Canada

They’re not supposed to call the police when they’ve been robbed? Theft of service is a crime is it not? If the police aren’t doing anything that’s the problem

I'm speculating here, but I guess it boils down to the amount of money involved combined with the absence of threats or violence.

In general it makes little sense to spend resources investigating a non-indictable offense where the perpetrator is unlikely to be found in the first place and even if they are found the cost of even finding and processing then is much higher than the monetary damage they caused.

If it’s becoming a big issue, why not ask people to put a credit card on deposit when they sit down?

Restaurants that see you pay after the event are really in the experience business. Putting a card down takes away from the experience.

That's not a problem, as such, when all restaurants are doing it, but it's hard to go first as it compels customers to go elsewhere. Which you especially can't afford when dine-and-dashers are already hurting you.

It will likely go that way eventually. But it's a big risk and will no doubt claim some casualties when it comes.

It's not the employees stealing the money back

Having the entire system devolve into complete anarchy is not the answer

How about ban tipping and just increase wages+benefits? Such an easy solution you found.

Just don’t ask for tips, seems like you found a solution for 2 problems

You're almost there. You're almost at the answer.

Paying before is a possible solition, but it's a double-edged sword for restaurants.

I would imagine that the sticker shock would lead to people spending less on their overpriced food and drinks, ignoring the outrageous tip on top of that.

I'd lose my appetite 😂

Maybe do it like gas stations where you pre-auth $200 or $300 then at the end they just charge you for what you end up using.

I.e. pre-auth $200 and then at the end of your meal, get the bill for $100, put down a 15% tip, they only charge your card for $115 afterwards.

From the actual post.

"I can tell you that the people that are doing it aren't the people who are coming here because they're looking for a sandwich because they're hungry,"

Thing is, you're not wrong either. The cost of living crisis does have victims, but the sort of people doing dine and dash are rarely those victims.

If anything they make it worse for people on low income jobs like waiting staff. Dine and dash is like the opposite of leaving a tip. It's like reaching into an underpaid service workers pocket and pulling the money out.

It's tricky, especially if we want to stay non-judgemental, but there does seem to be a difference between people trying to steal bread and flour from a supermarket and folk sitting down to a three course and running without paying, and I suspect that difference might be one of class and privilege rather than not.

I don't think its that. I think selfish attitudes are rampant today and people today care more about what they can do for themselves regardless who gets hurt. Everybody is an other who doesn't matter if they suffer consequences of someone else's actions

You can always tip after. Tips are between you and the server anyway. The business is not part of that transaction.