Oz bill-dodgers nailed on Facebook

Restaurant owner turns net sleuth

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 27th November 2008 12:56 GMT

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A Melbourne restaurant owner has dispensed net justice to a group of bill-dodgers after tracking the ringleader down on Facebook, News.com.au reports.

Peter Leary of "up-market establishment" Seagrass was faced with an unpaid $520 bill after five diners "worked their way expertly through the menu, ordered and drank fine wines", tucked into dessert and finally deployed the "nipping out for a smoke" ruse to make good their escape.

Leary then remembered that "when the group arrived, one of them had asked about one of our waitresses who was not working that night".

The absent waitress in question was able to give Leary the name of her fleet-footed acquaintance, and he immediately ran it through Facebook. He explained: "I searched the name and there he was, large as life. And he was pictured with his girlfriend - the only girl who had been in the group."

Leary added: "The site also gave me his place of employment, which was handy."

Conveniently, the chap and his girlfriend both worked at another local restaurant. Leary, suitably "angered that it was workers from his own industry who had perpetrated the scam", hotfooted it down to the fooderie and confronted the manager, who promised swift action.

A couple of hours later, the manager dragged the culprit down to Seagrass, where he "not only paid the bill, but left a generous tip for staff".

Leary concluded: "The restaurant manager then told me he would let me know what further action would be taken. And later, he called to say both employees had been dismissed." ®

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