fair if we split the bill 50/50?
      • audioscience, on 09/11/2008, -2/+7Wow, it sounds like you're the kind of douchebag "friend" that this article is written about.

        Glad to know my friends aren't like you and are good at elementary math.
      • basex, on 09/11/2008, -5/+4I agree 100% with this. Just be reasonable with your choices and in the end slipt the bill. I have when in the end there are discussions because it's missing 2 ou 3 euros. Most of the times I just put what's missing so we can leave the place.
      • 13373h4X0r, on 09/11/2008, -2/+6Why not simply do the math and pay for whatever you've actually consumed?

        It's arbitrary for a person to think that this would be "tacky" or "gauche". I realize that paying separately might be viewed as not being friendly enough to have some trust (that things will balance out) or generosity. However, you just need to relax and ignore those totally fake feelings.

        Paying individually totally avoids any potential tension. There's no pressure on anyone to make sure that the long term give and take eventually evens out. There's no bitterness, or guilt, when one person's amount of consumption is very different, higher or lower, than the average in a group. Is the sense of trust and generosity -- implicit in simply splitting the bill evenly -- worth all of the potential stress and unhappiness? NO!

        "Manners" has been defined as "behaving in a way such that other people feel at ease around you". The "rules" about how to hold silverware, and what to say in various situations, etc, are only hints to help people who have a difficult time imagining how their behavior might make other people feel. When paying a bill, I think that it would be more polite to pay individually, because it will make everyone feel more at ease. People have a keen sense of fairness, and people can take confidence and comfort in a situation that seems fair, even if they have to sacrifice a chance to test the trust of their friends.

        I would be concerned about potential friends who pressured people to engage in this "trust testing" or "mutual generosity" game. If a person doesn't have enough self-confidence in his or her friendship with other people to let them pay their own individual bills -- and regards individual bill paying as a sign of a lack of trust or genuine friendship -- then they really aren't capable of having healthy friendships.

        True friends will be trusting and generous when the need arises, and they don't need to be tested continuously with these little games.
      • twoyups, on 09/11/2008, -1/+4"When paying a bill, I think that it would be more polite to pay individually, because it will make everyone feel more at ease."

        The flaw with this logic lies in the wait staff. Asking a waiter/waitress to split a bill 10 ways is asking her to spend the next 40 minutes of a busy night cashing out checks at the register.

        I remember seeing a video showcasing a table with a touchscreen LCD monitor built into it. You basically ate dinner right on the monitor, using a menu interface for communicating selections to the kitchen, and it could even read a credit card by setting it on the touchscreen. Talk about handy.
      • Nerys, on 09/11/2008, -2/+3Let me get this straight. When 10 people walk into a restaurent for dinner they are being rude if they do not gang up and order together? your not being serious are you?

        the ONLY time its harder on the staff is when you wait till AFTER dinner to split the check if you ask first its a non issue at all.
      • Flamekebab, on 09/11/2008, -2/+2I'm wondering if it's an American thing to say "it's not fair that I pay". If you're not able to afford to split the bill, you don't go out. If money is that tight then eating out is just daft. Either that or talk to a friend before hand and get them to pay for you - cook them dinner later to pay them back.

        I can do the maths in my head to work out how much I need to pay for just what I ordered, but that's not important. We're eating as a group, we pay as a group. If one person ordered something insane and they don't say "I'll pay an extra share, guys" then they won't get invited out again, will they?

        Ye gods, it's as if money is the only thing that matters. If you're worrying about the cost of a meal, why are you eating there in the first place?

    • assbeard, on 09/11/2008, -2/+8Ya, i don't get that. when we go out with friends, everyone pays for what they got, and that's it. no splitting it.
    • RomeyRome, on 09/11/2008, -7/+2Poor people (you) suck.
      • barc0001, on 09/11/2008, -3/+7Excuse me? He sucks because he wants to be smart with his money and not subsidize other people with less control over their spending? Nice... You know who else wanted everyone to pay the same regardless of their usage? Comrade?
      • Flamekebab, on 09/11/2008, -3/+3He sucks because in a situation with a group of friends money is that much of a priority. If you're paying for some of other people's food as well, chances are you'll be well received and others will do the same for you in return.

        "It's not just about you"
      • fmoliveira, on 09/11/2008, -1/+3Look at this guy's history. All his comments are about money, and how cool he think he is because he has some, and how everyone else sucks.
  • geneticlemon, on 09/10/2008, -6/+95Wow ... your friends should only have to pay for you if they offer to take you out for a dinner. If you're the one inviting your friends, you either pay your own way, or pay for the entire party. Total lack of propriety on the girl's part -- ***** embarrassment to the gender.
    • thespiff, on 09/10/2008, -10/+16Any good reason why gender has to come into play here? Why not embarrassment to her race? Or to her socioeconomic class?
      • geneticlemon, on 09/10/2008, -5/+23I'm referring to the Bowman story, and not the other stories within the article. I'm only pointing her out because she's acting like an entitled princess, which seems to be an increasing problem in our society.
      • RidesAPaleHorse, on 09/11/2008, -0/+11I think thespiff's point was that it has nothing to do with her gender. She's not representing all females here, just a spoiled brat who thinks she was owed a fancy dinner for her birthday. Trust me, there are plenty of guys who would be capable of the same selfishness.

        But I agree with your sentiment. How dare she demand they pay when she invited them out, and then get upset when the other girl payed her fair share. Is it really that hard to take $50 out of the bill and split the REST evenly among the rest of the people?
      • UnMannedMission, on 09/11/2008, -1/+8"which seems to be an increasing problem in our society."

