At the Power Lunch, the Check Is Kryptonite (the cheap and powerful)

NYT ^ | 02/11/09 | LAURA M. HOLSON

[TigerLikesRooster]

At the Power Lunch, the Check Is Kryptonite

By LAURA M. HOLSON

ON a recent Monday night, Christine Peters, a producer of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” tucked into a corner booth in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel with a fellow producer and an actress. They chattered about a possible film for an hour or so before Ms. Peters excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. When she returned, she noticed a thin leather case sitting on the table, with the check inside.

“Did anybody get this?” she asked. Both women stared blankly, first at her, then the check. “We didn’t see it,” one finally said. When neither offered to pay the tab, nearly $100, Ms. Peters did what she has found herself doing more and more these days: she fished out her wallet and paid the check herself.

“They were polite,” she said. “But neither wanted to pay. It’s like you almost want to put them out of their misery.”

[TigerLikesRooster]

Instead of dessert, many meals are ending with a cold, hard calculation of who is worth paying for and who isn’t. Often, the answers cause discomfort on both sides of the table.

LOL. Such caring people.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I am sure they have all gold cards but are scared of opening their monthly credit card statements.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Obama hasn’t bailed them out yet.

[tet68]

Ah, the beautiful people, but lift the edge and you can see
where they sweep the dirt.

[jiggyboy]

At Michael’s in Manhattan, some patrons who used to come in for lunch three times a week are now down to two visits, according to the general manager, Steve Millington. They are passing up extras like bottled water and rarely ordering both an appetizer and a dessert.

Yeah you might as well just close the doors there Michael, how can you bear such hardship.

[OneWingedShark]

>When neither offered to pay the tab, nearly $100, Ms. Peters did what she has found herself doing more and more these days: she fished out her wallet and paid the check herself.

Wrong. What you’re supposed to do is flag the waiter and say, “Oh we need this on separate checks.” then pay yours and leave the others with their own bills.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I love the picture. LOL

[aliquando]

I brown bag it every day. It is healthier and cheaper.

[iowamark]

But the high life Mr. Kirshbaum was hoping for has turned out to be something of a low-rent affair. Instead of Michael’s, Mr. Kirshbaum said he often meets colleagues at the Comfort Diner on East 45th Street, where a grilled cheese sandwich costs $8.95. And more often than not, editors and publishers are asking him to pay for his own meal or skip lunch altogether. Last week a top book publisher asked him to lunch and agreed to pay. Mr. Kirshbaum’s initial delight faded when he learned that the publisher wanted to meet at a McDonald’s.

LOL!

[wideminded]

Some in laws of mine are astonishingly cheap when it comes to splitting up a dinner tab. This is despite the fact that the one couple have three well-paying jobs between them. If there is not a likely sucker present to pick up the tab, another one of their strategies is to seize the check and compute the contributions of other parties in a way that favors them.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, all you have to do is to take off first, leaving them behind, with no choice but to take care of the bill. Of course, chances are that they will never see you again. However, you won't miss them much anyway, would you? :-)

I had an experience with a cheapskate. At a dinner table, he was hitting on a girl, and was willing to order some $50 wine to impress her and invite us to take a glass as well. Apparently that little overture failed. A few days later, I got an e-mail from him saying that, since he cannot alone shoulder the tap for the wine, we should all chip in. I was not interested in drinking the d*mn wine. He tried to look generous to impress the girl, but having failed that, he found it unbearable to pay for the wine alone.

[This_far]

It’s tough breaking into the “Do you know who I am” club.

[freekitty]

I have nothing against business expensed lunches. If the government had let it alone years ago; it would have worked out. The cheaters are usually caught.

[Charles Martel]

ON a recent Monday night, Christine Peters, a producer of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” tucked into a corner booth in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel with a fellow producer and an actress. They chattered about a possible film for an hour or so before Ms. Peters excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. When she returned, she noticed a thin leather case sitting on the table, with the check inside.

“Did anybody get this?” she asked. Both women stared blankly, first at her, then the check. “We didn’t see it,” one finally said.

Well, this is Christine's side of the story. Maybe her companions were just tired of her using the old "gotta run to the restroom" ploy to stick them with the check, and decided to turn the tables.

[dennisw]

Waiters hate to deal with multiple credit cards. What these people should do is establish an understanding that people bring cash with them and split up the lunch/dinner tab that way. Put all that green money together and give it to the waiter...with a tip of course

[TexasRepublic]

“Waiters hate to deal with multiple credit cards.”

Too bad for them, the customer calls the shots or he won’t be back. I’ve reminded a few managers who controls the purse strings.

[dennisw]

You’re like Frank Sinatra. You want to be calling the shots. F the waiters!