>

You were served. You paid and tipped.  This transaction is over, they owe you nothing at this point.
As part of the unwritten, social contract of dining out, paying the bill is you saying “I’m done”. One might linger and chat a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean they have time or want another drink. Just because you want to redefine this part of what a normal person thinks is going on doesn’t mean that everyone else has to think the same way you do.
Have you considered simply asking for a refill in this situation rather than steaming about their lack of ability to read your mind? >

That is what I was going to say. Use your adult words and ask for a refill. I am a bartender and if someone has paid their tab that means they are done unless they specifically say differently. It’s super easy to make eye contact with me or raise a finger and say may I have a refill please? >


Use your adult words and ask for a refill.

“Hey asshole! How about a refill?” >

Bro I’ve had someone say that exact sentence to me. I didn’t say anything, just had security remove him from the premises >

Just don't pay the bill until you are ready to leave. Paying the bill generally means that your business is done. >

Not really. It just means you aren't ordering anything new. Why not pay whenever they can bring the bill rather than start the process AFTER you are ready to go >

If someone's ability to pay their rent is dependent on the work they do before you pay the bill, they have no motivation to do any work for you after that. 
Everything a waiter does for you after you pay the bill is paid for by the restaurant at $2/hour. >

What the fuck! Is $2 an hour legal? >

Ehh sorta, but its not really well understood by a lot of people. Tipped workers are legally allowed to be payed that little, however, their tips have to make the difference between normal minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage or the restraunt has to legally pay the difference.
Basically, you arent gonna go home with less than normal minimum wage. The mimum wage is still pretty shitty tho >

It's something I understand pretty well, since I used to be waiter, so let me explain it more thoroughly for you.
Let's say you work for 2 hours at the end of the day.
Hour 1: It's busy. You make $50 in tips. 
Hour 2: Only OP is there. He's sitting at his table even though he already paid. 
Your tips are distributed throughout the day. So for Hour 2, the restaurant pays you $2, and your own tips from Hour 1 are used to subsidize your pay. The restaurant only pays you $2 for Hour 2, and you pay the rest to get it up to minimum wage while OP writes a post on Reddit about how lazy you are for not being his slave after he already paid. >

But you've still made $50(sans taxes etc.) total for 2 hours of work, no?
If you don't make any tips in either hour, the restraunt legally has to pay you up to regular minimum wage.
I get what you're saying, i think i just didn't explain well enough on my end. >

We got a free refill fetishist >

People who think like OP have never worked in food service and will sit around a busy restaurant to chat an hour after their bill is paid. These people don’t realize that servers don’t just grab random tables in the restaurant but have sections, so by sitting around chatting you’re stopping them from making money on that table. Not that I expect guests to prioritize their server’s wages when they go out, but it gives an air of entitlement >

I’ve had tables loiter for two hours, at that point I print their check and hand it to them. The bill is a sign for you to gtfo, I need to make money and you’re taking a spot in my section. >

That's nothing. We had a table of two ladies come in shortly after we opened, so they got sat with the opener. As lunch was ending the opener wanted to go but the ladies wanted to stay so they got transferred to the lunch closer. I then came in to open for dinner and got transferred the ladies, who by this point, had been there around 5 hours. They finally cashed out halfway through my dinner shift after a grand total of 8 hours. Their bill...one app, one salad and three glasses of wine. >

This isn't an issue in Europe, as we don't have free refills. If I want to be quick, I might ask the waiter for the bill the moment I receive my food/drink. After I pay, I don't expect the waiter to return, as the transaction is done. >

Maybe just the UK, but some American chains will do free refills. Pizza Hut for example.  
I'll occasionally see a British chain do them too. 
I don't expect to be waited on, however I wouldn't expect service to be fully ended until I walk out the door. I can ask for water or more food/drink if I want. Paying 2 bills is fine. >

Yes, but once you have paid the bill and you decide you want another drink, you initiate the contact with the waiter. You don't expect them to keep checking in on you after you have paid the bill. >

That's exactly what I said, I don't expect to be waited on but survice hasn't fully ended until i walk out the door. Service is still available to me despite being waited on stopping. >

Ah, something got lost in translation, not a native speaker here :D
Also just noticed your flair, I am appalled sir! >

No worries. >

You've paid, their job is done. If you want more refills,  just call for the waiter, what's your problem? >

Some people are arrogant enough to think that wait staff should be able to read their minds or anticipate what they want.
Never mind the fact that the expectation is that once you've paid your bill, you leave. >

There’s no need for mind reading, why can’t the waiter just ask if they’d like some more water or something? Obviously they’re done ordering things. >


why can’t the waiter just ask if they’d like some more water or something? 

you answered your own question. because:

