wash the dishes?

[tali122]

if you cant pay a restaurant bill , do they as they show on the tv, make the non -payer wash the dishes? -what happens if you refuse?

[joko]

in this day and age it costs a lot more money for a meal that it costs to wash a few dishes, you'd need to wash a hell of a lot to cover the bill, so i doubt they would accept that nowadays

they would just call the police as it is theft

[RATTER14]

In reality they would never ask you to wash the dishes, Health and safety, insurance issues would come in to play I'm sure, they would call the police I imagine.

[Grunty]

They would have dishwashers, so an offer to wash the dishes would be irrelevant, even the vast number of dishes that joko describes. They could indeed call the police, but the offence would not be theft, for a technical reason. The restaurant has willingly allowed the customer to eat the food so no theft takes place. The same thing happens if you fill a car with petrol and leave without paying. There is a specific offence to cover these situations. But the best remedy I saw was a Chinese chef chasing a party up the street with a meat cleaver.

[tiggergirlkr]

incorrect there Grunty, the eating of food and not paying is theft by consumption, and you can be prosecuted for it. Also driving off with petrol without paying is theft, as with most small thefts which these are cases of, the police would see if payment can be gotten first without reverting to the most common form of punishment for these crimes, an on the spot fine of usually �80.00, if the victim so chooses, or it could go to the magistrates for a punishment/referral to crown court depending on crime. I have experience of both these situations as a security manager in a large supermarket and a deputy restaurant manager.

[Narolines]

Maybe it's just me, but what's the logic in offering the option of an on-the-spot fine to someone who, by definition, doesn't have any means of payment with him/her? Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me......

[tali122]

we need to differentiate between not paying (which is theft )and unable to pay(which the police would deem a civil matter)
however , can someone confirm if restaurants have ever at any time used the washing dishes as a punishment?

[Grunty]

No tigger, it is not theft, although the offence was created by the Theft Act 1978 (not the Theft Act 1968). Theft cannot take place when the property is taken with the consent of the owner. This offence was created because a charge of theft could not be made out, and the only alternative was a civil action to recover the cost. If you would like to read the relevant law, you will find it in Section 3 of the Theft Act 1978 as amended by Schedule 7and Schedule 17, part 2 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

[bernardo]

I think it would probably be theft, but even if it is not theft then it would be "gaining property by deception" i.e. asking for a meal, and giving the impression to the restaurant that one is willing and able to pay. If one goes into a restaurant without the means to pay for a meal, then any meal consumed would have been gained by deception.

[Booldawg]

'on the spot fine of 80 quid' you could do well out of that in a top london eatery. Can I see the wine list please?

[tiggergirlkr]

Grunty, it is theft if they refuse to pay, and police will take action, they do in my area anyway. If you can provide a cost for loss (Bill amount) then action can be taken. Same with petrol stations, the local constabulary has set up a local initiative to stamp out drive-offs and reduce this type of crime, why would the police take part in a civil initiative???

[tiggergirlkr]

Also the on the spot fines is not as it suggests, the suspect is still taken away to the police station and finger-printed, but rather than appearing in front of the magistrates, and taking up cell space, they would be given a fine ticket and given about 30 days to pay-up. Its not an option for all, as shoplifters dont have money in the first place hence the theft, but it is to deal with opportunists etc.

[ski-lo]

i work in a restaurant, and if anyone refuses to pay the bill or walks out the managers do nothing as its not worth the argument, they dont want a scene in their restaurant, and where i work is a well known chain. and no they dont make you wash dishes, they have a machine to do that anyway.

[Zen]

http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/displayNode. jsp?nodeId=152576&command=displayContent&sourc eNode=152559&contentPK=15045227&moduleName=Int ernalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

This man found out what happens if you don't pay !!!