        Have you read a history book? People (male and female) have been entitled thundercunts since forever. Ain't exactly a new phenomena. And considering we have lived in a patriarchal society for centuries, one could argue they're just making up for lost time.
      • strongboar, on 09/11/2008, -0/+7I have a new favorite word... "thundercunt".
    • drunkinbda, on 09/10/2008, -1/+10i was gonna say, its jsut normal here that when you go to dinner the people pay for the bday person... after i think about it...we always take the bday person out, they dont invite us.

      hehe except recently... this guy asked us all out... ended up cancelling.. with stories like this, cant say i was disappointed.
      • RidesAPaleHorse, on 09/11/2008, -0/+8And that's the big difference. If my friends invited me out for my birthday, I'd assume they were paying. It all depends on how the invitation was made.
    • DiggzDE, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2It is an embarrassment to the entire human race. Society in general has become a bunch of clueless dolts who have no common sense or general idea of acceptable social manners and behavior.

      I can't begin to count the times I've had situations where you just sit there afterward wondering if the person has any idea how to interact with people in the real world or not.
    • LacY, on 09/11/2008, -0/+7Not only totally classless to expect them to pay, but then to have the nerve to call someone on not paying the "full" amount?? And suggesting "if you can't afford it, we can work out a payment plan?" That's the tackiest thing I've ever heard.
      • AmazingSteve, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3God, I'm a guy and that's the tackiest thing that I'VE ever heard I think
    • barc0001, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2Sadly it does reflect a bit on her gender, as a woman can try and get away with this, and in a good number of cases probably will. If a guy tried it, all his friends would look at him, snort in laughter and say "nice one, you had us going there for a second!".
  • ghostfaceDX, on 09/10/2008, -2/+118Did the menus not have prices listed? I would have taken one look and skadoodled. But this is me, I think a $15 steak at Outback is expensive.
    • TRScheel, on 09/10/2008, -1/+62I cant imagine people spending 3500 on a meal. Even if I was a millionaire, I would still go to places like Outback for my 'expensive' dining.
      • Louis11, on 09/10/2008, -3/+4Hell yea, Outback is awesome! I've been to a few nice places in my time, and the food almost never tastes as good or is in as big of portions as places like Outback :-)
      • d3dm, on 09/10/2008, -0/+103You'll appreciate this story then...

        Years ago I was in Bellevue, WA and went into one of those all-you-can-eat salad bar restaurants and lo and behold, Bill Gates was in line with his wife and kid ahead of me.

        The "world's richest man" paid for his family's meals and used a coupon.

      • jitterbits, on 09/10/2008, -0/+9High end restaurants don't usually list the prices on their menu. The same reason that they don't list prices at Louis Vuitton. They figure if you have to ask, you can't afford it. Sushi places, I imagine, would especially have this tendency as you might have little say in what you're ordering, depending on where you are.
      • Jeffler, on 09/10/2008, -1/+29d3dm - Stories like this make me like Gates more and more.

        Unless you're lying, then I hate you more and more. :P
      • Sunohara, on 09/11/2008, -0/+9Even if you have a lot of money there's still no reason not to be frugal.
      • Kazbaeden, on 09/11/2008, -1/+13@d3dm

        "Oh, I didn't get rich by writing a lot of checks. Buy 'im out boys!"
      • drachemorder, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2"Hell yea, Outback is awesome! I've been to a few nice places in my time, and the food almost never tastes as good or is in as big of portions as places like Outback"

        Is it just me, or does it seem that the quality of Outback has gone down lately? I used to love their steaks, but lately it seems the steak isn't as good, the sides are poor, and the salads are yellow and wilted. And this isn't just one restaurant --- I travel on business a lot and eat at chain restaurants all over the country.

        I don't really care that much ---- I prefer Texas Roadhouse myself. But just wondered if anyone else noticed and felt the same.
      • Louis11, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2@drachemorder
        Yea, I love Outback but I must admit the quality has declined a bit. Back in college and we the Roadhouse here is amazing :-) Best steaks by far. But comparatively speaking I would prefer to may a few bucks for a steak at Outback than a hundred at some 'fancy' restaurant.
      • LucianSolaris, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1@d3dm

        duh, you don't get rich like that spending $3000 on a plate of caviar

      • Nerys, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1No you get rich like that conning others to pay for your $3000 plates :-) hehehe
    • haikuFU, on 09/10/2008, -7/+12

      $3500 on a meal? I've done it on the company card when entertaining clients. There's no ***** way I'd do it with my own money. 99% of the people frequenting places that expensive are putting that ***** on a company card. And let's be honest here, a $3500 meal for 4 probably isn't much better than a $100 meal for 4. I have to entertain clients frequently, and I can't really think of any meal that expensive that really stood out.

      Personally, I'd rather eat at a hole in the wall cafe somewhere with good beer on tap. But, clients love it when you spend money on them, so that's what happens.
      • diulei, on 09/10/2008, -0/+8I assume you're in sales?
      • jitterbits, on 09/10/2008, -0/+15And consumers wonder why things are so expensive...
      • RidesAPaleHorse, on 09/11/2008, -1/+6You're not going to the right places. I'll agree that some expensive places are no better than a regular chain restaurant, but there are a number of expensive places that actually present an exceptional meal. Check out Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak in Vegas or New York, or Joel Robuchon 16-course tasting menu at the MGM Grand for some top drawer dining.
      • haikuFU, on 09/11/2008, -0/+0> I assume you're in sales?

        I'm an engineer, but I get roped into taking out clients because either my sales guys are too lazy, or the client would rather hang out with me than a sales guy. They tried to make me do sales engineering, but that's too close to sales for me.
    • nosecohn, on 09/10/2008, -2/+17Well, she did take a look at the menu and try to order cautiously. That's why she only put in $50.
    • LeonHRodriguez, on 09/10/2008, -0/+13dugg for skadoodled
  • GoKings, on 09/10/2008, -0/+83The first one was absolutely ridiculous. Not only was it wrong for the birthday girl, but it was rude for all of the other guests to not realize she ordered so little and clearly allow her to pay for the little portion she had. Whatever, clearly you don't want to be friends with people like that anyways. It isn't their loss at all.
    • ptemple, on 09/10/2008, -30/+3She shouldn't be going out with people out of her social league. She had a menu with the prices on, and if she couldn't afford it then she should have said so before ordering. If the accepted norm in that social circle is to split then you go with the rules. When you go out there will always be some deadbeat that is going to try and get out of paying, no matter what the budget is. Normally that group will accept the loss and the person who invited that person carries the social stigma of having invited them. However trying to chase up payment for the bill afterwards is poor form. It shows that girl was just playing at being at that social level. No money is "owed" unless there is some agreed verbal contract beforehand.

