Have you ever "done a runner"...?

[Springal]

We did in Lille at the Euros. We ended up in this nice burger / bar before the France game which meant the pub was rammed. It turned out it was part of the Carlsberg hospitality tour and after a late France winner the place went mad. We left after as there was no waiting staff in sight and assume Carlsberg picked up the tab....

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Went for a meal with colleagues in Cologne and the fire alarm in the restaurant went off, we were all evacuated into the Christmas market for 20 minutes or so. As we were standing around in the cold a couple of potential Darwin Award winners in our party did suggest doing a runner until it was pointed out that we were all eating on expenses and cumulatively we'd got enough dosh for at least another 4 or 5 decent bottles of wine!!

 

[Bold Seagull]

After Charlton away 2 seasons ago (I think), went into the Spice of India or Touch of India on Boundary Road after we got back, worse for wear. Anyway, not many people in there and the waiter was just plain weird. After we'd ordered too much food and he'd cleared our left overs, he'd left us for a while, then came back out and said did we want to see the menu as if we'd just sat down (definitely not for deserts). Anyway, I said he was so not concentrating, we could get up say goodbye and walk out. So that is what we did. I got up, shouted at him 'see you later mate' he said 'thanks, bye', and we walked out.

Pissed ourselves laughing as we walked up the road.

We then went back 10 mins later (after some soul searching) and paid as we couldn't do them out of what was a decent meal. He hadn't even twigged when we went back! We're honest folk like that....

 

[Exile]

I've done the opposite ... twice.

I've stayed at a hotel, had a meal and when settling the bill for the stay discovered when I got home that I hadn't been charged for the meal (I don't check the bill when settling as that looks a bit chavvy). I had to send both hotels a cheque to cover the cost of the meals.

I don't have a chequebook now so I don't know what I'd do if it happened again

I paid for a £28.00 meal in a busy country pub in Dorset a few years ago, and when I got to my car I spotted on the receipt that the guy had missed a key-stroke and only keyed in £2.80.

Being an honest type (and being that I was claiming the meal back on expenses anyway ) I went back in to square it up. The guy at the till made out like it was a massive big deal to rectify, so much, that I wish I'd not bothered.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

No I haven't and couldn't. I always give the money back if I'm over-changed anywhere also. Just can't deal with the guilt and have always had a belief in karma.

 

[BNthree]

I paid for a £28.00 meal in a busy country pub in Dorset a few years ago, and when I got to my car I spotted on the receipt that the guy had missed a key-stroke and only keyed in £2.80.

Being an honest type (and being that I was claiming the meal back on expenses anyway ) I went back in to square it up. The guy at the till made out like it was a massive big deal to rectify, so much, that I wish I'd not bothered.

Had the opposite of this: was paying for coffee & cake that came to £5.00. Stuck my card in, typed PIN and just before I hit ok I noticed that somehow they'd rung the price up as £5000 on the card terminal! Nearly died of a heartattack! Thankfully it all got sorted.

 

[Insel affe]

Yeah I've done it when I lived in the USA, we used to call it "Dine&Dash" .Being chased by restaurant staff is hilarious when you are 18 and can get away

The wife from Michigan calls it dine&ditch.

I went to see my mate in San Fran a few years ago and spent the evening going round small bars, and the last one we went to we had a couple and out of nowhere his brother in law just tapped us and started legging it out the door and round the corner about 500 yards to his house !! I just ran, but as I was I was saying to my mate why the feck are we doing this and he did not know, yes it was the brother in laws turn to pay, I just did not get it and after we got to his house I ordered a cab and called him a C**T.

The weird thing was he worked for google and earnt damn good money.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

No, but did once convince my then girlfriend we were doing one. We'd just gone for a pizza hut, and she went to the loo after we'd eaten, and I paid the bill while she was there. When she came back I told her I'd left my wallet at home so we'd have to do a runner. She was really not up for it, but I managed to convince her it would be ok, so we waited until she thought it was safe and legged it. She was absolutely crapping herself while I was trying hard not to wet myself laughing. It wasn't until we got back to hers I told her the truth. Funnily enough, that was the end of the night for me Worth it though.

Ha. Whilst out for dinner with a few friends once, I went to the desk and paid without saying anything. After leaving we were 100 yards down the the road before anyone starting asking questions, and they thought for several minutes that we'd left without paying, before I had to tell them.

 

[smeg]

The wife from Michigan calls it dine&ditch.

I went to see my mate in San Fran a few years ago and spent the evening going round small bars, and the last one we went to we had a couple and out of nowhere his brother in law just tapped us and started legging it out the door and round the corner about 500 yards to his house !! I just ran, but as I was I was saying to my mate why the feck are we doing this and he did not know, yes it was the brother in laws turn to pay, I just did not get it and after we got to his house I ordered a cab and called him a C**T.

The weird thing was he worked for google and earnt damn good money.

HaHa, yeah I'd be pissed off now if someone did that to me but at 18 when you are skint it seems like a good laugh

 

[father_and_son]

Have accidentally sort of "done a runner" from a pub in London... 6 of us from work, ate lunch, stayed all afternoon drinking and then all walked out. As we were walking down the road, asking each other how much we owed to who, all assuming someone else paid on a card, it dawned on us all that none paid. Probably a good £200 bill unpaid.

Staff didn't chase us or anything so not a full-on runner, but we did give the place a wide berth for a few months afterwards.