Obviously they’re done ordering things. >

Have you ever maybe mentioned this to your server.  Hey I am going to pay now but could I get a top off on my drink in a few minutes.  Most servers would likely have 0 issues stopping by afterwards.  Seriously have social skills completely eroded from society? >

This is the way to do it if OP is really having issues >

I feel like this sub needs to do what aita does and give the reminder on every post not to downvote unpopular opinions. Bc it’s literally the point of the sub lol
Edit: I’m not saying I agree with OP, someone explained to me how this doesn’t qualify as an unpopular opinion. But I do stand by the fact that actual unpopular opinions do often get downvoted in here from what I’ve seen, and I’ve seen people upvoting fairly popular ones. Which I think needs to be solved somehow. >

But it’s not an unpopular opinion, it’s just stupid. It’s a stupid thing to say. “If I stop paying for service I should be entitled to continued service.” That is a dumb  thing to say. >

So when you pay for other services upfront, the service stops immediately after you pay the bill? Order a year of Netflix, but it's not set to renew, you should lose what you already paid for because you're not currently paying for it? That's ridiculous.
He already paid for the service. I agree he should wait until the end, but hes not expecting service that he "stopped paying for." He already paid for the service. >

If you pay for a year of Netflix, you get a year of Netflix service.
If you pay for your meal in a restaurant, you’ve told the restaurant you’re no longer requiring their service.
You’ve entered a contract with Netflix for a year of service, you’ve entered a social contract with the Restaurant for services billed. >

I agree with you. I'm just saying it's more nuanced than your original comment. Paying upfront for services is not stupid or uncommon at all. Netflix was just an example; there's others based on social contracts as well.
If OP pays before he finishes the meal he paid for, and he continues eating, that's not super straightforward like you're suggesting it is. Hes still fulfilling the social contract.
Would I do what OP does? No. Do I agree that should be socially acceptable? Not really. But that's why it's an unpopular opinion. >

If he pays before finishing the meal, his plate should be removed while he is eating and be kicked out according to the made up rule of the guy you re replying to that service ends when you pay. >

Lol! And according to the people downvoting us >

You paid your bill. It's time to leave. 
If you are not done. Don't pay. >

You paid = you're leaving. It couldn't be easier. >

As a server myself it really doesn’t work like that, sometimes people pay early when it’s busy so as to save waiter a trip, sometimes they pay early because they’re not sure when their ride will arrive, etc. etc.
Just because your bill is paid doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon you. Your tip can still be changed at that point as well >

Yeah, I’m a waitress and that’s exactly what paying means. I’ve been a waitress for 3 years and the only people who’ve paid early are the ones that leave as soon as they’ve finished their food.
The bill being paid absolutely means they don’t get my service anymore, if they want more drinks then they can go to the bar.
This might be the difference between US service vs UK though. >

Easy there princess, I've never had a problem with getting service after I've paid the bill. 
If you're getting poor service after paying, it's probably because you're an asshole. >

Facts. But 90 percent of the comments are acting like this never happens. Having worked in restaurants, theres plenty of times when this happens and it's okay. Theres other times when it's not okay. But OP did acknowledge that >

Yeah as a server myself most of these people sound like they don’t know what they’re talking about and are overcompensating with their kindness. In all my serving jobs I’ve never once been taught to abandon a table once they’ve paid their bill >

If you have paid your bill you should be leaving. If you want someone to keep serving you, you should keep paying them. If you are taking up space that they could be using for new customers then you are rude. If you want to hang around, don't pay your bill because paying your bill is saying that you are leaving.
Edit: I love how people get so upset that their unpopular opinion is unpopular... we only have to upvote the post, not your replies btw. >

Standing up and putting my jacket on says I’m leaving. Paying my bill is taking care of one part of this entire deal. Paying the bill earlier just means I get to leave at my leisure instead of having to wait for the bill and the machine to finish. >

Have you ever worked in a restaurant? >

Obviously not. They clearly think they are better than the wait staff so they wouldn't stoop to being one. >

Yeah, I'm not buying that either. No one who works a job, and knows how it feels to deal with headaches, would turn around a be a headache themselves.  I find myself giving the side eye to people who transport their 1 bag of groceries to their car using their shopping cart. Carry the damn bag and leave the cart inside. Make that cart pushers job a tad bit easier.
I used to be a cart pusher when I was 16 btw. >

Well I do that because the store where I shop doesn't like people leaving their carts in the exit area. >

I know there is a space to put the carts before you leave the building. There always is. It just may take 10 more seconds to walk over. >

There really isn't at that store. I wish there was.
I do at least bring my cart to a stall, though. I'm not one of those assholes who just leaves them in the middle of the parking lot. >

Fair enough >

Paying the bill is the established sign that the meal is ending and you're about to leave. It's not waitstaff's fault that you don't understand social nuances. >

