Some restaurant guests may think it’s a playful bit to argue with their friends over who will pay the bill. However, one server says taking extra time and involving the server in the fight is far from the generous move they think it is.
TikToker and restaurant server Kalinaisabella (@kalinaisabella) sits in her car after a shift and shares a guest behavior she “f—— hates.” The video has around 1,300 views.
“It’s when people fight over paying the bill,” she rants. “First of all, don’t drag me into it. … It’s the most uncomfortable thing in the world.”
She notes that the “unspoken rule” is whichever guest hands her the card first pays. However, some customers take it way too far.
“I take the first person’s card, and the second person is like ‘Don’t you [expletive] dare. I will hunt you down. I will find you. I will follow you home. I will kill your family,'” she recounts.
The server says she usually hands the first credit card back if the other seems overly heated.
The situation frustrates her to the point she daydreams about taking both cards and charging them in full.
“Well now you’re both paying it,” she jokes.
Instead, she usually covers her eyes and puts her hand out. She charges whichever card ends up in her hand.
Is It Bad Etiquette To Fight Over The Bill?
It’s generally bad etiquette to go back and forth over who’s paying the bill at a restaurant, especially if it causes a scene that the servers or other guests pick up on. However, a bit of playful fighting over who pays the bill may be a polite sign of appreciation in some cultures, according to cross-cultural consultant and blogger Mabel Kwong.
Redditors on the r/AskMen subreddit share mixed opinions on how guests should handle arguments over the bill.
One suggested that how much they’re willing to battle for the bill depends on the situation. They wrote, “If it’s someone who I always do for I might let it go with minimal fights. If it’s a guest that I invited to town with a promise of good times then I will take it as an insult and we can go all the way to a death duel but I’m not gonna let you pay.”
Another said the good-natured fight over who pays has become an inside joke with their friends. And a night out with the group wouldn’t be complete without it.
“I swear this has become some sort of game in my friend group. We pull out all of tricks from ‘going to the bathroom’ to just being the fastest draw with the wallet,” the commenter shared. “I even made a sign one year for someones birthday and flashed it behind his back every time he tried to pay. Its actually a lot of fun.”
Do Servers Agree?
Servers in the TikTok’s comments agreed that squabbles over the bill just make their job harder. They shared how they handle the situation.
“I snatch both cards and say we’re playing a game of chance and walk away,” one wrote. “At the register close my eyes and mix em up pick one card to pay bc if they can’t make a decision I will. Don’t have the time for it I’m tryna flip y’all’s table.”
A second server said they won’t put up with it. They commented, “Soon as they start to argue, I literally just walk away with whatever’s in my hand. I’m not taking the time to deal with that. I’m sorry.”
“‘Who’s card are you going to take…..wait I tip better take mineeeeee’ bruh for real? Hate it!” another said.
BroBible reached out to Kalinaisabella via email and TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update the story when she replies.