Social life plays a significant role in personal growth. Building strong relationships through friendships and quality time is essential, but what happens when those friends begin to take advantage of your kindness?
One man took to Reddit to share how he dealt with friends who consistently ordered the most expensive items at restaurants, only to expect the bill to be split equally among the group.
While splitting the bill can often avoid awkwardness and ensure fairness when everyone’s orders are similar in cost, it becomes frustrating when you’re expected to pay for someone else’s pricey tastes when you’ve ordered much less.
Here’s his story:
“I’m a 27-year-old guy who’s been part of a small friend group, about 8 people total, since college. To give some context, two of the people in the group, Susan and Greg, are notorious for taking advantage of others. Whenever we go out to eat, they order the priciest dishes on the menu and then tell a sob story about their financial situation, dumping their portion of the bill onto the rest of us.
«Last weekend, Dan, another friend from the group, invited me to a casual dinner. I told him I wouldn’t come if Susan and Greg were going to be there. He assured me they would be, but asked me to come just this once. So, despite my reservations, I agreed.
«At the restaurant, we all started ordering. Most people spent around $40. There were only six of us, but when it came time for Susan and Greg to order, they each picked dishes that cost around $200.
“When it was my turn, I simply ordered a $4 drink. Everyone looked at me in surprise, but I told them I had lost my appetite. Two other friends, sensing the situation, canceled their food orders and decided to stick to drinks as well.
“Once the main courses were served, I watched as Susan and Greg slowly picked at their extravagant meals. When the check arrived, Greg asked the waiter to split it six ways. But I stepped in and clarified that the check should only be split three ways. Greg was confused and asked why, since we usually split the bill evenly. I explained that since three of us didn’t order any food, we’d only be paying for our drinks.
«So at the end of the night, Dan, who probably ate around $50 worth of food, was left with a $146.98 bill. I’ll never forget his reaction when he saw the total. I quietly slid $10 toward the check, said my goodbyes, and walked out.
«The next morning, I woke up to a flood of angry texts from Greg and Susan, calling me out for making them pay more than they expected. I couldn’t help but laugh, considering their steak dinners alone cost more than what they ended up paying. I also received messages from Dan, saying I could’ve just stayed home instead of pulling that stunt and leaving him with such a high bill.”
What do you think about how this man handled the situation? Was it fair?
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