Definitely unpopular. 
Like going to the store, checking out and paying, then going back and walking through the store with your already paid for items in bags lmao. >

It may be unusual, but if you know you won’t be ordering anything else, it makes perfect sense to ask for the bill as soon as you can and get it out of the way, especially if you need to leave by a certain time.
Even your store example makes sense in some situations. I am sure many of us have checked out and then realized we forgot something that we needed to buy. >

Sure, but then we’re paying for that something else. >

Yes, but in a restaurant, refills of non-alcoholic beverages are normally free, so if that is all you ask for after receiving the bill, it is a non-issue in that respect >

That’s not the issue that people are having. The issue here is OPs entitlement to think that he deserves for us to mind read his goofy ass brain that tells us he wants more water after he’s been sitting chatting with his buddies for 30 minutes AFTER he paid out. >

I think we can all agree on one thing: Entitled unskilled labor kills the dining experience and people should just stop getting services where gratuity is expected. >

What's wrong with asking them to top you off before you leave? >

They never come by. Always ignored entirely when the bill is paid. I always pay my bill right away so I don’t have to wait for them to pay it when I’m ready to leave. >

Yeah but I mean like when you hand them the money just ask? >

I’m actually going to do this. I pay my bill so I can leave at my leisure. I’m going to start paying and asking if they mind we hang out a bit and check up on refills until we leave and if they need the table to feel free to tell us to bugger off. >

Except a lot of the time we aren’t actually allowed to ask/tell customers to leave because it goes against our policies and someone could complain and say we asked them to leave in a rude tone. So yeah, paying the bill usually means you’re finished with your meal and that you’re ready to leave within the next 15 minutes. >

I'd say 15 is pushing it. You only need time to discuss plans when you leave, or closing remarks. 5 minutes max, but definitely not expecting to be served during that time lime OP. >

Who the hell pays the bill and doesn't leave? Thats just weird, you pay the bill when your leaving. >

As someone who waited tables for over a decade I can attest that many, many people pay their bill and don't leave right away. And it's annoying most of the time. >

Frequently called Campers. Almost never looked happily upon. >

paying the bill is a sign your finished so of course theyre not gonna keep coming to you asking if you want anything
if you want a refill flag a waiter/waitress down and ask for one. theyll give it to you >

When I went to Iceland you always paid at the front, and the wait staff would just bring your receipt to the table with any food you ordered. That way you could keep ordering if you wanted and it still eliminated a step. I loved it. >

I think you're suppose to actually leave after that. No one does that shit, it doesn't even make any sense. It's like "oOo I just have to be extra and different.." >

Plenty of people do it >

I mean I’ve served in 6 different restaurants in the USA and in my experience they absolutely do. There are plenty of valid reasons to pay a little early, like saving the waiter a trip, giving them time to split the bill properly, maybe you don’t know when your ride will arrive, etc. Just because someone chooses to pay early that doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon them vs a table that chooses to pay at the last second. As long as they tip decently I will happily serve anyone after they’ve paid within reason, obviously not for 30+ mins or with an hour wait but at that point it’s an issue for the managers. Your opinion on this is pretty entitled imo it’s totally arbitrary to think that choosing to pay early should deny you any further service vs someone who holds onto their bill
People pay extra when they go out to restaurants for the sake of atmosphere, service and hospitality. Part of that sometimes means spending a little extra time at the table before parting ways. I think most well-adjusted waitstaff perfectly understand that and don’t have a problem with it, within reason like I said. Most also understand that even though the bill is paid your tip can still be changed… the fact is the song and dance doesn’t end until they’re out the door >

This is such a garbage take but ok OP lmao.
Once you have paid, they are not obligated to lift another finger for you. That is why you often pay on your way out. Not before hand. >

As a server myself this is silly and very entitled >

Paying the bill says im done. Free refulls end when you pay your bill... >

No. This is not just an unpopular opinion but a wrong action. 
Your transaction with the server ends once you pay. 
You are euphemistically called a guest by a restaurant, but you are in fact a customer. Once you stop the transaction by completing the purchase, you are loitering. Get up and move on. 
What's the incentive for additional service on the sever's end? >

This is definitely an unpopular opinion, but not because it's a matter of preference.
This one is OP not getting the social norm that paying the bill signals "I'm done here".
Social norms do change over time, but this one is just not how it works at the moment and could indicate a bit of self-awareness might be lacking on OP's part >

This is so fucking american it's crazy >

I work in fine dining at night and this is well known, service doesn’t stop when the check is finished. Guests are still guests until they leave. I work at a casual brunch spot in the morning and when people pay and hangout I obviously still check on them and I’ve had almost all of them think I’m trying to kick them out when really I’m just continuing service until they wanna leave. Different restaurants different vibes I guess