Have you ever done a runner?

jimmy blevins · 13-09-2016 08:26PM

No, not after having the bottle of wine and spirits.

13-09-2016 08:30PM

I once I walked out of my local supermarket with a men's health magazine when the automated checkout was being temperamental and the staff were literally nowhere to be seen.

I think a friend and I may have walked out of Cinnamon in Ranelagh a few years ago, after the staff were incredibly lethargic about bringing the card machine & bill. That place serves delicious food but you'd better set aside a long wait for them to accept your money.

A customer once complained about the wait on Twitter, and Cinnamon replied, calling him an arsehole.

osarusan · 13-09-2016 08:41PM

I'd love to do it, but I'd be afraid that I'd be caught and that my face would be all over the front page of the newspapers.

andekwarhola · 13-09-2016 08:46PM

Discodog wrote: »

I don't know why they bothered. You can leave without paying provided you leave your name & address. Years ago a bunch of us went to a Chinese Restaurant. The meal was genuinely bad & we said that we would pay for the little we had eaten but no more.

We ended up having to call the Police as the staff had fetched an assortment of meat cleavers & knives.

As a kid, stories or comics always had people that couldn't pay for a meal ruefully washing up a pile of dishes as the chef watched with a stern but faintly jocular eye.

In most parts of Dublin though, you'd probably end up with a spatula stuck in the side of your head.

munster87 · 13-09-2016 08:53PM

Yes I have, her speciality was the 5000 metres

gigantic09 · 13-09-2016 08:58PM

osarusan wrote: »

I'd love to do it, but I'd be afraid that I'd be caught and that my face would be all over the front page of the newspapers.

Developing an expensive heroin or crack habit might help you overcome these issues.In no time youd be shoplifting to beat the band.

NickNickleby · 13-09-2016 09:05PM

Never did and cannot condone it under any circumstances. Peoples livelihoods and jobs could be at stake.

Was in Clontarf Castle Bar a couple of weeks ago, with family. After the meal, they were setting up music so I decided we should move to the other end of the bar. After settling down in our new location, I saw the poor waitress looking panic stricken, staring at our vacated table. I hurried over to reassure her we hadn't done a runner and she was SO relieved, I felt terrible. I suspect she may have been held responsible for the unpaid bill, which was heading for over E150 at that stage.

to any runners out there:

next time you're in a restaurant, take a look at the staff , and decide which one should have the cost of your meal deducted from their already minimal wages. Or worse, which one you'd like to be sacked for allowing it to happen.

FanadMan · 13-09-2016 09:11PM

Did walk out of a cafe with my then gf without paying. We were so busy chatting that we forgot all about it. I copped on a couple of hours later so I went back to pay - they never knew anything about it! When I paid, they gave me a discount for being honest so put the discount in the tip jar.

helimachoptor · 13-09-2016 09:12PM

Stheno wrote: »

A couple of places I go out to regularly get the bill wrong as in its missing drinks or desserts etc.

Anytime I point it out they are gobsmacked

myself and my wife eat out quite a bit.. generally they add stuff on!

I dont drink with dinner, so everytime its start/mains/dessert and a couple of glasses of wine... some of the stuff that appears makes it read we are are table of 4!

anewme · 13-09-2016 09:41PM

It takes a certain type of gutless wonder to steal from someone or a small business trying to earn an honest days crust like a Restaurant, Waiting Staff, or a Taxi Guy (poor guy stabbed the other night trying to make a living) The excuses are great too, (the Hotel charged enough for the Room so I decided to have a free brekkie - sod off, stay somewhere cheaper then)

My Granny used to say that people like that had "bad breeding in them"

As a child I did not know what that meant, but now it sums them up perfectly!

wakka12 · 13-09-2016 09:48PM

NickNickleby wrote: »

Never did and cannot condone it under any circumstances. Peoples livelihoods and jobs could be at stake.

Was in Clontarf Castle Bar a couple of weeks ago, with family. After the meal, they were setting up music so I decided we should move to the other end of the bar. After settling down in our new location, I saw the poor waitress looking panic stricken, staring at our vacated table. I hurried over to reassure her we hadn't done a runner and she was SO relieved, I felt terrible. I suspect she may have been held responsible for the unpaid bill, which was heading for over E150 at that stage.

to any runners out there:

next time you're in a restaurant, take a look at the staff , and decide which one should have the cost of your meal deducted from their already minimal wages. Or worse, which one you'd like to be sacked for allowing it to happen.