      Phillip.
      • xtreme571, on 09/11/2008, -0/+21dude...since when is it a ***** "NORM" to invite people to your birthday and after everybody has ordered and ate then say "WE SPLIT THE BILL"

        i was brought up telling "IF YOU HOST A PARTY, DONT YOU DARE LOOK AT YOUR GUESTS FOR ANYTHING TO PITCH IN"

        If I take out my friends to eat, I PAY, and If someone takes me out to diinner...I EXPECT THEM TO PAY
      • DatruKatalyst, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5ptemple,

        you seem to be very out of touch with social realities.

        I'm worried. Get out more, for the love of God!!
      • 13373h4X0r, on 09/11/2008, -1/+2The only "social league" that the people at that party belonged to was the "rudeness league"! LOL!
      • Seemefearme, on 09/11/2008, -0/+4DatruKatalyst: While I don't agree with ptemple entirely, he isn't out of touch with social realities. It is very much like this in many social circles. Don't have the money to go do what I do? What can we do then? A lot of people are into doing things. Some circles are into expensive dining. I don't think it's out of touch to have experience with that.

        As an example: My mother runs a small business and makes enough money with my father to pay bills, save a bit, and have some moderate fun each month. But because she has a business she knows people of all social classes. When spending time with those friends who are well off, she often has to spit out $50 for a lunch because of the places they would picked. Some times she just flat out denies the invitation if she can't afford it or suggests another place more affordable. Often times they agree, because her friends aren't shallow like most rich people.

        So I believe ptemple may be correct on a level. Don't play at rich friends unless you know you can do it, or they are conscious of your budget level. Either way the birthday chick in the story was a douchebag.
  • AlanFang, on 09/10/2008, -65/+9Good thing CNN keeps us posted on such important issues while children starve in Africa.
    • Goblin, on 09/10/2008, -0/+83Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise we were running out of pages on the Internet.
    • bobsaysblah, on 09/10/2008, -0/+30Its not like they stop reporting on everything else to focus in on this one story.
    • CaptObvious, on 09/10/2008, -0/+42Good thing we've got you here to be an *****. If you're so worried about the starving children in Africa, go do something about it. Or, ya know, just take the easy route and judge others from your computer.
    • proteus8898, on 09/10/2008, -2/+25I found this article much more interesting then anything about Africa.
    • foxhound009, on 09/10/2008, -0/+17it's in the Life section of cnn.
    • Ravatar, on 09/10/2008, -1/+19It is an important social issue.


      You wouldn't understand.
    • 0rko, on 09/10/2008, -0/+18Children are still starving in Africa? And here I thought "We Are The World" solved all that. Thanks for keeping us on our toes there, Mr. Moral Compass!
    • robbh66, on 09/10/2008, -1/+7Yes, because I'd rather read about children starving, people dying of disease, men falling into heavy machinery, etc all day long. Would really motivate me to keep on reading.
    • XenophobicAlien, on 09/11/2008, -2/+3***** Africa, let em starve
  • kylere, on 09/10/2008, -0/+31150 bucks is cheap to eliminate an idiot from your life. I applaud her for not paying.
    • kenplaysviola, on 09/10/2008, -2/+27sadly the birthday girl will probably take her to court and it will turn into one of THOSE cases you hear of.
      • fattymcgee311, on 09/10/2008, -0/+8I'll keep my eye on Judge Judy...surely it will show up there...
      • xtreme571, on 09/11/2008, -0/+15unless the terms of the party were outlined prior to the fact that they ordered food...she isnt getting JACK
      • nothing4me, on 09/11/2008, -0/+0If she isn't getting Jack, will she get the money?
        Bricks will be shat.
    • LeonHRodriguez, on 09/10/2008, -15/+5I eliminate any idiots that enter my life free of charge :)

      /Murderer joke
    • Creeture, on 09/10/2008, -0/+32I think the old saying goes something like this: "If you loan somebody $20 and you never see them again, it was probably worth it."
    • timothydonohue, on 09/11/2008, -1/+17isn't that the truth. a really good friend of mine just recently took a girl to hawaii, while there popped off 5500 for a rolex for her, and then the next day, while still in hawaii, she says that she isn't interested in him. and, this is a girl that he's been with before. naturally, she kept the rolex, and probably knew while he was buying it that she was only milking him already for the trip to hawaii, so why not milk the cow dry, she thinks...so...it was an expensive lesson in ***** people.
      • kylere, on 09/11/2008, -0/+16Sounds like your friend needs to adjust his lifestyle as much as she does
    • VinnieDaMac, on 09/11/2008, -1/+5If she was gonna avoid her forever then she should have not paid at all.
  • socalftw, on 09/10/2008, -16/+7Falcon Punch.
  • teh_spazz, on 09/10/2008, -16/+5What the *****?

    At least the guy had a solid pair to walk out like that.
  • zbeast, on 09/10/2008, -2/+187A $3,500 dollar sushi dinner...
    It better have come with after dinner cocaine complimentary free gold coke spoons.

    I would have just gotten up and walked out.
    • bbqsalad, on 09/10/2008, -0/+57Yeah and there were only 8 people total at that dinner, how in the *****?
    • worseforwine, on 09/10/2008, -0/+31My mind is reeling at this too! How is that even possible?
    • Kenzan, on 09/10/2008, -17/+3Complimentary free is redundant.
      Unless you meant to say it was Complimentary 3,500.00 bucks, which is what the story was about.
    • ptemple, on 09/11/2008, -1/+13I've been to a sushi dinner roughly that price at St James in London. I tried to excuse myself when I saw the menu, saying I couldn't afford it, but one lady kindly said she would put my bill on her company card. It was very nice indeed. Though Japanese food tends to be expensive as it relies on premium ingredients, sake is much like any other wine in that you get different brands and the top brands command top prices.

