'The restaurant thought I had dined and dashed': Customer takes too long in the bathroom, server calls the cops thinking he dined and dashed

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 28, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Talk about a humiliating dining experience! This patron had an unfortunate emergency that required a relatively long trip to the bathroom. The trip took so long, in fact, that his server began to think he dined and dashed because he took his things with him. It turns out the customer elected to grab his things because he didn't want his stuff to be "out in the open" while he was gone for what he instinctively could tell would be more than just a minute. Well, the server decided the matter was serious and called the police. So when the customer finally wrapped up his business and returned from the bathroom, he had to start answering questions from police offers, who actually showed up as it seemed to be a slow day.

This thread was posted to Reddit by u/Ok_Market_284, who we'd like to thank for opening up about this vulnerable experience for everyone else's amusement. We appreciate his ability to make lemonade out of lemons, and we hope that he hasn't had a similar experience since. Look, no one wants to have a bathroom emergency in a public place, and no one wants to take a long time in a public restroom. That being said, sometimes duty calls (pun intended). Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about an HOA's pizza delivery gone wrong.

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  • 01
    "I talked to the cops. They got called for a dine and dash and showed up cause its a slow day."
    via Priscilla Du Preez
  • 02
    TIOU by being in the bathroom for so long that the restaurant thought I had dined and dashed. S
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 03
    I went to a Chinese buffet against my better judgement. Ate my food. It predictably opened my bright up because the fat content. Couldn't really hold it and wait for the bill. So, I grabbed my stuff because I didn't want it out in the open when I'd be in the bathroom a while. Apparently, the waitress only saw me load my stuff up and then just disappear when she looked back.
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 04
    and I got done taking a long came out to them talking to the police. They saw me. I talked to the cops. They got called for a dine and dash and showed up cause its a slow day.
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 05
    Explained the situation to them. They asked why I had taken all my stuff with me. I told them it was because "I knew it would be awhile and didn't want anything stolen".
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 06
    It was light-hearted. The cops, waitress, and me had a laugh. I paid my bill and left
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 07
    TL;DR: was in the bathroom so long that the restaurant thought I had dined and dashed and called the cops.
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 08
    OkVolume1 3 days ago Dine and dookied. 6.1k Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 09
    LabradorDeceiver 3 days ago Ugh, this happened to me at a Buffalo Wild Wings. I was dying at my table surrounded by dirty plates and hadn't seen a staff member for about thirty minutes, except for occasional glimpses as they dashed out of sight. BWW is noisy, so unless I stood up and unleashed a full throated "HEY! CHECK PLEASE!" I wasn't going to get attention shy of a flare gun, and something was about to happen that hadn't happened since I was three.
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 10
    So I grabbed my phone, left my jacket, and ran to the bathroom. About ten minutes later, I emerged in a state of considerable relief and extremely clean hands to find the table cleared and my jacket gone, as if they had waited until the moment I left to finally show up. The server who saw me sitting at the table she had just bussed was oddly grumpy as I asked where my jacket was and told her I wanted the bill now.
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 11
    She brought back my jacket, fished the bill out of the bin (no kidding; it was all crumpled up) and I paid and left. I'm pretty sure she wanted the jacket, which is weird, because I'm a 240 lb. male and it's not a particularly nice jacket. 1.9k Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 12
    Judas-Yeast 3 days ago Shocked that the police attended. I didn't even know that it was a crime, enjoying a succulent Chinese meal. 779 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 13
    Petty_Pentagon606 3 days ago A similar thing happened to me at Olive Garden. I was with my 4 year old and we went to the bathroom, I made sure to leave my jacket so they would know we would be back. When we were done I walked back to our table and there were already different people sitting there. The waiters looked confused and we were at the point in the dinner where we were almost done but there was still some food left, very frustrating. 748 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 14
    BartlebySanchez 3 days ago My sister and BIL went to a nice steakhouse for her birthday. In the middle of dinner they went outside for a cigarette. They came back in to find their table bussed and reset. "Uh, where's our food?" The waiter thought it was a dine n dash. They had tossed the food and everything. Free steak dinner and then some. 282 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 15
    avelineaurora · 3 days ago • It predictably opened my bals right up because the fat content. Couldn't really hold it and wait for the bill. OP idk how to tell you this but I'm pretty sure that isn't "predictable" for most of us at all. Y'all got gut issues. 165 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 16
    stupid_cat_face 3 days ago This is an irrational fear I have. I always leave a jacket or something for fear that hey will think I've left without paying. 138 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 17
    BelaFarin Rod 3 days ago Happened to me in a small health food restaurant but fortunately I didn't take that long so they just were relieved when they realized I was still there and intended to pay. 126 Reply Share
    via u/Ok_Market_284
  • 18
    Occhrome 3 days ago The cops actually came. That's the craziest part to me.
    via u/Ok_Market_284

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cops server restaurant server life bathroom reddit thread diner Reddit tales from your server funny
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