Doing a Runner

[codheadred]

Hi there

"Doing a runner" was the stuff of fantasy for students in curry houses across the UK, but this fellow seems to have made a go of not paying in some high end establishments, have you had any experience of this? (Names can be changed to protect the innocent)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11773764

[david goodfellow]

Looks like L' Autre Pied was another on the list.

Greedy B'stards.

[erica graham]

Tim Hayward wrote a funny piece on it in word of mouth. Whilst I would hate this to happen at our place ( and every now and again when a whole table goes outside to smoke it has crossed my mind that it could happen) I was a student once, and been dared to do it at a curry house. I very quickly say I NEVER DID IT, I was much too chicken (and slow) at the time, but his piece did bring back some vivid memories.

I see they have arrested one of the pair already, and numerous other establishments have come forward to say they had been played too..

[MacD]

The finest place I have ever done it was the Wimpey bar in Herne Hill, South London when I was a teenager... In my 20s, I did have to wash the dishes in a place in Camden once though! We didn't have enough cash and they didn't take cards ...

[Nasi_Campur]

Ahh... the ole dine and dash.

I think I may be guilty of one count many years ago. Believe it was tied into a college education. Shame on me.

[Patrick_O]

Glad to see Time Hayward finds the whole episode so amusing. He's clearly never had to pay a weekly wage bill for a restaurant.

[david goodfellow]

There is more on this story in the Daily Mail.

I just wish they would get all of their facts right though, Its, HELENE Darroze at The Connaught, not "Hilhne".

[erica graham]

well I do pay the wages every week, and the memory of students daring each other to do a runner from the local curry house WAS amusing. Its not condoning in any way what they did, its just evoking a memory.

[Patrick_O]

Fair enough Erica. I personally found it hard to stomach the light hearted nature of the piece which portrayed the thieves as likeable rogues when in fact they were merely better dressed, more attractive versions of the pond life who smash your car window and steal your stereo.

[Infrasonic]

Fair enough Erica. I personally found it hard to stomach the light hearted nature of the piece which portrayed the thieves as likeable rogues when in fact they were merely better dressed, more attractive versions of the pond life who smash your car window and steal your stereo.

Absolutely.

[confiseur]

Glad to see Time Hayward finds the whole episode so amusing. He's clearly never had to pay a weekly wage bill for a restaurant.

Indeed..What a numpty...wonder if he'd think it was so funny if someone did a runner with his laptop.

[Infrasonic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11822382

Nords was given a 12-month community order banning him from six London postcodes.

The postcodes - W1, WC1, WC2, SW1, SW3 and NW1 - are all home to a high concentration of expensive restaurants.

[codheadred]

Hes not been banned from High Maintenance Blondes then...

[liuzhou]

I have to confess to what we thought was very clever scam when I was a student in Glasgow in the early seventies. There was some pretty bad fast but cheap restaurant which had a peculiar billing system. You ate your food then asked for the bill. Then you asked for a coffee. Then they gave you another bill.

All payments were made at a desk at the front door. You just presented the bill for coffee and paid for that.

We called it "Dinner and Dance"

Many years later, I would like to apologise and pay up, but they went out of business. Can't understand why!