      Phillip.
      • jmhyer51, on 09/11/2008, -0/+19Don't sign your name at the end of your comment, unless you have an awesome middle name.


        Jason Maximus Hyer
      • assbeard, on 09/11/2008, -1/+3dude, come to vancouver for sushi. cheap as all hell and ***** tasty!
    • clumsytime, on 09/11/2008, -1/+11It adds up fast with food that's $100 a plate, $40 cocktails, $200 bottles of wine and $500 bottles of liquor...you'd be surprised at what kind of crazy expensive restaurants there are out there. I can easily see people averaging $450 per person on a fancy place.

      I went to a trade show in Vegas in July, and 12 of us ran up about $6,000 on dinner one night. I had a $200 Kobe beef steak and everyone else wasn't far behind, we all shared some appetizers, and we got a ton of drinks and some wine and some got dessert. It adds up FAST. My boss had a $400 order of caviar...but hey, he was paying so he can do whatever the hell he wants and I won't judge him!

      And this was the 'cheaper' version of that dinner since we are trying to save money this year. Last year the same group (I wasn't here yet) spent $12,000, also for 12 people and at the same restaurant. But that was because they ordered several $1000 - $2000 bottles of wine...
      • sildude, on 09/11/2008, -0/+6Well, I understand such expensive dinners if someone, who can afford it, is generous enough to pay for the others. The point of the event is having a great time and letting others experience foods they normally wouldn't be able to. It's a different matter, if you let your guests pay for your own damn ***** and later have the audacity to send them an angry e-mail.
      • OutThere, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3I'd hate to be the guy who orders first! Errr, sorry boss, that wasnt cheap enough? err, ha-ha kidding about no bonus, right?
      • clumsytime, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3^sildude: Hey believe me buddy, I agree with you. This woman in the story is a moron. I was just explaining how you can rack up a bill since people seemed surprised at how you can possibly spend $450/person!
      • tuffguy, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1ahhh kobe beef is so good. i just had some last week in kobe. smallest portion of meat i've received for $120, but by far the best. i went by myself so that i didn't run into any splitting the bill problems. i think that was a one-time deal though, unless i come back to japan in the next few years with a wad of cash.
      • effect1, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5I wanna work where you work...
      • AmazingSteve, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1Ahhh Vegas. I love NAB in the Spring on the Company dime.
  • wedges, on 09/10/2008, -2/+64gotta love the upper-class behavior of the upper-class!
    • timothydonohue, on 09/11/2008, -1/+13some of the biggest douches i've ever met were ivy league. of course, i've met more than a few non-ivy league smug douchebags too...
  • Kohaxx, on 09/10/2008, -1/+147Solution to all of the situations:
    Don't have ***** friends.
    • xptoast, on 09/11/2008, -0/+7I would have to say most of the poppulation of this world is comprised by those in which you wish to avoid. Finding the other tiny portion of people is difficult.
      • Kohaxx, on 09/11/2008, -0/+8Yes and no, once you've been friends with an ***** once, or burnt by an ***** once you usually know the signs to look for.

        *Over-inflated self-ego
        *No real attachment to friends coming and going
        *Pushy or aggressive demeanor
        *Can't disagree with anyone in a civilized manner
        *Often angry towards family members without just cause

        Seriously, any one of those signs should be a hint to stay the hell away from that person. They will rip you off, trash talk you behind your back, and be genuinely immature pricks whether they be male or female and you're much better off without them.

        Granted the rest of people may be flawed in some other regard but they're far less likely to burn you and not give a stone.
  • nads, on 09/10/2008, -0/+63To be honest I'm used to friends paying for the birthday persons meal but wtf kind of selfish bitch invites friends to pay for a $3.5k dinner.
    • vroom101, on 09/11/2008, -8/+2From the article...

      The acquaintance [Birthday Girl] sent Bowman an angry e-mail.

      "She [Birthday Girl] wanted me to know that I totally ruined her birthday dinner because she ended up having to cover the $450 that I was supposed to pay. She said she had planned to use that money on a spa day for her birthday and now she couldn't because of me. She asked if I could please pay her back, and if I didn't have the money right now, that was OK, because she would be willing to make payment arrangements with me.

      "I didn't pay ... and she's no longer my friend or acquaintance."
  • psychtaygar, on 09/10/2008, -20/+2I would've paid the $7.00 for my own meal, and then the 1/7 of the price of whatever the birthday girl ate. That couldn't end up being that much.
    • NathanielJ, on 09/10/2008, -0/+8That's OK, reading is hard.
    • xscientist, on 09/10/2008, -0/+2Math! Demand it!

      I completely concur.
    • enantiodromia, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1$7 for sushi?
      • StaticThunder, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1That will get you a california roll and a glass of water.
      • bbqsalad, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1by A California roll, do you mean the entire sliced roll? Or one slice of a California roll?
  • thaprinze, on 09/10/2008, -28/+149Ugh! Another Cindy McCain article...
  • jigga, on 09/10/2008, -0/+38No thank you.
    When I go out to dinner, I try to keep the group under 6 people; more than that and you're just asking for trouble.
    During those times when my girlfriend and I are faced with the unavoidable large group, we request a separate check. There is no way in hell that I'm going to pay for the a**holes at the end of the table who decide that tonight's the night they need bottle service.

    And if I went to a birthday party where someone "expected" me to pay? F' them. I'd pay my share and walk out just like the woman in this story. I don't need (or want) friends like that.
    • ptemple, on 09/11/2008, -4/+7I invite 30-40 people to my birthday and I always arrange a fixed-price menu including infinite wine and soft drinks. Extras such as beers and coffee have to be paid directly to the waiter upon delivery. Works out pretty well. People know before-hand how much they have to pay and there is no need to calculate the bill at the end. Normally only half a dozen people fail to pay and I'm never more out of pocket than a couple of hundred bucks. Great fun, and not having to worry about how much you order or drink leads to a riotous time.

