Man Jailed After Letting His Girlfriend Eat Off Of His Plate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that a man was jailed for two days after letting his girlfriend eat from his plate -- and then refusing to pay for two $7 buffet meals.
When he was charged for two $7 buffet meals, Linscomb refused to pay for one of them. He said that “there were no signs in the restaurant that said someone could not have some food off your plate,” the report said.
The restaurant staff called police, who came to the restaurant on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and arrested Linscomb on a charge of theft of services. He was taken to Fulton County Jail.
The man was released from jail two days later after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.
According to the police report, the jailed diner said that his girlfriend had only had "a couple bites" of his food. Don't mess with buffet restaurant managers, people. They are serious about the buffet rules.
Texan jailed after 2 ate from 1 plate [AJC] (Thanks, j!)
(Photo: Morton Fox )
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AND, those officers were arresting him instead of taking care of more important "crimes." Ridiculous.
Sounds shady. I wouldn't go to a buffet just to watch my boyfriend eat.
Technically he is stealing but I'm sure this could have been resolved differently. Does the restaurant need that kind of publicity?
while going to jail might be a bit extreme, before everyone starts piling on, the story is sorely lacking in detail. It's perfectly reasonable for a buffet to charge for everyone in the party, otherwise I could take a family of 4 there, just pay for myself and just keep piling up the 1 plate to feed everyone else. I'm confused when the waitress sat them, how did the guy explain his girlfriend, "she's not eating, just sitting here and watching"?
Um, my spidey sense tells me that the man MAY have been lying. I doubt (though, since this is consumerist I like to keep my options open) that the restaurant would've kicked up a fuss - or even noticed - if she'd just taken a bite or two from the plate.
On a side note - $7 for all you can eat Buffet? I'm so there. God, that Ham looks incredible.
Stop posting yummy food pictures when I have PB&J for lunch!
Disorderly conduct, what you're charged with when there's nothing to charge you with!
A few questions:
1. How long was the girlfriend at the restaurant with the guy? Was she there the entire and didn't want to pay fort he buffet?
2. Did she really have just a few bites? or were they trying to run the system?
It just doesn't add up that a couple would go to the restaurant and the girl not plan on eating. What excuses could there be that she just sit and wait while her boyfriend ate at a buffet? Go through a drive threw if only one of you is hungry.
Surely common sense dictates that when one person is paying for "all you can eat" that means you cant share. If you could, why wouldnt you just get one buffet and share between four people...
Best. Tag. Ever.
I love it.
I agree with the restaurant on this one. She stole food and I'm will to be there is a lot more to the story than just that blurb.
Seriously, it *is* theft. The price they charge doesn't account for a 2nd person eating off your plate at an all you can eat place. If it were a fixed portion place, I would have issues, but since its not...
@xwildebeestx:
He was charged with Theft of Services, which according to the story, is an accurate charge.
He PLEAD to disorderly conduct, which will be better for him, his wallet, and his record.
Since it's his girlfriend, no opportunities for Housewives of Atlanta references, damn!
@Jabberkaty: Oh, I know, I wasn't blaming the cops, as they have no choice -- but the restaurant for calling the cops for something so fucking ridiculous and unecessary.
The only thing that comes to mind is this:
"OM NOM NOM!"
Initial charge was "theft of services" but was reduced to disorderly conduct, so maybe he pitched a fit when the manager approached him. Not to defend what seems on the surface to be a very petty thing to arrest someone over, what kind of cheap-a*s won't pop for the extra 7 bucks so his girlfriend can eat?
To everyone complaining it was a petty issue to bring the police in on...
What is your alternative suggestion? The restaurant gave him the opportunity to pay for the second buffet. He refused.
Should the guy simply get away with theft of $7? Ok. Then the next guy who steals a $10 DVD from Walmart should just walk too? What's the line you would like to set that I can steal without repercussions?
@little stripes: I think it depends on the circumstances. If the guy was being a jerk and refusing to budge, their last option might have been to escalate matters to get the point across.
I'm so ecstatic that Atlanta's finest are cracking down on dangerous criminals like this. This is where the line must be drawn, folks -- if we allow someone other than the buffet customer to eat "a couple bites from his plate", who knows where their future nefarious activities will take them? Spitting on the sidewalk? Using "profanity in front of a dead body which lies in a funeral home or in a coroners office"? Carrying "an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday"?
This madness must be stopped now, before it's too late.
@xwildebeestx: Nah, Dis Con is what they charge you with when someone's being an asshat. I'm glad police have that at their disposal.
