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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.
A Houston family were locked inside a restaurant and the police were called after they refused to pay the tip.
Out for dinner with friends and family, Jasmine Marks claimed that the service at La Fisherman was not of the quality that deserved the mandatory 17 percent gratuity in the bill.
That is the amount the restaurant adds to parties of more than five diners, but Mark's complaint was that the staff were rude, their drinks were not refilled and mistakes were made on their orders.
Speaking to the manager at the end of the meal, Marks was astounded as the restaurant demanded they pay the full 17 percent and eventually called the police reported
'We asked her, could the gratuity be removed?' said Marks
'Could we give our own tip?
'If you're not satisfied with the service, you shouldn't have to pay gratuity.'
Explaining that restaurant policy was inflexible, the manager locked the door and phoned local law enforcement.
'She was like, 'You have an unsettled bill and ya'll can't leave until you pay it,' said Marks.
'We paid our bill for what we ate, we paid the bill.'
Only questioning why the 17 percent was mandatory when it was a tip for service, Mark's tried to reason with the manager of La Fisherman.
'She said, 'That's fine. If you don't want to pay the gratuity we have the police outside,' said Marks.
'I asked the police officer twice, maybe three times, is it against the law if we don't pay the gratuity and he never gave me a straight answer.'
Jasmine Marks and her family and friends eventually paid the 17 percent tip to avoid further difficulties with the restaurant and the police.
on a $40.00 bill, they tipped $3.00....I said "please, she was courteous, efficient friendly and the food was great as always" I put down a $5.00 bill. My mother got all pissy and I said "listen, I eat here all the time and would like to come back, if you leave a loonie and a toonie, I won't be able to show my face in here again"......
I'd point out to the cops that it's actually a civil matter and tell them to sue me.
It's a disagreement about the tip, not theft of the meal.
