# Customers called "Fat Girls" on receipt at restaurant **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595 "2012-12-10T14:31:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/141 "2012-12-10T22:20:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > cool story, bro I don’t know. I thought it would somehow relate to this thread. I guess not. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/142 "2012-12-10T22:21:38Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > As has been pointed out, if that county has one of the highest obesity rates in the state, surely they weren’t the only “fat” patrons? How did he differentiate? 1 fat guy and 2 fat girls, 3 fat kids and a fat grandparent, 14 fat band members? Doesn’t sound like a system that would work very well in the long haul. Also it was, I take it, kind of a greasepit restaurant. So they must have been _really_ fat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/143 "2012-12-10T22:23:31Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > It’s the difference between being intentionally insulting and not being intentionally insulting. > > Being intentionally insulting is worse, right? Not being intentionally insulting is unprofessional, it’s foolish, and all the rest … but it’s not malicious. How is calling someone fat anything but intentionally insulting? Unless he is a chubby chaser, he didn’t mean it to be flattering. I can’t think of one reason to call someone fat where the intent wasn’t intentionally insulting or flattering. Is calling someone fat ever a neutral statement? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/144 "2012-12-10T22:25:06Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Jackmannii, if a restaurant gets caught calling your wife fat, would a dessert be enough to make up for that? Would you not expect your meal free? Dessert? Aw, hell no. You call _my_ wife fat, me jolly boyo, and you’re going to be hauling pitchers of beer out here until my temper is completely cooled off. Good beer, too, none of that Budweiser horse piss. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/145 "2012-12-10T22:25:29Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I would think an offer of dessert is the opposite of what someone would want in this situation. Well, I mean they’d certainly WANT it, but they’d have to pretend they were outraged (while hiding their drool). I keep gauze on me to tuck into my cheeks for this very reason. Scumpup, I’m cracking up. I’ll be dead drunk, saying, “one more mug, I think my feelings are getting unhurt now”. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/146 "2012-12-10T22:25:56Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > How is calling someone fat anything but intentionally insulting? Unless he is a chubby chaser, he didn’t mean it to be flattering. I can’t think of one reason to call someone fat where the intent wasn’t intentionally insulting or flattering. Is calling someone fat ever a neutral statement? :dubious: If I write a list of unflattering things about you on this notepad next to my computer, are you insulted? ---
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/147 "2012-12-10T22:27:28Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > If I write a list of unflattering things about you on this notepad next to my computer, are you insulted? Depends if you hit the reply all button. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/148 "2012-12-10T22:30:07Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > How is calling someone fat anything but intentionally insulting? Unless he is a chubby chaser, he didn’t mean it to be flattering. I can’t think of one reason to call someone fat where the intent wasn’t intentionally insulting or flattering. Is calling someone fat ever a neutral statement? :dubious: You are missing my point. The notion is that the customer was never intended to _see_ the “fat chicks” on the cheque. It was supposed to be an identifier only, to keep the cheques straight. Cheque A goes to the “fat chicks” cheque B goes to “that tattooed dude” or whatever (instead of the more sensible “Cheque A to table 1” or whatever). For some stupid reason, waitstaff left the description on the bil when they gave it to the customers. Obviously, if the waitstaff fully intended the customers to see it, that would be insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/149 "2012-12-10T22:40:22Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > You are missing my point. > > The notion is that the customer was never intended to _see_ the “fat chicks” on the cheque. It was supposed to be an identifier only, to keep the cheques straight. Cheque A goes to the “fat chicks” cheque B goes to “that tattooed dude” or whatever (instead of the more sensible “Cheque A to table 1” or whatever). For some stupid reason, waitstaff left the description on the bil when they gave it to the customers. > > Obviously, if the waitstaff fully intended the customers to see it, that would be insulting. How do you know what the intent was? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/150 "2012-12-10T22:42:04Z")
Eh. I’m fat. Some of my friends are fat. Seeing ‘fat girls’ on the check would make me laugh rather than get upset. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/151 "2012-12-10T22:49:47Z")
> [@Modern\_Master](#): > > How do you know what the intent was? I don’t. Perhaps the waitstaff, for some perverse reason of their own, _wanted_ to insult these customers in this rather roundabout manner. Seems rather more likely not, though. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/152 "2012-12-10T23:01:14Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > The word we are looking for is “unprofessional.” Careful, some pedantic knucklehead might pit you for referring to a waiter as a “professional”. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/153 "2012-12-10T23:05:40Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > … > Besides, it’s stupid. What if another table of “fat girls” came in? … Fat Fatter Fattest That takes care of three tables. I don’t see a big deal in writing it. Showing it to the girls was classless. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/154 "2012-12-10T23:18:57Z")
