• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Outrage at bizarre reason two students were jailed for refusing to pay $16.35 tip at restaurant

Home> News

Updated 10:26 11 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 10:20 11 Dec 2024 GMT

Outrage at bizarre reason two students were jailed for refusing to pay $16.35 tip at restaurant

They only paid $73.87 of their $90.22 restaurant bill

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

It's often a topic of debate whether you should have to pay a service charge or not.

From the amount you should be tipping to whether it should be mandatory or not, I don't think tipping will ever not a cause of discussion.

One waitress who caused quite a stir online last year was one in New York who hit out at European tourists only tipping 10 percent.

The server in question took to Twitter to express her grievances about only being tipped $70 from a $700 bill, adding that she 'f**king hates Europeans sometimes'.

Advert

Her tweet left people divided at the time, but many argued that a $70 tip was actually pretty good.

Madison was not best pleased (Twitter/@madison_tayt)
Madison was not best pleased (Twitter/@madison_tayt)

While leaving a tip at a restaurant isn't thought to have been mandatory, one couple who refused to pay for such a service landed themselves in handcuffs.

In 2009, college students John Wagner and Leslie Pope visited Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and refused to pay a $16 gratuity because they felt like the service they received wasn't up to scratch.

Advert

They still paid for their food, however - even though it reportedly took an hour to arrive.

Elsewhere, Pope claimed she had to go to the bar to get her drink refilled and pick up her own silverware, NBC 10 Philadelphia reported at the time.

Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Yelp.com)
Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Yelp.com)

Speaking about the moment their order arrived, she told the news outlet: "At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back."

Advert

Pope and Wagner were part of a party of six, and when the bill came they paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip with the poor service they received in mind.

They only paid $73.87 of the $90.22 bill.

Ultimately, the police were called and they were charged with theft since the gratuity was part of their actual bill.

Within a few days, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli encouraged Bethlehem police to drop the charges Wagner and Pope were facing.

Advert

The police were forced to intervene after the pub and diners couldn't come to an agreement (Getty Stock Image)
The police were forced to intervene after the pub and diners couldn't come to an agreement (Getty Stock Image)

"It would not be the kind of case that should be processed criminally, Morganelli told The Express Times.

"It was one of those matters that should be processed civilly."

Fast forward to today and it appears as if the Lehigh Pub is no longer in business.

Advert

As per Yelp, the establishment is permanently closed.

It had an overall rating of one out of five stars, based on 55 reviews on the site.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/AlexRaths/Getty Images/David Talukdar

Topics: Business, Tipping, Money

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Getty Images/MICHAEL TRAN
    an hour ago

    Timothée Chalamet reveals terrifying altercation with actor on Marty Supreme set

    Marty Supreme has grossed a staggering $79million at the global box office

    Celebrity
  • Getty Images/Alex Wong
    an hour ago

    Trump says 'we shouldn't even have an election' when discussing midterms

    It comes as Trump's polling numbers have fallen since he took office

    News
  • Getty Images/MANDEL NGAN
    an hour ago

    White House explains why mass deportations are 'improving quality of life' as Joe Rogan compares ICE to the Gestapo

    The administration have spoken out against Joe Rogan's comments

    News
  • Getty Images/Spencer Platt
    2 hours ago

    Staggering amount ICE agent claims to make after bragging about salary to protester

    Anti-ICE protests have been erupting across the US

    News
  • Pope Leo takes brutal swipe at Elon Musk as Tesla considers $1,000,000,000 pay package
  • Man who was charged an extra $20 on top of $13 tip calls restaurant to demand entire tip back
  • Restaurant sparks outrage after putting sticker over 'no tip' option but people have a way to beat it
  • Man sparks debate after claiming he saves $153 a week by refusing to tip