      Phillip.
  • BigMacMcChicken, on 09/10/2008, -2/+103Here's how I do it:

    Find out what birthday boy/girl wants (within reason), go to the bar, order one for them, one for me. Drink....

    Happy Birthday. Everybody does that and the birthday boy/girl is drunk for free. Tada.

    • Kenzan, on 09/10/2008, -0/+24Dugg because you are a very nice person.
    • 42Vindictive, on 09/10/2008, -0/+16I dunno why you we're getting dugg down, that's perfectly reasonable. Someone buys you beer, you find a place to have it, and bam, party.
    • singularityv, on 09/10/2008, -3/+2Some friends and I did that at a bachelor party once. It was the night before the wedding. That was fun...
    • Shenaniganz08, on 09/10/2008, -0/+3this is exactly how it should be
    • ell0bo, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3I didn't know there was another way of doing it. And if you're having party at your place, you supply the drinks and food. At least with my group of friends, you always know they'll return the favor with something at their place sometime. Worst was visiting other colleges. I went to Penn State, there you never have to pay to go to a party. May be a tip cup laying around, but people always take turn hosting the parties and everyone is invited. I went to a few parties and just to walk in the door I had to pay money. I really didn't visit many other campuses after a while.
      • singularityv, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2Yeah--I've never had to pay to go to a party.

        At most parties I've been to the host supplies everything (and also encourages us to bring more stuff, but it's not required), but I've been to a couple of parties that were BYOB. For those, the host told us beforehand that she was broke and we'd need to bring our own booze. But we still didn't have to pay--I could've gone and either not drank or hope other people brought stuff they'd share.
    • effect1, on 09/11/2008, -1/+2[insert Wall-E "ta-daaa!" sound wav file]
  • moezes, on 09/10/2008, -7/+6that's terrible... although she should have spoke up right away and said she was not going to split a bill evenly with such unevenly priced dishes instead of running away.
    • lynx44, on 09/10/2008, -1/+3I doubt she knew, places like that don't usually advertise their prices.
  • youliveinfear, on 09/10/2008, -45/+4buried as inaccurate: article says 8 people and picture only shows 4
  • damian7, on 09/10/2008, -2/+52Jesus Christ, I don't even pay 5-Star escorts that much
  • orb9220, on 09/10/2008, -12/+29First I heard of this phenomena.... Just how shallow have our young people become? To feel SO Entitled !...So Spoiled!...So Self-Centered !

    Today's Parents have failed miserably. I would be ashamed if my daughter's had turned out that way.

    And I know when I say Young that I am talking of a whole group and that is a generalization. But in my observations of life I do find the majority behave in this manner. And I blame the Parents,Society first and the spoiled,self-centered,selfish one second.

    • thespiff, on 09/10/2008, -3/+12"I am talking of a whole group and that is a generalization"

      Quoted for truth. Settle down, there are much better examples of how society is going down the crapper.
    • artfiend77, on 09/10/2008, -8/+2I think you're getting buried down cause you forgot to add that people need TO BEAT their children.
    • mst3kcrow, on 09/10/2008, -3/+3Not all of us are like that, although I see it in heavy numbers around this campus. Then again I am considered an "old soul".
    • mikeevegas, on 09/10/2008, -1/+10I'm getting tired of these types of generalizations about "today's young people". Selfishness isn't a modern day creation, it's reared it's ugly head for as long as man has been around.
      • jitterbits, on 09/11/2008, -1/+3Yeah, but it does seem to be rearing it more frequently. Plus, if all of humanity acted like this for eternity, we never would have survived as a species to make it this far. Unfortunately (for us, at least), if we keep it up, we risk not surviving as a species much longer.
    • aerospace, on 09/10/2008, -0/+6"Just how shallow have our young people become?"

      Now I'm not saying 39 [the age of the woman in the first part of the article] is old, but I wouldn't consider 39 to be of the set "young people." Whatever parenting the birthday girl in that party received was long ago, and doesn't really reflect on "today's parents."
    • FearMoth, on 09/11/2008, -1/+5"Today's Parents have failed miserably. I would be ashamed if my daughter's had turned out that way."

      Of course you would, because you'd be one of them.
    • ell0bo, on 09/11/2008, -0/+4And we get to pick a wife out of this bunch... YAY!
      • mst3kcrow, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1Go to a foreign country, meet a woman that isn't a bitch, get engaged for roughly 5-6 years, then import?
  • bbqsalad, on 09/10/2008, -4/+89I would have puked in her mouth
    • granolajoe, on 09/10/2008, -2/+13Dammit. That made laugh out loud in the super-quiet office I work in :D
    • FearMoth, on 09/11/2008, -8/+2I would have fed her drinks and violated her later that night.
    • Plower, on 09/11/2008, -2/+32 girls 1 finger...

