And one more thing: Sociology Experiment

[featherynscale]

When triadruid, kittenpants and I were out having dinner last night, we noticed a thing. It seems like when we all go out together, we are almost always asked if we want to split the check. When triadruid and I go out together, we are almost never asked if we want to split the check. When kittenpants and I go out together, we are sometimes asked if we want to split the check, and sometimes not. kittenpants and triadruid did not provide an impression about what happens when they go out together.

We're going to collect some data and see if this is indeed true. It is our hypothesis that the three of us together generally read as "friends hanging out" or "couple taking out a friend or relative", which would perhaps involve check-splitting. If either kittenpants or I are out with triadruid only, we probably read as hetero couples, so less likely to want to split the bill. If kittenpants and I are out together, we figure that in some establishments, they read us as a homosexual couple, and in others, as friends hanging out, so the split or not-split will vary by location.

So tell me, Vast Unpaid Research Department, particularly you other poly folks or others who regularly dine out with more than one other person, are you asked if you want to split the check? What other check behaviours have you noticed as you go out?

Comments

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I think it varies depending on the type of establishment too. For example, if it's a restaurant where one the Big Deals is excellent service, then the servers tend to devote a bit more attention to the whole thing (which would include being tactful about payment at attentive to relationship dynamics). If it's a place where the Big Deal is how fast or cheap everything is, then you tend to get the attention you pay for.

But, then again, it's not something I ever really pay attention to, so your mileage probably varies. :)