Ive worked in some ****ty places where I was treated like dirt and even they wouldnt deduct a runners meal costs from my pay. More likely Id say it was a family business and her sibling/parents would be mad at her for not watching more closely, or maybe it was her first day/week and she didnt want to look bad in front of her new boss. But anyway, still, good advice! ****ty thing to do to people regardless

foggy_lad · 13-09-2016 10:40PM

Winterlong wrote: »

On my 21st birthday I legged it with a kebab from some place. I was out of my bin at the time and have no idea why I did it. Genuinely out of character.
I did anonymously pay for that kebab the next time I visited that city....18 years later.

so was the kebab:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIGGDeN7D0

NickNickleby · 13-09-2016 10:44PM

wakka12 wrote: »

Ive worked in some ****ty places where I was treated like dirt and even they wouldnt deduct a runners meal costs from my pay. More likely Id say it was a family business and her sibling/parents would be mad at her for not watching more closely, or maybe it was her first day/week and she didnt want to look bad in front of her new boss. But anyway, still, good advice! ****ty thing to do to people regardless

Well, that's nice to know. Hopefully that is now a thing of the past.
In the 1970's I worked for minimum wage (although it wasn't called that) for 9 hour days 6 days a week and every 4th Sunday. Any shortages were deducted from my net £9.00 per week. One week I was deducted £4 for a 'runner'. I've never forgotten that.

anewme · 13-09-2016 10:47PM

Worked as a "Lounge Girl" in the mid 80's and at the time any shortages in your float or runners were deducted from your wages. (2.50 per night)

Elliott S · 13-09-2016 10:57PM

anewme wrote: »

It takes a certain type of gutless wonder to steal from someone or a small business trying to earn an honest days crust like a Restaurant, Waiting Staff, or a Taxi Guy (poor guy stabbed the other night trying to make a living) The excuses are great too, (the Hotel charged enough for the Room so I decided to have a free brekkie - sod off, stay somewhere cheaper then)

My Granny used to say that people like that had "bad breeding in them"

As a child I did not know what that meant, but now it sums them up perfectly!

Yes, it's not terribly classy, is it?

fleet_admiral · 13-09-2016 10:59PM

I haven't but I know a few restaurant and franchise owners who have legged it without paying staff/rent/suppliers
Edit: any walkouts in my current place are paid for out of the tip jar. So it's a terrible thing to do

Padster90s · 13-09-2016 11:09PM

A friend of a friend tried to jump form a taxi to avoid paying, she jumped while the car was still moving and cracked her head open. The taxi driver had to take her to hospital and wait with her till the parents came from 2 hours away! Her excuse was I needed a way home but had no money...idiot!

Your Face · 13-09-2016 11:19PM

It's all very common.

mullyboyee · 13-09-2016 11:19PM

Me and my friends have done an accidental dine and dash twice.

Once in Galway for New Years Eve. Some of us arrived on the early train, decided to ditch the bags in the hotel and get onto the pints.

Found a pub, ordered some sambos/wraps etc and a few drinks. Ended up waiting a whike for our friends and ordered 3/4 more drinks each.

Now we were buying the pints at the bar but had ordered the grub off a waiter. Anyway our friends eventually arrive, we have another drink before moving on and not until the next day did anyone cop that we hadn't paid for the food.

I'v also done many a deliberate runner from taxis during my college career ☺

Caliden · 13-09-2016 11:36PM

Padster90s wrote: »

A friend of a friend tried to jump form a taxi to avoid paying, she jumped while the car was still moving and cracked her head open. The taxi driver had to take her to hospital and wait with her till the parents came from 2 hours away! Her excuse was I needed a way home but had no money...idiot!

A hackney company in Galway will actually give you a lift home for free if you leave you student id with them. You can go in the following day or so and pay them then.

You obviously need to prove it's your id but I think it's a good idea especially since a replacement id is now like 40 quid or something

J Mysterio · 13-09-2016 11:39PM

Winterlong wrote: »

On my 21st birthday I legged it with a kebab from some place. I was out of my bin at the time and have no idea why I did it. Genuinely out of character.
I did anonymously pay for that kebab the next time I visited that city....18 years later.

Out of my bin :pac:

captbarnacles · 13-09-2016 11:59PM

Embarrassingly yes when younger not now though. I would always point out if I was undercharged now or given too much change.