      • Plower, on 09/12/2008, -1/+1if you dugg me down you've obviously never seen it, it's almost as gross as the original
    • ThaDRD, on 09/11/2008, -4/+1I would have ***** in her mouth.
  • amandafarrow, on 09/10/2008, -2/+9Nads--
    a cooler is like a mike's hard lemonade or a bacardi breezer.. (mixed drink in a bottle)

    I'm all for chipping in an paying for someone's birthday dinner, but not a 500 per person dinner and not when they're going to be a bitch about it. and the whole BYOF...it's called a potluck. any party i have ever thrown, i've completely covered the costs.
    • kashem, on 09/10/2008, -0/+16re: BYOF/Potluck.
      They're not describing the same thing. In a potluck, the food is shared among all guests. What the article is describing is that they brought their own food... only for themselves.
      The couple who brought the london broil left their stuff and I bet people helped themselves to it, stingy bastards.
      • ErickStevenson, on 09/10/2008, -1/+11Yah I would have taken my ***** and ate that stuff at home... *****'em!
  • dtfinch, on 09/10/2008, -2/+44Shouldn't have ordered that side of oral sex.
  • kashem, on 09/10/2008, -0/+53The entire article just seems bizarre to me. WTF is wrong with these people? Family parties are usually paid & provided by the host, unless it's potluck style where you can volunteer to bring some food addition. The last story in the article had people bringing their own *****... only for THEMSELVES. What... the... hell... Why be so compartmentally antisocial to a social gathering?
    I'm not against helping paying for some kind of celebration dinner, but springing it on to everyone in that manner is just stupidity at its best.
    • Dronez, on 09/10/2008, -0/+14I had the same thoughts when I read the piece. WTF is wrong with these people.
    • rald84, on 09/10/2008, -1/+2oh i got ***** like that at a block party in my neighborhood once. everything minus the meat was potluck style. the meat was kept for oneselves.

      its like some hybrid "don't share the good stuff" party
    • nicheplayer, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1"only for THEMSELVES. What... the... hell... Why be so compartmentally antisocial to a social gathering?"

      Seriously? I've been to dozens of parties like this. Bring a side dish or chips or some *****, then bring something you like to throw on the grill. Why's this good? Because I don't *want* to share the $.12/lb. ground beef burger some cheap douche brought along. I like good food. Same goes for booze. Life's too short to sit around drinking Sam Adams. It's why BYOB was invented.
  • Farmer77, on 09/10/2008, -1/+57A 15% tip for that bill is 517.50. LOL.
    • ElGuano, on 09/10/2008, -4/+5Don't forget, at a place that posh, you don't typically put 15% tip. Norm would be 18-20% (unfortunately).
      • ErickStevenson, on 09/10/2008, -2/+6I never got that, unless their service was really great I would never tip that huge, then again if you are willing to pay that much for it, then you probably have money to tip, unless you're unfortunate enough to be screwed like the person in the article.
      • xaxxon, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3Not only that, but I *NEVER* tip even 15% on wine. Presumably at that cost there was wine (or some sort of alcohol).
    • NecroDigg, on 09/10/2008, -14/+2I never tip. *****'em
      • Pardis, on 09/10/2008, -3/+11I hope you never eat at the same place twice, because i can guarantee you that your food is ***** with.
      • TalkingBanana, on 09/11/2008, -1/+2I'm a waiter. ***** you.
      • dustinbolton, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5So it's not really a tip, is it? It's a "don't spit in my food" toll.

        ***** them for messing with my food if I don't tip. That's just wrong.
      • NecroDigg, on 09/11/2008, -1/+4Listen, tipping may be standard in your country, but over here, waiters make decent money. They DO NOT need tips.

        Tipping is rare, but it does happen. But only if they provide excellent service. Nobody is going to pay them extra to do what they're already being payed to do by their employer.

        My point is that different countries often have different etiquettes and social rules.
      • Nerys, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5I have a big problem with "tipping" tipping is optional. PERIOD. It is MY decision if I want to tip or not and I will accept NO SOCIAL pressure to do so.

        NOW with that asside. I TIP because I WANT TO. It makes me feel good. No other reason. If the service sucks I DO NOT TIP. if the tip is "mandatory" I walk out and make sure they know THATS why I am walking out.

        The fundamental problem here is that its NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY to pay the wadges of your employees and that is how TIPS work in the United States. They have the legal "ok" to pay these poor hardworking people LESS than minimum wage "because" they get tips.

        The problem is TIPS are not mandatory. If no one gets no tips they STILL have to pay taxes on "assumed" tips and they still get paid LESS than minimum wage.

        Thats just sick. SO the "idea" that tips are mandatory and you are shunned if you do not is put forth so they can perpetuate this "crap" on us.

        ***** is what I say. I say they start paying these people right. THATS what I say.

        YOU EARN tips you do not DESERVE tips. EVEN IF YOU EARN them you are not ENTITLED to them. They are at MY DISCRETION.

        YOUR pay is a problem between your employer and you. WHAT I PAY is whats on the menu. That is the end of my moral obligation.
      • Flamekebab, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1Damn straight. I normally don't tip. If I'm with a group of people, chances are we'll tip, not huge, but whatever we can afford, as dealing with us cordially deserves a tip.

        I was at lunch with my girlfriend for a few hours yesterday - because we stuck around so long and the staff were so accommodating, I left a fairly large tip, relatively speaking, something like 10 - 15%.

        However, if we're just there a short time and just order simply, chances are I won't tip. Waiting staff aren't amazingly well paid, but they're not underpaid either, at least not where I live.

    • Intercon, on 09/11/2008, -0/+8I'm certain a 18% gratuity has already been added to that total. It's usually obligatory in fine dining restaurants when serving a table of, say 8 or more.
    • timothydonohue, on 09/11/2008, -0/+3i dated a girl for a while that waitressed in vail after finishing her degree, and she would make some serious bank. tabs ran over a thousand all the time. you figure a couple tables like that, per night, at 20%, and that's pretty damn good money.

