not so free water

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have to
drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived along with
glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the menu. They were
charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of water - 36 bottles for
about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one bottle but needless to say,
didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

I wouldn't go back. Isn't there a state law saying they have to
provide free water in most states? Something about preventing choking
or something? Did you ask them if they provided free water?

-L.

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have to
drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived along with
glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the menu. They were
charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of water - 36 bottles for
about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one bottle but needless to say,
didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

Yep. You are lucky they didn't slip you a fufu bottle and charge you
$6.50 US each. It is just a way for them to get your check up, up, up.
Surely you could ask for tap and they would not charge, well maybe. <g>

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you
have to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters
arrived along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and
checked the menu. They were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same
brand of water - 36 bottles for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd
opened one bottle but needless to say, didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think)
most restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who feel it
is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think their pasta is
being cooked in Evian! 😉

Jill

jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you
have to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters
arrived along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and
checked the menu. They were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same
brand of water - 36 bottles for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd
opened one bottle but needless to say, didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think)
most restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who feel
it
is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think their pasta
is
being cooked in Evian! 😉

Jill

Yes, it makes you wonder!

I was really [censored], but didn't want to make a fuss 'cause didn't want to
embarrass my friend. C'est le vie,

Elaine

"-L." <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

elaine wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't go back. Isn't there a state law saying they have to
provide free water in most states? Something about preventing choking
or something?

That crossed my mind, too. It came up during a drought, restaurants
were forbidden to just pour water automatically, you had to ask for
it. It came up that they are legally required to give you water. Who
knows about where Elaine lives.

nancy

jay said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have to
drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived along with
glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the menu. They were
charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of water - 36 bottles for
about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one bottle but needless to say,
didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

Yep. You are lucky they didn't slip you a fufu bottle and charge you
$6.50 US each. It is just a way for them to get your check up, up, up.
Surely you could ask for tap and they would not charge, well maybe. <g>

Were there water glasses on the table before your order was taken, and
had they been filled?

On Fri, 7 Apr 2006 17:12:57 -0500, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you
have to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters
arrived along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and
checked the menu. They were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same
brand of water - 36 bottles for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd
opened one bottle but needless to say, didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think)
most restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who feel it
is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think their pasta is
being cooked in Evian! 😉

Jill

The owner of the Thai restaurant next door to our store used to laugh
about people coming in with their bottled water and asking for a glass
of ice. I guarantee that they did not use bottled water for the ice.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

On Fri, 7 Apr 2006 17:12:57 -0500, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who feel it
is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think their pasta is
being cooked in Evian! 😉

Gawd....people [censored] and [censored] about the price of gasoline....and then
march their pompous asses into the convenience center and buy "so &
so" bottled imported water that is running about 8 buck a gallon in a
designer bottle??!! They believe they are the smart shopper.

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have to
drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived along with
glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the menu. They were
charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of water - 36 bottles for
about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one bottle but needless to say,
didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

I have seen worse. It was in Copenhagen, which is expensive to begin with. We
had only 45 minutes to get dinner and explained to the waitress that we were in
a hurry. My wife ordered a glass of wine. I asked for water. My wife thought
that sounded good and asked for water too. I had meant a glass of water. The
waitress brought us each a bottle of water..... $10 each, and that was 5 years
ago.

"jmcquown" wrote

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you
have to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters
arrived along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and
checked the menu. They were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same
brand of water - 36 bottles for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd
opened one bottle but needless to say, didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think)
most restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who feel
it
is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think their pasta
is
being cooked in Evian! 😉

I can think of two things which would justify my ordering bottled water.
First, a lot of cities chlorinate the water and I find that very unpleasant.
Also, when a restaurant around here doesn't have a water filtering system
and serves tap water, it can taste pretty brackish because of being so close
to the Bay. IOW, I like tasteless water!

Dora

Quoted message said:

Jill

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have to
drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived along
with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the menu. They
were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of water - 36 bottles
for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one bottle but needless to say,
didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

Many's the time I've been in bars where someone, almost inevitably a female,
has asked for a glass of water when the rest of the party has ordered booze.
A waitress complained to me about it - no charge expected by the cheapskate,
no tip for the waitress or barman, no profit for the owner. I told her to
deliver a bottle of "designer" water next time; at least then, the patron
would be paying for her place.

If you ran a business, you would soon find out that there are such things as
overheads and that adding a % to each item is not feasible. That $2 charge,
although a bit excessive, was NOT out of line.

"Pennyaline" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jay said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you have
to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters arrived
along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and checked the
menu. They were charging $2 per bottle. I buy the same brand of
water - 36 bottles for about $3.50 or so on sale. We'd opened one
bottle but needless to say, didn't open the other bottle.

Who's going to pay $2 for a no-name kind of water, when (I think) most
restaurants have it; ----well free! Quite the rip off.

Elaine

Yep. You are lucky they didn't slip you a fufu bottle and charge you
$6.50 US each. It is just a way for them to get your check up, up, up.
Surely you could ask for tap and they would not charge, well maybe. <g>

Were there water glasses on the table before your order was taken, and had
they been filled?

