According to NYPD data from last year, New Yorkers are either a bunch of cheapskates or they're just getting worse at being sneaky. Arrests for "theft of service," or running out on your restaurant tab, jumped 20% from 315 arrests in 2009 to 376 in 2010. And no, it's not just jackass teenagers. Some of the crooks have bowties! Or kids! Chef Jehangir Mehta said, “People think it’s the young who cheat — [but] I feel like half the time it’s people with a little more savvy."
Chefs list a few different tactics used to get a free meal, including people leaving for a cigarette or "better cell service," parents using their kids as a distraction, or even people demanding free food because it's their birthday. Tara Rizzi of Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto said, "Granted, I’ve only been working in New York City for 3½ years, but I feel like [such incidents] have definitely increased.It’s always bizarre to see full-grown adults trying to argue with us about the charges of the food. The price is on the menu."
Even though many restaurateurs see this as just a hazard of the business and are generous enough to compensate servers for any lost tips, it doesn't mean the "trend" is any more justified. One server recalled a rich customer walking out and telling the owner, “You know what? When I’m done with my meal and I’m ready to go, I walk out. And if the server isn’t paying attention, I walk away. If they’re interested in me or my money, they’ll pay attention." And you know you've cheated a really first-class restaurant when they send New York's Finest to drop the check.
