COMMUNITY
‘Dine and dash’ hurts restaurants
I-—---r\ k
By Jeremy Kemp
Emerald Contributor
Some customers do it as a
prank. Others do it just to get a
free meal.
Campus-area restaurant own
ers say some of their customers
turn out to Ik; crooks. Restau
rant owners call the crime
"dine-and-dash." Police call it
“theft of service."
Whatever you call it. it's a
crime police say has caused the
price of retail services to rise by
an estimated 5 percent.
Customers who eat then
leave without picking up the
tab often leave the restaurant's
owner in a touchy situation.
"It really puts us in a bind.''
said Tim Wolfe, a three-year
employee of Bubba's Place.
1248 Aider St. “We call the po
lice. but they can t do anything
about it unless they see it
What can we do?"
Wolfe addressed an issue on
which many restaurant owners
are unc lear. What can be done
when a customer leaves the bill
for the owner?
"We had this one guy. he
u as dressed a little on the rag
god side, who said he didn't
have enough money to pay for
his meal. " Wolfe said. "Me and
his friends ordered a lot of food
and beer We kept his social se
curitv card — he finally did
come hack and pay a few days
later."
On another occasion, an em
ployee at Bubba's Place fol
lowed two thieves to a local fra
ternity house.
"Our guy followed them
right up to the door." Wolfe
said, "lie didn't go in. he just
shouted and made a lot of noise
saying ‘You didn't pay your
bill at Bubba's Place!' over and
over again until they came out
and paid."
Other local restaurant work
ers tell sadder tales.
"Two ladies came in and ate
a lot.” said Chiu Yee Lee. a
manager at China Blue Restau
rant. 879 Hast 13th St. "Their
bill was over $20 One pretend
ed to go to the bathroom and
left. The other waited until no
one was at the register, then
left."
On another occasion. Chiu
was simply robbed of money by
a customer.
The boy seemed innocent
enough.
He asked the Chinese wait
ress for a glass of water to fight
the summer heat. When she
went to the back of the restau
rant he went to every empty ta
ble and shoved the tips into his
pocket.
"I called the police." said
Chiu. "They came and ques
tioned the boy. he was only IB.
When they asked me if I want
ed him to go to jail. I said
'no.' ”
Another customer was almost
finished with a meal wjn-n she
complained about a hair on her
plate and threatened not to pay
for the meal, according to Chiu
"We are smart. I showed her
that the hair in her food was
brown.” said Chiu with a twin
kle in her eye. Chiu's restau
rant employs a Chinese cook
and Chinese waitresses, all
i\ ith black hair
Chiu said she is cheated b\
these food thieves about once
every two months.
Lyon’s Restaurant. 1933
Franklin Blvd.. is hit more of
ten.
"We have dashers tome here
and leave without paying just
about every weekend." said
Donni Eat'.rone. a server at the
24-hour restaurant.
"They usually tome during
the graveyard shift." she said
"We tan spot them most of the
time. They look suspicious
when they come in. Some of
them even ask for a table by I lie
door."
luiGrone identified one man
to police in a theft of services
case.
“The guy sat at the counter,
he was well dressed,” she said
"When he left without paying,
another customer followed him
and called us from the other
side of campus. We called the
police and pressed iTiarges "
According to Eugene police,
prosecution is a rarity in cases
involving theft of services.
“We receive two or three
calls a week concerning theft of
service at restaurants,” said
Beverly Collins, public educa
tion officer for Eugene police.
"I suspect it happens way
more often than it's reported."
she said "Some restaurant
owners feel that it s a monu
mental hassle to go to court and
prosecute the thieves
When the thieves are brought
to justice, they could face stiff
fines.
For thefts of less then $r>0,
Collins says that maximum
punishment is a $500 fine ami
30 days in jail.
If the crook manages to get
away with a meal worth more
than $50. then he can expect to
pay $1000 and spend up to six
months in jail
Collins estimates that 95 per
cent of all people that dine
and-dash have the money to
pay for the meal
What actions do police sug
gest to prevent this crime?
Owners need to train new
workers to lie aware of store
procedures in case a customer
runs and should always staff
their restaurants with enough
workers to ensure security.
Police say that restaurant
workers should never chase
thieves outside the building
that may lead to possible injury
and lawsuits
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