# Feeling bad after restaurant bill honesty

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-bad-after-restaurant-bill-honesty/595952>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 11, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-bad-after-restaurant-bill-honesty/595952 "2011-09-11T17:07:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-bad-after-restaurant-bill-honesty/595952/41 "2011-09-16T01:23:29Z")

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> [@puggyfish](#):
>
> Now I’m disinclined to be honest about mistakes like that in future - why should I feel bad when they’ve done their job wrong? But it would also feel like stealing.

My response is an ancedote:  
Hostess: Would you like something to drink?  
Me: Yes. I’ll have a Sprite.  
…  
Server: Would you like a refill on your water?  
Me: Yes, please.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-bad-after-restaurant-bill-honesty/595952/42 "2011-09-18T01:08:20Z")

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> [@PunditLisa](#):
>
> There’s a big difference in accidentally breaking a plate and forgetting to ring up a bottle of wine on the bill.

I understand that, but I still believe it is illegal to take money out of an employee’s check to pay for something like that.

When I first started working at a grocery store when I was in high school, I was scammed by a short change artist, and lost sixty dollars from my till. (You know, the type who keeps swiping the bills and asking for different kinds of change?)

Well, when I offered to pay for it from my paycheck, I was told that legally, they could not do it. I’ll try and look it up, but I’m almost positive.

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