There isn't enough information here to really know what happened. If the girlfriend ordered a meal herself and just sampled something from his plate then the restaurant is out of line. If they were trying to get two meals for the price of one then they should have paid for them.
I think the people who are saying that it was theft, without knowing the facts, might want to consider the possibility that the girlfriend had ordered something else (not the buffet) and was just trying something on his plate that looked good. In which case, the restaurant was being completely unreasonable.
@little stripes: Could be the dude does stuff like this on a regular basis. I dunno, I know I'm being all "blame the OP" but I think if I was running a restaurant and this happened I wouldn't want to tolerate it.
Frankly, it IS a poor choice of police time for a $7.00 charge.
A more reasonable approach might be to request payment for the second meal and if the customer refused, the buffet advises them that they are banned from future visits.
I've been in many stores that have photographs of problem customers by the registers (i.e. Don't take a check from this person, etc.).
A one-time loss of $7.00 is far less expensive than the manager's time to deal with the police, appearing in court, etc.
@Red_Flag: Um, frankly I'm glad that the police respond when they are CALLED, and they don't consider it optional.
@Jabberkaty: I hate those cheap buffets. Every time I've eaten at one, I've gotten sick. Not at any of the chain buffets, however.
@Murph1908: Bar him and his girlfriend from the business for life.
There comes a point when petty theft (if you assume the restaurant is the honest party) isn't worth the taxpayer dollars of actually hauling this guy in and taking him to court.
So the banking and investment markets can completely screw up, costing Billions of dollars in losses and they receive bonuses but some schmuck doesn't pay his buffet bill and he is incarcerated for two days? How about issuing him a ticket and having him report to court? And maybe some felony charges on Wall street? Black is white and up is down man.
@Red_Flag: Can you explain what exactly the madness is? The buffet charges $7 per person, he was feeding his girlfriend off his plate. That's 2 persons, he didn't want to pay. What is "silly" about expecting him to pay?
According to the jail, Dan weighed 250 and is 5'10". I think they were losing money on him as it was. [www.fultonsheriff.org]
@SkokieGuy: A lot of times PDs will respond to these calls to make the "you are banned from coming back" statement formal. Since they are witnesses for the state and can issue trespass warnings. That way if the dude does come back they have a leg to stand on when they try to kick him out (i.e. it becomes a crime for him to be there, criminal trespass, and he can be arrested).
It may be that they've tried similar things, but I can't say cause it's such a short story.
@SkokieGuy: If the $7 was so important to them, they should have taken him to civil court and gotten a judgement. This was a waste of public funds.
I was with a group who wanted to eat at CiCis Pizza.. I didn't want to eat but I wanted to sit and chat with them.. I ordered a water glass, but I made sure that I didn't take so much as a cruiton off of their plates..
He should have paid once they confronted him.. she at food so he should have to pay!
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: I sprayed chips on my laptop... At least they didn't come out my nose. Ah, food lols.
The guys an ass and deserves to be charged. Pay the $7 or order separately. $7 is really cheap for a buffet so I don't know what the jack asses problem is. The police probably shouldn't be involved but there is no way you can side with the jack ass consumer on this one.
The girlfriend should be arrested as well. She was the one who ate from the plate. She ate food that she didn't pay for.
@LindsayC: I'm not saying it wasn't theft. I'm talking about priorities. I don't think this is a priority that should incur this much taxpayer money.
@Red_Flag: The suspect was THERE, the crime was admitted to, dude will end up paying for his court time plus the fine imposed. How is this frivolous?
Leaving your car unlocked and having your quarters stolen and not calling the cops but still wanting them to DO something about it is frivolous.
How is this fair to the owner of the restaurant if the cops don't show up when the thief is still right there?
@Red_Flag: The problem with that is how do you enforce it?
Management and staff change all the time, differing shifts have different staffs...
He can refuse to have his picture taken, so how do you ban him effectively?
I think the police call was the correct choice. If he was entered into their system, the place can get a copy of the report, might have his picture on it, also ask for a non visit / trespass if he were to show up again.
@Adisharr: "but I'm sure this could have been resolved differently."
Having her pay is the only resolution I can see. Restaurants are not charities.
$7 versus jail.
Easy call. I wonder if this is Dan's first foray into the not-so-protective custody in Fulton County?
Maybe he wanted to participate in a beat down.
[www.11alive.com]
@Red_Flag: Agreed. First, ask him to pay; then when he doesn't, accept that $7 is less than the cost of prosecution--and probably of the staff's time in dealing with the cops if they come--and tell him not to come back.
What a WASTE of tax payer money.