      of course, rent in vail is obnoxious during the winter season, but even so...
    • tuffguy, on 09/11/2008, -0/+13i think tipping has become a ridiculous part of our culture. a tip is supposed to be "hey you did a very good job and made me feel welcome, i think this is what you deserve for your professionalism" but it's turned into an expectation and you're an ass if you tip less than 15%. one of the best things about living in japan is that you absolutely, under no circumstances, tip anyone because it's actually rude. it makes life so much easier. makes going to the bar, eating at a restaurant, or getting a taxi ride much easier. you can plan your funds at the beginning of the night, and not wonder how much you tipped the hot bartender and why you don't have enough cash to get home. and the service is just as good, if not better (there aren't ***** servers who do a ***** job of serving you because you appear to be a college student).
      • InsaneOni, on 09/11/2008, -1/+1Well, then restaurants need to start paying their servers more...which will mean an increase in the price of your food. My roommate was a server at a bar and she worked her ***** ass off to make between $15 and $25 an hr on the nights she worked. I sat in an air conditioned office at a computer and got payed $13 an hour (I was an intern) and I definitely know she had to work a lot harder for her money than I did, I was getting the bargain.
      • tuffguy, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1i understand what you're trying to say, but i do have to disagree. i'm used to paying no more than $10 for a more filling and better tasting meal than i can get for that amount of money (without the tip) in the US. in fact, i can get a healthy, filling, and amazingly good tasting meal for around $6, while at the same time having a very helpful and more personal experience from my waiter/waitress. the beer is the only reason my meals are expensive here.
  • foxhound009, on 09/10/2008, -2/+10lolz that's above rude right there... for me it seems obvious that the one inviting someone to dinner is paying, unless the whole party decided to split the costs...
    Who does such a thing?
    • ptemple, on 09/11/2008, -3/+3It's a cultural thing. When I am with English friends the birthday person is not expected to pay for their own meal or drinks. When with Russian friends the birthday person pays for everything for everyone. When with French friends everybody pays for their own food and drinks, right down to the centime.

      Phillip.
  • GREEDOnvrFIRED, on 09/10/2008, -0/+63These people NEVER WERE FRIENDS. This article doesn't point out how going to a party can get expensive. It points out that people no longer know how to conduct interpersonal relationships. New headline "Welcome to the party -- You hang out with assholes."
  • JMilton, on 09/10/2008, -1/+121Thank you for reading my comment. That will be $400 each.
    • KingGorilla, on 09/10/2008, -5/+42Oh so only 3 euros. Keep the change
    • DrNafork, on 09/10/2008, -1/+16I dugg you up and I replied to you. That will be $800.

      Reading this message is free of charge...
    • pakakapa, on 09/10/2008, -2/+7I dugg you up. That'll be $500, thanks.
    • JMilton, on 09/10/2008, -3/+2Well, I dugg up all of you after someone else dugg you down. That will be $2500. You can split among yourselves, and I won't hold any grudge if you pay me in euros or solid gold. My SPA awaits!
    • SixOrSoPapers, on 09/10/2008, -0/+21*drops three quarters on the table and closes browser, avoids any future email from JMilton*
    • xptoast, on 09/11/2008, -2/+8I like this meme. I will use it.
      • JMilton, on 09/11/2008, -1/+2If you do that, you'd better be in charge of the Federal Reserves.
  • BeeArePro, on 09/10/2008, -3/+46I don't have to worry about this because I'll never get invited to a party, because i have no friends, IRL.
    • jwoulf, on 09/10/2008, -1/+7SUP /b/?
    • ericisroot, on 09/10/2008, -0/+6I will be your friend. Tomorrow is my birthday (no really it is) would you like to go to Fridays with me (all pay our own meal). =)
    • xaxxon, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1redundant much?
    • MeatBallsack, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1whats the point of a friend who cant digg your stories?
  • mst3kcrow, on 09/10/2008, -0/+45I like to celebrate my b-day at home, that way it's a smaller crowd with more interaction and better people. I cover beer, liquor, and food; everyone just has to bring themselves. I loathe the thought of "hey come to my party and throw down $5 for food/drinks/etc". ***** having people pay, I much rather foot the bill myself and host a good time.
    • timothydonohue, on 09/11/2008, -0/+5damn straight. a proper party is one you host and nobody pays for a damn thing. get a couple friends that are like-minded, and it's a good time.
  • lisaatucla, on 09/10/2008, -0/+38Yep, happened to me. My husband and I were invited to a rehearsal dinner. I only ordered soup while the "host" kept ordering expensive bottles of wine. My soup turned into a $50 bill.

    These ppl always have to order the "best" because they know they are not getting stuck with the bill.
    • purzzzell, on 09/10/2008, -0/+6wtf is with "hosts" hosting OTHER PEOPLE'S PARTIES then expecting the bill to be shared?
    • basex, on 09/11/2008, -11/+1No you are the one wrong here. You should just ask for a regular price dish as everyone and in the end share the bill with the others. I don't think the others should all eat only a soup because you are stingy. This thing of separating everything in the end not only takes a lot of time and leads to mistake as it also brings a bad end to a nice dinner.

      and 50$ for one person is not that expensive. If you are in small budget simply don't go to dinners.
      • Mothrog, on 09/11/2008, -1/+4Are you the first girl? Here's a crazy idea: just get separate checks and pay for your own damn food instead of demanding everyone subsidize you.
  • proteus8898, on 09/10/2008, -4/+28Anyone paying $500 for sushi is being brutally ripped off. Some of the BEST sushi you can get can easily cost as much as $150 a person, but you can get some extremely fresh sushi with good atmosphere for less than $100 per person and leave pretty satisfied.

    • elalonde, on 09/10/2008, -0/+43I don't know where you live, but here in the real world we eat fresh sushi for around $20/person.
      • singularityv, on 09/10/2008, -1/+7Ditto. There are a couple of sushi buffets around here in that range (about $18-23 during dinner, a bit less during lunch).
      • lisaatucla, on 09/10/2008, -4/+1$20 gets you how many rolls? Geez it's like $7-25 per roll in Los Angeles.
      • DigxDug, on 09/11/2008, -1/+0I don't know why you're being dug down lisaatucia, here in Boston rolls are about 7-15 dollars as well, at the cheap spots.
      • Mothrog, on 09/11/2008, -1/+1"$20 gets you how many rolls? Geez it's like $7-25 per roll in Los Angeles."