It's interesting how some people who claim they are very 'honest' will gladly keep extra change or knowingly pay a bill that is clearly wrong in their favour. I know quite a few.

Badly Drunk Boy · 14-09-2016 12:00AM

NickNickleby wrote: »

Well, that's nice to know. Hopefully that is now a thing of the past.
In the 1970's I worked for minimum wage (although it wasn't called that) for 9 hour days 6 days a week and every 4th Sunday. Any shortages were deducted from my net £9.00 per week. One week I was deducted £4 for a 'runner'. I've never forgotten that.

Sounds almost Dickensian...

FizzleSticks · 14-09-2016 12:09AM

This post has been deleted.

14-09-2016 12:11AM

Elliott S wrote: »

Why not just pay without being asked? It's fine to add breakfast on to a room you've booked. There's no issue with that. Would you steal crisps from a bar just because you'd spent a lot of money on booze there? Same thing!

Yeah if getting away with it Id never say anything , I'd never say anything if a mistake was made with a round and I was undercharged etc.

Better the money in my pocket that theirs.

Candie wrote: »

I know, it still grates when I think of it. I think the misleading was deliberate, they wanted a nice party but didn't want to pay for it and relied on peoples manners to get away with it. All they did was make themselves unpopular.

One friend of my went to town on the menu, wine for each course and a couple of brandies with coffee afterwards as well, the works. His bill came to £127. He was starving for weeks afterwards.

I kind of felt he deserved it for taking advantage though.

Bigger the fools ye that paid. I'd have walked away and let the couple get followed up for thier non paying friends.

Harvey Normal · 14-09-2016 12:27AM

Naya Teeny Pilot wrote: »

Yeah if getting away with it Id never say anything , I'd never say anything if a mistake was made with a round and I was undercharged etc.

Better the money in my pocket that theirs.

Bigger the fools ye that paid. I'd have walked away and let the couple get followed up for thier non paying friends.

At a larger level this gombeenism is killing the country.

14-09-2016 12:34AM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

My mothers cousins husband tapped me on the shoulder and said "Lexie, who's settling this?" And I said well Aidan, it's pay for yourself. I was 22, I don't know where he thought I was getting the cash to pay for it. And id actually rather take my money and set it alight before I'd pay for so much as a glass of water for any of them.

Sorry but ye are in the wrong here. If you invite peope for dinner the expectation is that it's being paid for. Only on a very rare occasion are you expected to pay yourself and I can remember the times myself as it stood out, can even remember my parents coming home from one or two nights out over the years complaining about how they were invited to a dinner and then all of a sudden expected to pay themselves.

The meanness of the host really stands out.

anewme · 14-09-2016 12:39AM

Naya Teeny Pilot wrote: »

A few times in hotels where breakfast wasn't included in the room price but I had it anyway and said nothing. They charge enough for the room anyway.

Naya Teeny Pilot wrote: »

The meanness of the host really stands out.

You said it.

Elliott S · 14-09-2016 12:40AM

Naya Teeny Pilot wrote: »

Yeah if getting away with it Id never say anything , I'd never say anything if a mistake was made with a round and I was undercharged etc.

Better the money in my pocket that theirs.

If the accommodation is what you consider too expensive to pay for breakfast on top, book somewhere cheaper. Their rates are their rates. How would you like to not be fully paid for your work?

Or per my earlier example. Would you steal crisps from the bar because you have spent plenty on booze over the night? This is the same, it's still thieving food.

MadYaker · 14-09-2016 02:28AM

Naya Teeny Pilot wrote: »

Sorry but ye are in the wrong here. If you invite peope for dinner the expectation is that it's being paid for. Only on a very rare occasion are you expected to pay yourself and I can remember the times myself as it stood out, can even remember my parents coming home from one or two nights out over the years complaining about how they were invited to a dinner and then all of a sudden expected to pay themselves.

The meanness of the host really stands out.

Now I can see where your attitude comes from :rolleyes: I think you meant to say "pay for themselves".

I've never done a runner from a restaurant or anything like that. When I was a teenager me and a few of my friends used to crash the college graduations because there used to be a marquee full of sandwiches and drinks. Unfortunately by the time I graduated they'd scaled it back a fair bit.

Does crashing a wedding count? We got some free dinner but paid for our own drinks.

Have you ever done a runner?

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