12/08/2012

Dollars and Sense

Story Sent in by Gregory:

Patricia insisted on a specific restaurant for our first date dinner, so I took her there. It was a really fancy, really expensive Italian place. In fact, it was probably the most expensive restaurant in our town. I always thought it was a super-special-occasion type of place, and not so much a first-date venue, but that's where we ended up.

We sat down together and she asked, "Are you paying?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It'll help me decide what to eat."

"Well, um... within reason, then."

I glanced over the tiny menu. Everything was $28 and up, including $35 for a side that was described as a fire-roasted half-papaya. Why so expensive, burned tropical fruit?

Patricia asked again, "What's your limit? Eighty? A hundred? Two-hundred?"

I said, "Say like seventy, eighty–"

"Each?"

"Total."

She gaped at me. Did she realistically expect me to pay for hundreds of dollars worth of burnt kumquats?

She said, "Why don't we just split it? That way, you won't have to worry about it."

"Okay."

She barely spoke to me through dinner. Her half of the check came out to almost $100. Mine came to just over $40 for a plate of five ravioli that I could've cooked up at home for less than a buck.

One more thing: when the check arrived, she asked me, "You sure you don't want to pick this up?" as if all of my common sense had departed me and I would've said "Yes! I'll pay a ridiculous amount for the half-salad and patch of chicken upon a bed of more salad that you ordered." No way. Didn't hear from her again after our hasty goodbye. Surprise, surprise.

19 comments:

  1. I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger...
    But she didn't call Gregory after their date.

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  2. I live in a town of 10,000. $40 is a normal amount for a first date--considering Applebee's is our nicest restaurant. She's probably one of those girls that brags to her friends that she can get a free meal every night.

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  3. Blue Blue's explanation: "I think she wanted you to pay for the whole meal, and was disappointed when you didn't"

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  4. Hmm, G how interesting well I guess I don't need to since I got G to cover my comments!

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  5. But that not what I was going to say G, I can't believe you stuck around op, if someone ask me if that was my limit I would have left not even order anything.

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  6. I'm in agreement. If someone you are going out with starts demanding that you take them to the most "expensive restaurant in town," just bail.

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  7. She makes normal women look bad. I never expect my date to pay for everything. I appreciate it when they do, but I always offer to pay for my share or at least leave the tip.

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  8. At least she offered to pay for her own food when she found out how much he was willing to pay. Granted, it seems off that she would insist on this expensive restaurant in the first place. But her conduct doesn't sound rude or anything. I'd like to her a rebuttal on this one. Who knows? Maybe she didn't call because she just plain didn't like him.

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    Replies
    1. You kidding right?

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    2. I'm with Ria, you're kidding, right? What's your limit? 80-200$ if you expect this kind of treatment then I feel sorry for any person you date or marry.

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    3. Even asking "What's your limit?" is rude to ask. Even among family members taking you out. You don't take advantage of someone like that.

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    4. I agree that the question should have been worded more politely, but think about it: if his limit was $70-80 for the night (crazy high, BTW), and she had just ordered whatever she wanted, it could have gotten pretty... awkward when the check came. So while I think she should have been more tactful with her question, I don't blame her for wanting to know.

      Checking to see if he wanted to pay after he said he wouldn't was pretty weird, though.

      And Laebshade, when you go out with family, you know them and have an idea of what they are comfortable with paying for. You can then make your choices based on that.

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  9. That sort of expensive date would only be acceptable if you had once dated before and were trying super hard to woo her back...

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  10. You should have told her that there was no price limit. Then when you are done with your meal, ditch her and make her get stuck with the check. Then maybe she would be more appreciative when guys take her out.

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  11. I can't believe this,thanks a lot for sharing your story in that post!


    free online dating


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  12. "My limit is a hundred thousand." Finishes dinner. "Oh.. here's my twenty...in Kenya, that should be a hundred grand and could actually feed a lot more than the stupid cow that you are." Walks out, Gangam style.

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  13. I think some people figure that, since the end of the world is so near and all, there's no point in pretending or playing nice anymore. "Give me what I want or get lost" - this attitude is pervasive.

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