# Etiquette question: should I let the kid pay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773 "2014-05-06T02:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/41 "2014-05-07T06:34:43Z")
And here I was wondering how come he was eating orange peels, and how digested they would have been… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/42 "2014-05-07T10:40:43Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I don’t know what kind of toilets are standard in Canada - I seem to recall reading somewhere that there was a bit of a black market for Canadian toilets when the US mandated low-flow toilets a couple decades ago When my brother remodeled his bathrooms (Michigan) he drove into Canadia to purchase the new thrones. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/43 "2014-05-07T12:23:23Z")
I have to tell you all that I purchased a new toilet this past weekend and the American Standard company assures me that this toilet can flush 16 golf balls at once. I suspect in the OP’s case either the toilet was defective, or it was one of those non-American non-Standard types. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/44 "2014-05-07T13:20:21Z")
People are saying “he’s a guest”, but is that how you’re supposed to handle foreign exchange students? I’ve never done it, but I know people who have. They tell me that you’re supposed to treat them like members of the family, and not act differently or give them special treatment. I’d ask you what you would do if your own kid did this. Would you make him or her pay? Treat the foreign kid the same way. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/45 "2014-05-07T13:31:48Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > He’s a guest from another country. Chances are he is unbelievably embarrassed that he did this. Pay the plumber and reassure your guest that all is well. Yep. He’s your guest. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/46 "2014-05-07T13:33:39Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > (bolding mine) Sadly, I doubt that was what was going through his mind… good guests don’t leave the milk out, leave the bread wrapper open, leave squeezed lemon halves on the counter, ask to borrow the car then go w/o giving me a chance to answer… sigh. Ok, so he’s a terrible guest/typical teenager, and was just too lazy to bring the orange peels back to the kitchen trash. Still sitcom material - was your boss bringing an important client to your house for dinner that night? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/47 "2014-05-07T13:45:16Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > …I don’t know what kind of toilets are standard in Canada - I seem to recall reading somewhere that there was a bit of a black market for Canadian toilets when the US mandated low-flow toilets a couple decades ago, so perhaps he’s used to a more powerful one. I’m quite certain he wasn’t thinking “composting toilet”… > [@kayaker](#): > > When my brother remodeled his bathrooms (Michigan) he drove into Canadia to purchase the new thrones. Ahh. I didn’t realize low flow toilets were mandated in the US. You can certainly buy them in Canada, but they’re by no means standard. I could flush orange peels down my toilet, if I wanted to. I suppose I could flush a dead squirrel down my toilet with little difficulty. Funny, I’ve read threads here over the years about plugged toilets from normal use, and couldn’t figure what the hell you people were eating. The only clogged toilet I’ve had to deal with was from small kids using like a half roll of toilet paper, and even then it cleared easily after about a minute of plunging. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/48 "2014-05-07T13:54:23Z")
It might be helpful to explore whether he has the ability to ask his family back home to help him out, should a significant hit to his budget threaten him with indigence. > [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > We did wind up calling a plumber, who came and dealt with the plug in 10 minutes (sigh). Better skill with the auger, I suppose. Glad everything got cleared up. So, the $150 price tag, that was on the money, and not just an educated guess? ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773/49 "2014-05-07T13:56:54Z")
I would not make him pay, but I would be sure to explain how to use the toilet properly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etiquette-question-should-i-let-the-kid-pay/687773.md?page=2)