Question for Restauranteers

[DrFaroohk]

I do this occasionally, and I always wondered if its some kind of private faux pas (did I even spell that right? lol...) if, when I'm ready to leave, rather than go wait in line for the cashier, or if there is no cashier, wait for my waiter to come back and pay him, instead of that I just leave an ample supply of cash on the table and leave? I usually know about how much my food costs, plus a tip, etc....anyway is that like secretly wrong or anything?

[Shabo]

I'm not sure if that's wrong as far as etiquette goes... but here's something to ponder.

If you left without telling your server, and left the correct amount of money plus tip on the table, and some dishonest person yoinked your money off the table... Well, burden of proof rests on you to prove that you paid. And I'd like to see you do that with cash. So just to cover your own behind, I would not leave money on the table, especially not if you are leaving without getting your check.

[cinema guy]

I remember my brother and I were in a pizza place in London and it was very busy. We got the bill and got our cash out and waited, and waited and waited. In the end we decided to get up and leave, leaving the money on the table. We were stopped on the way out the door as though we were trying to leave without paying. If a waiter had come back to collect the payment, we would never have done that.

[Boozy]

I'd be a little worried about theft, too. But from the restaurant's point of view, I don't think they'd care much. I waitressed for three years, and never minded people just leaving money on the table. In every case, they always covered the bill and left a nice tip.

It only happened a few times, and it sort of made me feel badly when it did, because I really didn't like the thought of people waiting for their bills and then running out of time. But some days I'd just be too busy.

[DrFaroohk]

Typically if there's actually a register or its not busy I won't do that, but like, at Denny's for instance, they never seem to have any type of payment method. You just wait until your waitress comes to collect it...which could be a while depending on how busy they are.

Besides, usually I'll put the money back on the table a bit, underneath a glass. A thief is going to have to lean over the table to reach the money, and move the glass, and I think people would notice some random dude stealing the waiters tips.