'I felt like I was on a prank show': Waitress and manager insist customer needs to pay for meal for a random stranger

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Jul 30, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Have you ever been in a situation so bizarre you were sure there must be TV cameras somewhere nearby? This bewildered customer recently had that experience, and it has commenters in a tizzy trying to figure out what was going on.

In an era of constant content, pranks are a popular way to make videos cheaply and easily. Even if they're not from official TV shows, you could run into TikTokers or other content creators who want a few quick reactions. That's even worse, in my opinion, because at least TV prank shows or movies have standards they hold themselves to. With the rise of social media, it feels like there's no place on Earth you can go without running the risk of being recorded. This person was aware of that when they went out to eat and had the most outrageous dining experience of their life.

Would you pay for a random strangers' meal? I think for most people, the answer would be no, unless the person's meal was really cheap, or if the person seemed like they were in dire need of the meal. Even then, a lot of people would also claim it's not their responsibility to feed some random stranger a meal at a dining establishment. This person didn't ask if they could dine on someone else's' tab, they just assumed it would be okay. I hope the OP does leave a bad Yelp review for this manager and waitress — they have to warn future diners not to get caught up in the same messy scenario.

Next up, these people shared their personal "craziest day at work" stories, like one dude who witnessed a coworker toss a printer right through a window.