Pa. Couple Arrested For Failing To Pay Tip

From CBS 2 Chicago:

Nov 22, 2009 10:00 am US/Central Pa.

Couple Arrested For Failing To Pay Tip

College Students, Among Group Of 8, Refuse To Leave Gratuity Due To Poor Service At Lehigh Pub; Business Has Mandatory 'Service Fee' For Large Parties


BETHLEHEM, Pa. (CBS)

A couple was arrested after refusing to leave a mandatory tip at a restaurant where they claim the service was extremely poor.


Two Pennsylvania college students were arrested after staff at a restaurant where they dined called police about the couple's refusal to leave a mandatory tip.

Leslie Pope and John Wagner were dining with about six other people at Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in October when the incident occurred.

The pair insists service was so horrible that the last thing on their mind was leaving any kind of tip.

They claim they had to wait at least an hour for their order, fetch their own silverware and beg the barkeep for drink refills.

"Gratuity is thanking you for your service," Pope, 22, told the The Express-Times online newspaper. "You can't give us terrible, terrible service and expect a tip."

The business reportedly charges a required 18 percent gratuity fee for parties of a certain size.

But Pope told The Express-Times that they were being told to pay $16.35 in addition to their $73.87 bill -- pointing out that the calculated service charge was much higher than 18 percent.

It was unclear why Pope and Wagner were the only ones of the group cited for theft of service. They pleaded not guilty to the charge and are awaiting their trial date.

The Express-Times say management for Lehigh Pub refused to comment on the story.

Lehigh Pub was listed on Yelp.com, an online review service for businesses in various U.S. cities that allows visitors to comment on their experiences.

There were dozens of comments dated between Nov. 20-21 blasting the business for poor service and some just reacting to news of the arrests. Many of the reviewers were located outside of Pennsylvania (and outside of the United States) according to their profiles.

One review from a user called "Laura K." wrote: I've eaten here a few times in the past two months and the table service is not good - slow and inexperienced. I'm not sure what happened to the old waitstaff who was here when it was the Bridgeworks.

Another user, "Matthew P.", had this to say: I've been here only once. With my parents, and an ex-girlfriend. The service was horrible, and the food, while not terrible, was certainly not even remotely worth the hassle.

A visitor to the site whose location is listed as Venice, Calif., "Craig T.", tried to explain the situation: If a restaurant says the price of a burger is $10 in their menu, it's non-negotiable - regardless of whether you enjoy the burger or not. Correct? Now, you may ask for the objectionable burger to be removed from your bill - and the restaurant in question might OPT to remove that charge for the sake of your future business - but it is not YOUR RIGHT not to pay for that item. ... It is not your right to dispute an 'included gratuity' AFTER you've enjoyed (or not enjoyed) the service provided.


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