Here's something you might be interested in.
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
San Diego restaurants wising up to dine-and-dashers
Escondido's Surfing Crab, Mission Valley's 356 BBQ post warnings
Dine-and-dashers are striking in droves, according to restaurant and bar workers in San Diego County. Photos and videos of these hungry thieves are frequently posted online by frustrated business owners and managers hoping someone will recognize the culprits.
On March 19, a Willie from University Heights posted on Nextdoor: “DINE AND DASHERS!! If anyone recognizes any of these three kids, please advise them or their parents to come into Surfing Crab (in Escondido) and pay their $210 tab!”
Not long after, a bartender at a popular downtown seafood restaurant said his staff had become a target. “Just don’t mention our restaurant—I could get fired for speaking up,” said Boris Bagman. “I’m a target because I work in a busy bar, and slimeballs think it’s easier to pull something on us, especially since we don’t always ask for a card upfront. If we suspect someone’s planning to bail, we try to close them out early.”
His coworker Jenn said dine-and-dashers often operate in teams. “They order the expensive stuff—lobster platters and seafood towers. While eating, one goes to the bathroom, another steps outside for a call or a smoke, and one stays at the table. That’s when I know they’re planning something.”
Another server added, “I’ve followed them outside with the bill in hand and stopped them at nearby bars. I don’t care—I’m done letting them get away with it.”
Jenn added that San Diego servers aren’t held financially responsible for these incidents, but repeated thefts can put their jobs at risk. “We’re easy targets,” she said. “We’re expected to be nice; scammers take advantage of that. Sometimes, they yell at us, claim their food wasn’t right, and refuse to pay—after eating most of it.”
Then, some customers purposely leave expired or stolen debit cards behind to supposedly cover a tab until it declines. By the time the staff comes out to request another form of payment, the diners are long gone. At his previous job, Bagman said customers would say, “There’s eggshells in our sandwiches”—even though the kitchen didn’t use real eggs. “Man, these scammers will think of anything to get a freebie,” he said. Then, some people come in with phones and ring lights, pretending to be influencers. “They promise to post about us in exchange for a free meal,” he said. “We don’t fall for that anymore.”
In January, a Facebook user named Kecho Kecho posted a photo of a couple reportedly dining and dashing at multiple Ocean Beach restaurants. “They order all the good stuff and leave tabs over $150,” read the post. Another commenter, Ryan Green, recognized one of the suspects. “That guy’s a POS. Had over a $100 tab with me, then his credit card declined. He hangs around behind Winstons in Ocean Beach—deep, raspy voice and wears a fake OB Hotel hat styled like a Thrasher logo.”
On Reddit, a user named ChocolateNapQueen shared her experience. “I was on a date with this trash guy at a Denny’s. He told me to just walk out. I refused—he ended up paying but was pissed. There wasn’t a second date.”
In Mission Valley, 356 BBQ—a Korean barbecue spot—posted surveillance images on Instagram showing three men walking out without paying. Days later, they posted two more photos of younger women who allegedly skipped out on the bill. “We notified the police,” they wrote. “We sincerely hope they don’t do this to another small, local business. Shame on anyone trying to take advantage of us during these difficult times. Smile for the cameras—you’re now famous!” --
Here's something you might be interested in.
San Diego restaurants wising up to dine-and-dashers
Escondido's Surfing Crab, Mission Valley's 356 BBQ post warnings
San Diego restaurants wising up to dine-and-dashers
Escondido's Surfing Crab, Mission Valley's 356 BBQ post warnings
Dine-and-dashers are striking in droves, according to restaurant and bar workers in San Diego County. Photos and videos of these hungry thieves are frequently posted online by frustrated business owners and managers hoping someone will recognize the culprits.
On March 19, a Willie from University Heights posted on Nextdoor: “DINE AND DASHERS!! If anyone recognizes any of these three kids, please advise them or their parents to come into Surfing Crab (in Escondido) and pay their $210 tab!”
Not long after, a bartender at a popular downtown seafood restaurant said his staff had become a target. “Just don’t mention our restaurant—I could get fired for speaking up,” said Boris Bagman. “I’m a target because I work in a busy bar, and slimeballs think it’s easier to pull something on us, especially since we don’t always ask for a card upfront. If we suspect someone’s planning to bail, we try to close them out early.”
His coworker Jenn said dine-and-dashers often operate in teams. “They order the expensive stuff—lobster platters and seafood towers. While eating, one goes to the bathroom, another steps outside for a call or a smoke, and one stays at the table. That’s when I know they’re planning something.”
Another server added, “I’ve followed them outside with the bill in hand and stopped them at nearby bars. I don’t care—I’m done letting them get away with it.”
Jenn added that San Diego servers aren’t held financially responsible for these incidents, but repeated thefts can put their jobs at risk. “We’re easy targets,” she said. “We’re expected to be nice; scammers take advantage of that. Sometimes, they yell at us, claim their food wasn’t right, and refuse to pay—after eating most of it.”
Then, some customers purposely leave expired or stolen debit cards behind to supposedly cover a tab until it declines. By the time the staff comes out to request another form of payment, the diners are long gone. At his previous job, Bagman said customers would say, “There’s eggshells in our sandwiches”—even though the kitchen didn’t use real eggs. “Man, these scammers will think of anything to get a freebie,” he said. Then, some people come in with phones and ring lights, pretending to be influencers. “They promise to post about us in exchange for a free meal,” he said. “We don’t fall for that anymore.”
In January, a Facebook user named Kecho Kecho posted a photo of a couple reportedly dining and dashing at multiple Ocean Beach restaurants. “They order all the good stuff and leave tabs over $150,” read the post. Another commenter, Ryan Green, recognized one of the suspects. “That guy’s a POS. Had over a $100 tab with me, then his credit card declined. He hangs around behind Winstons in Ocean Beach—deep, raspy voice and wears a fake OB Hotel hat styled like a Thrasher logo.”
On Reddit, a user named ChocolateNapQueen shared her experience. “I was on a date with this trash guy at a Denny’s. He told me to just walk out. I refused—he ended up paying but was pissed. There wasn’t a second date.”
In Mission Valley, 356 BBQ—a Korean barbecue spot—posted surveillance images on Instagram showing three men walking out without paying. Days later, they posted two more photos of younger women who allegedly skipped out on the bill. “We notified the police,” they wrote. “We sincerely hope they don’t do this to another small, local business. Shame on anyone trying to take advantage of us during these difficult times. Smile for the cameras—you’re now famous!” --
Comments