He should’ve just written “3 broads”. I think they just wanted to show the world that they may be fat, but their skin is really, really thin. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/155 "2012-12-10T23:32:49Z")
I like when seemingly straight forward topics get completely ridiculous. I suppose there is more than one reasonable opinion to have on the matter, but so far the people who think this is egregious don’t seem to be making any of them. We had a good response very early on the first page. > [@Mnemnosyne](#): > > Well, kind of depends on whether the waiter intentionally gave them the receipt with the note still on it or not. If he listed them as fat girls on the computer (to more easily identify them) with the intention to remove that from the receipt before printing it, then forgot, it’s an honest mistake. Doesn’t seem like a particularly big deal to me. If he intentionally gave it to them that way, then he was kind of an asshole. Yeup. As for these: > [@colander](#): > > I think it’s fine that I’m jewish. Maybe I even wear a stylish kippah on my nights out. But if I start seeing “Jew” on all my cafe receipts, you’ll forgive me if I get a bit cagey about it. > [@April\_R](#): > > So if the ticket said, Black Guys, and the customers got offended, you would tel them to get over it? That the only reason they are offended is because they are ashamed of being black? I would bet all of the bourbon in Kentucky that I’ve been referred to internally by service staff as the black girl before. I’m often the only black lady around, and I’m not offended by being identified by my race or gender casually to a bunch of strangers who need to distinguish me physically from everyone else in the room. I don’t like being greeted as “Hey, black lady,” but I also don’t like being greeted as four-eyes. However, if I were identified on a ticket as “Lady in glasses,” whatever. Yes, the restaurant needs a better system; yes, purposely slipping them a receipt that says “fat girls” on it is rude; no, I don’t think the server was maliciously sending them a Hey Fatty note; yes, I think an apology and a comp would have been the easiest way to settle this for all parties involved, but here we are. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/156 "2012-12-10T23:36:48Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The worse the trespass, the more you’re likely to get. And, yes, the louder you complain, the more you’re likely to get. A server isn’t usually authorized to comp an entire meal. For that you have to complain directly to management. No doubt. But it is very hard to offend me. Anger? Annoyance? Sure. But not offense. I have been the victim of incompetence at a restaurant but never anything with malicious intent. So why make a big deal about it? As long as the manager knows and makes a nice gesture. That way the waiter doesn’t get into big trouble but if its a continuing problem he’ll be able to do something about it. Work is hard enough without others making problems. > [@pancakes3](#): > > 1. I have never paid attention to the “name” portion of checks. Eyes go straight to the number, I tip and sign and close the folder. I wonder how many times I’ve been insulted without even knowing it. I was wondering the same thing. I should pay closer attention. > [@April\_R](#): > > So to summarize this thread: > If you are called fat it’s your problem and you should stop being fat > If someone calls you something you get offended by it’s your problem and you should change it so as not to be called that anymore > People deserve being called fat if they are fat, because we are under no obligation to keep our thoughts to ourselves > :dubious: No one was called fat. If he went up to the table and said ,“Hello Fatties!” he should have been fired. That is not what happened. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/157 "2012-12-10T23:47:11Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > No one was called fat. If he went up to the table and said ,“Hello Fatties!” he should have been fired. That is not what happened. Perhaps I am immature, but this mental image is freaking hilarious to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/158 "2012-12-11T00:02:03Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > Is calling someone fat ever a neutral statement? :dubious: Sure: when I don’t care enough about the person to be insulting or flattering, it’s straight up neutrally descriptive. If I were a waiter, I’m sure I wouldn’t give the person enough of a thought to even want to insult them, unless they were rude to me or something. It’s an obvious (probably the most obvious) physical characteristic of the person, and something easily used to discern them from another person or group. Waiter almost certainly just made a mistake by forgetting to delete that from the check. Or maybe he didn’t even realize that gets printed in the first place, who knows? It’s unlikely he did it intentionally. There’s no big deal here. The manager should apologize, then chew out the waiter for being careless, and that should be the end of it. The fact that they chose to make a big issue out of it and went to the _news_ with it is beyond ridiculous to me, and the ‘fat girls’ make themselves not only worthy of mockery, but scorn, due to their attention-grabbing behavior. The fact that the news is even reporting on it is equally worthy of scorn, as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/159 "2012-12-11T00:05:06Z")
The waiter’s an asshole and should be fired. ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595/160 "2012-12-11T00:14:22Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I like when seemingly straight forward topics get completely ridiculous. I suppose there is more than one reasonable opinion to have on the matter, but so far the people who think this is egregious don’t seem to be making any of them. Do you mean “you can insult, upset or offend anyone in any way, because you made of them in the past.”? Seriously, I am confused. Should there be any excuse for offending, insulting or upsetting people? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-called-fat-girls-on-receipt-at-restaurant/643595.md?page=9)