        Yes, but in LA there are a lot of morons with more money than brains, and they can charge those prices and still have customers. In the real world, there aren't too many places restaurants can charge that much and be in business for more than a month.
      • xaxxon, on 09/11/2008, -2/+1You have no idea what you're missing at $20/person. The best stuff is quite a bit more than that.
      • singularityv, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2@lisaatucla

        I'm talking about buffets. As in all you can eat.
      • StarExtreme, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2I can get all-you-can-eat sushi around here for around $10 at lunch per person, add a couple more bucks for dinner or weekends.
      • XanthZeax, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2My girlfriend is in Japan (exchange for school) and we always went to this sushi place beside her house, she still says that place is kick ass. We'd get food + 2 beers it'd come out to about 75-90 bucks. She still says that stuff is really good compared to what she has in Yokohama. (Although Yokohama is understandably better.)

        I'm in Edmonton, land-locked. Don't know what the ***** is wrong with LA.

        7-25 per roll, ***** that.
    • Blurker, on 09/10/2008, -0/+14Sake.

      I'm guessing that at least half the bill would have been alcohol.
    • spacemanspork, on 09/10/2008, -3/+5actually the top sushi place in southern california will run someone $300-$500/person. people who go there claim it's worth it. of course no one goes there unless they're either rich or a foodie. i know someone that has gone there and he said it was worth it and probably one of his favorite restaurants. Top 5. He's a foodie though that doesn't hesitate dropping hundreds on good food when the opportunity arises.

      the meal itself apparently is a 4 hour dinner and not just sushi. i want to try it sometime but i can't justify the cost.

      http://www.laweekly.com/locations/urasawa-115239/

      You can get pretty good sushi for around $20/person though at various places. Very good sushi can run you much more.
      • Beatmiser, on 09/10/2008, -1/+2I love living in Hawaii where you can get the best damn sushi you'll ever eat, fresh out of the water 3 hours earlier for less than $50- a person.
      • Aokubidaikon, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1Dude. For $500 you can fly to Japan, have good sushi and then fly back.
      • MysticSavage, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1For that kind of money, I hope they got some sex before they left.
    • deathandtaverns, on 09/10/2008, -0/+3I've always been partial to the 75% off sushi at the sushi king after 8:00pm. Haven't gotten sick... yet
    • diulei, on 09/10/2008, -0/+2Best sushi I've had? Tsukiji fish market, Toyko. Great meal for under US$12. Tax included, no need for tip.

      As a SoCal resident, trendy "Japanese" sushi places sell you an ambiance and feed your ego for $10 a piece (triple digit dinners); they're not just selling. Though I suppose the same goes for lots of food.
    • kinseyincanada, on 09/10/2008, -0/+2you can say that about any restaurant, but the fact is that there are many high priced restaurants and they do have better food, but you can get a perfectly good sushi dinner for for like $25 all you can eat or you can go to a place like Tojos in Vancouver and pay that for one roll.
    • Lavarock, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2I can easily burst my stomach on 40 bucks worth of sushi. I don't know what pretentious ***** you're ordering from, but I eat a lot of sushi and I pay anywhere from $5.75 for a small meal to $25 for a gut-popping fishgasm of fresh, prime raw fish. $500 dollars is absolutely inexcusable. Not even some ***** Fugu should cost you nearly that much.
    • jdh358, on 09/11/2008, -3/+1I wouldn't even pay $20 for uncooked food. The only thing sushi is good for is bait to catch a real fish to COOK!
      • arcticblue, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1Not all sushi is uncooked. Not all sushi is fish either.
  • aolshove, on 09/10/2008, -1/+60It's funny how the people who suggest splitting the tab are usually the ones who order the most expensive crap.
  • SnuKs, on 09/10/2008, -0/+36I'd understand if everyone order something in a similar price range, but splitting a $3500 bill when you ordered probably about $30 of food? Yea right! I'd be gimme the receipt, this is what I ordered, here's the money. I'm sure it was the idiot that had the more expensive thing that suggested the split. What a no class bastard.
    • LacY, on 09/11/2008, -1/+2It's *always* the person who orders the most expensive stuff who sweetly suggests "lets just split it evenly." Never the person who got a salad and glass of water.
  • brutusx, on 09/10/2008, -1/+38Glad I am not gullible enough to let someone convince me that their food is worth $500.
  • falconbrad, on 09/10/2008, -1/+9I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I feel like it's customary to pay for the birthday boy/girl when you go out. In most cases, even at a relatively expensive restaurant, if there are 5 or 6 other people, it's minor addition to the cost of your food. On the other hand, if we had a birthday party for a friend or acquaintance at a restaurant and the bill turned out to be 500 bucks a person... Yeah, it wouldn't go over well with me or anyone else.
    • jdh358, on 09/11/2008, -0/+1I agree. But the "restaurant" for my friends' parties would be Chuck E. Cheese!
  • xpinchx, on 09/10/2008, -0/+23I can't believe people actually do this.
  • UncleTimmy, on 09/10/2008, -0/+7Seeing how expensive the bill came out to be, they were obviously somewhere upper class. No one realized that the 3+ bottles of Dom Pérignon was going to be a bit expensive and that someone would have to pick up the tab? Brilliant. Good article, though.
    • shamam, on 09/11/2008, -0/+2Personal wealth has nothing to do with class.
  • crookedcrux, on 09/10/2008, -9/+2Holy crap, CNN just told us to avoid parties... Is there anything we shouldn't be suspicious of CNN?
  • deadonbroadway, on 09/10/2008, -1/+15BWAHA HAHA Are you serious!?!?! I'd tell that bitch to ***** off, when they tried to stick me with a bill.
  • 54lzy, on 09/10/2008, -0/+9it sucks when that happens... everyone has that friend that tries to rip them off and make someone pay more than they have to
  • cl2yp71c, on 09/10/2008, -1/+8Simple, effective, direct: How much money should I bring with me?
  • digiguy, on 09/10/2008, -10/+4More than a Mac
  • RobotLeAwesome, on 09/10/2008, -2/+21I would of just laughed in her face and walked away.
    • preppypoof, on 09/11/2008, -1/+8would've
      • RobotLeAwesome, on 09/11/2008, -0/+6*****, that's like the third time this week – thanks for pointing it out.
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