 

[Wilko]

I have done it several times here in Madrid. Often you ask for the bill and they go and return to watching the TV or reading the paper. If I have asked more than twice and waited over 20 minutes then I just leave. I walk out slowly so they have time to stop me if they want. I know they think the Brits are impatient, which I am but I am more than willing to pay but often they just cannot be arsed to serve you.

I much prefer the UK system of going to bar, order and pay for what you want and leave when you are finished.

 

[The Wookiee]

Wimpy along Blatchington Road, legged it to the Belfast pub, could see Wimpy staff walking up and down Blatchington Road for a good 30 mins afte. No idea why we did it, probably an afternoon on the beer made us brave

 

[marcos3263]

Oh I remember now I sort of did it once in Brighton. Went for an Italian with the then hot girlfriend (now miserable wife) we ordered drinks and food, then after the drinks arrived the fire alarm went off. It was very loud and continuous, the waitress informed everyone it was a fault - nothing to worry about and so everyone carried on eating etc with a right cacophony going on. It was piercing and relentless and I couldn't understand why no one was reacting. We asked the waitress twice what was going on but in the end just got up and left. So free drinks for us and I'm sure they could reheat the lasagne for another patron. (people were still coming in and sitting down)

 

[Insel affe]

Have accidentally sort of "done a runner" from a pub in London... 6 of us from work, ate lunch, stayed all afternoon drinking and then all walked out. As we were walking down the road, asking each other how much we owed to who, all assuming someone else paid on a card, it dawned on us all that none paid. Probably a good £200 bill unpaid.

Staff didn't chase us or anything so not a full-on runner, but we did give the place a wide berth for a few months afterwards.

Oh yeah accidentally done something similar about nine years ago, after an all day Rockabilly thing down at Concorde 2 we ended up at Buddies after going to a few other bars. There was only about seven of us and we had beer, all day breakfasts etc.... you all the know the drill and we left only the next day when we met up for round two we realised none of us had payed, that must have been a few quid. It is not something I am proud of and to this day as much as I have felt like or been tempted by an allday big buddies breakfast I have never been back in.

 

[boik]

I've done it twice, and both time accidentally. First time just forgot to settle the tab. They didn't ask for my card. Went back and paid next day. Second one, kept waiting for an hour for a takeaway that we'd pre-ordered over the phone. Got into a long ongoing row. Eventually the food turned up and we left. Half way home I remembered that we hadn't actually paid, but though f##k 'em!

 

[Insel affe]

Oh I remember now I sort of did it once in Brighton. Went for an Italian with the then hot girlfriend (now miserable wife) we ordered drinks and food, then after the drinks arrived the fire alarm went off. It was very loud and continuous, the waitress informed everyone it was a fault - nothing to worry about and so everyone carried on eating etc with a right cacophony going on. It was piercing and relentless and I couldn't understand why no one was reacting. We asked the waitress twice what was going on but in the end just got up and left. So free drinks for us and I'm sure they could reheat the lasagne for another patron. (people were still coming in and sitting down)

Oh no not again, Fire alarm !!

A few years back we were in a well known supermarket and the fire alarm went off just as we had finished our packing at the till and about to pay. The girl on the till said we have to go as the supermarket emptied and waved us to hurry up. The wife looked at me and said we havent paid, I whispered and we are not gonna and pushed the cart out in the car park, everyone was standing around and I just pushed the cart to the car loaded it up and drove off. We still use the supermarket and fully expected to get a tug when we went back, but with the little one crying the alarm going off thought we could have a good excuse oh sorry kinda way and pay for the shop.

Bad man

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I have done it several times here in Madrid. Often you ask for the bill and they go and return to watching the TV or reading the paper. If I have asked more than twice and waited over 20 minutes then I just leave. I walk out slowly so they have time to stop me if they want. I know they think the Brits are impatient, which I am but I am more than willing to pay but often they just cannot be arsed to serve you.

I much prefer the UK system of going to bar, order and pay for what you want and leave when you are finished.

Two different things tho eh?

There's the bar thing, whereby in the UK it's Pay As You Go, and in the non-UK you rack up a tab whether you asked for one or not.

Then there's the restaurant thing, whereby, OK, it's pretty annoying that the restaurant should show so much disinterest in giving you the bill.

Guess in the end tho, the bar/restaurant is trusting you to act like a decent person and do the right thing.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

Yes, in a Brighton establishment back on a Saturday night after a game in the Withdean era with [MENTION=449]Biffer[/MENTION] and our respective wives of the time.

It hadn't been a particularly good meal and we'd been neglected a bit - we were upstairs, possibly the only people up there, but despite that the runner was completely unintentional and had neither been discussed nor planned.

We had enough of waiting to pay the bill so we headed downstairs to pay and leave. The stairs led directly to the front door and, as we walked down, a member of staff opened the door for us and gave us a cheery "Thanks - have a good night."

I can't recall who was first out of the four of us, but they kept on walking straight out the door and the rest of us followed. And that was that. More of a "walker' than a "runner", I suppose.

More a case of 'Customer Care Karma' IMO, sleep easy.

 

[smeg]

The then hot girlfriend (now miserable wife)

HaHa

 

[Bob'n'weave]

Only once. I was about 15 with half a dozen mates in the Wimpy on East St Btn. We had no intention of paying and it was all planned to have a load up and do a runner. The huge Greek chef sort of knew and kept throwing us knowing glares as we stuffed our faces. When we bolted he was right behind us waving a huge knife and screaming at us as we ran like sh*t off a shiny shovel. Really hard to run when you are puking with laughter. Oh happy days.