Interesting thought-provoking idea. I suppose if there aren't already on
the table glasses for water or filled glasses, that could be a sign that the
restaurant was going to offer you the bottled water for purchase. However,
looking thru the restaurants' eyes toward profits, if one really wants
bottled water; then, whether the glasses are filled or not wouldn't make any
difference to the person who really wants bottled water.

We usually only want water (cheap seniors, I think some might say) or wine.
DH will drink 4 glasses of water without a thought. I will drink 1/2 cup.
He drinks with ice; I don't drink with ice. If I heat hot food, I'll have a
beer. He wouldn't pay for bottled water because he's not fussy. But lately
when they have asked me if I want water, I'll say, "Yes, but not bottled
water."

I always am glad to have a choice of wine if not for any other reason than
hopefully I'll get better service, thinking that the server might think
since we're oldsters and order plain water that we might stiff them -- as
seems to be opinion of a great many people.
Dee Dee

In article <[email hidden]>,

limey said:

I can think of two things which would justify my ordering bottled water.
First, a lot of cities chlorinate the water and I find that very unpleasant.
Also, when a restaurant around here doesn't have a water filtering system
and serves tap water, it can taste pretty brackish because of being so close
to the Bay. IOW, I like tasteless water!

But you'd be ordering it especially. I would never assume at a basic
restaurant that if we asked for water, we'd get anything but the ice in
a glass tap water (or filtered if they have one).

It reminds me of Europe, and how all the water came as bottled water,
charged, and if you didn't specify a size when asking for a soda, they
gave you the largest and most expensive.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

In article <NuCZf.7544$_u1.491@pd7tw2no>,

fred' no free said:

If you ran a business, you would soon find out that there are such things as
overheads and that adding a % to each item is not feasible. That $2 charge,
although a bit excessive, was NOT out of line.

It certainly is when standard practice in the US is to offer water
free of charge, and only offer bottled water if the patron asks for it.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

fred' no free said:

Many's the time I've been in bars where someone, almost inevitably a female,
has asked for a glass of water when the rest of the party has ordered booze.
A waitress complained to me about it - no charge expected by the cheapskate,
no tip for the waitress or barman, no profit for the owner. I told her to
deliver a bottle of "designer" water next time; at least then, the patron
would be paying for her place.

Way to punish the designated driver, fred.

Stacia

limey said:

I can think of two things which would justify my ordering bottled water.
First, a lot of cities chlorinate the water and I find that very unpleasant.
Also, when a restaurant around here doesn't have a water filtering system
and serves tap water, it can taste pretty brackish because of being so close
to the Bay. IOW, I like tasteless water!

I live live in the country and get my water from a well. I had to chuckle when a
friend from the city was enjoying the water from our kitchen tap and saying how
great it was to have a drink of water that wasn't tainted with chlorine. I
didn't bother to tell her that our well water was not fit to drink and that we
had a purification system and the water was heavily chlorinated.

"Ranee Mueller" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <NuCZf.7544$_u1.491@pd7tw2no>,

fred' no free said:

If you ran a business, you would soon find out that there are such things
as
overheads and that adding a % to each item is not feasible. That $2
charge,
although a bit excessive, was NOT out of line.

It certainly is when standard practice in the US is to offer water
free of charge, and only offer bottled water if the patron asks for it.

Regards,
Ranee

That "standard" is going to hell as restaurants discover new ways of making
money. People are far too willing to buy bottled water when all you have to
do is ask for a glass of it. Even KFC and McD's sell it by the bottle. I
make it a point to ask for a cup and not just ask for water.

I just spent the last 2 weeks in Europe. I spent more money on water than I
did on wine. A 750 ml bottle was E1.50 and up at a restaurant. One place
was E2.50 for water, E3.50 for a pitcher of wine. Even worse, in Italy you
have to pay to [censored] the water away in many places.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

The Cook said:

On Fri, 7 Apr 2006 17:12:57 -0500, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

I went out to lunch today with a friend. Waitress, "what will you
have to drink" - Us, "water's fine, thanks." So 2 bottled waters
arrived along with glasses. I thought that was a bit weird and
checked the menu. They were charging $2 per bottle.
Elaine

I definitely agree with you. There are, I suppose, some people who
feel it is beneath them to drink tap water. I hope they don't think
their pasta is being cooked in Evian! 😉

Jill

The owner of the Thai restaurant next door to our store used to laugh
about people coming in with their bottled water and asking for a glass
of ice. I guarantee that they did not use bottled water for the ice.

That's what's so really funny about this thread! "I'll bring in my own
bottled water... oh, may I have some ice?" Oh, sure! and may I bring you
some iced tea? <chuckle>

Jill

Edwin Pawlowski said:

That "standard" is going to hell as restaurants discover new ways of making
money. People are far too willing to buy bottled water when all you have to
do is ask for a glass of it. Even KFC and McD's sell it by the bottle. I
make it a point to ask for a cup and not just ask for water.

I just spent the last 2 weeks in Europe. I spent more money on water than I
did on wine. A 750 ml bottle was E1.50 and up at a restaurant. One place
was E2.50 for water, E3.50 for a pitcher of wine. Even worse, in Italy you
have to pay to [censored] the water away in many places.

Are they charging for restroom visits now? I knew Italy was
in trouble, but I didn't imagine it was that bad.

--
Reg