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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:21 PM Jul 2016

Police Officer Picks Up the Tab for Couple ...

Pa. Police Officer Picks Up the Tab for Couple That Refused to Sit Next to Him
A Pennsylvania police officer picked up the tab for a couple that refused to sit next to him and his fellow officers at a local diner, and a post about his encounter on social media has garnered attention at a time of strained police-community relations.

Officer Chuck Thomas of the Homestead Police Department told ABC News today that he and three other officers sat down for dinner at the Eat n' Park restaurant last Friday, the day after a shooter in Dallas killed five police officers and injured 11 other people.

"A male and female were going to be seated across from us, and he said, 'I don't want to sit there,'" Thomas said.

Thomas said that he wanted to leave the two a note but was unsure how to go about doing so and then decided to pick up their check and scribble a message on the receipt. He wrote that he paid for their dinner and thanked them for their support. He also left a $10 tip.

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Police Officer Picks Up the Tab for Couple ... (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Jul 2016 OP
So the cop wanted to create a bridge to the couple... lame54 Jul 2016 #1
I think we read different articles, the employee did not belittle them Demonaut Jul 2016 #2
I agree zz-la Jul 2016 #3
It was Officer Thomas who wrote the note on the receipt. nt pinboy3niner Jul 2016 #4
Free meal and all they had to do was want to be seated elsewhere. Rex Jul 2016 #6
Misread the last part of the article zz-la Jul 2016 #7
He didn't write THAT msg - here is the whole pic Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #19
Thanks Yo_Mama zz-la Jul 2016 #22
It wasn't you, it was the article/photo. I searched for the pic because Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #23
What is written on the receipt... lame54 Jul 2016 #8
You're wrong - look at the whole pic Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #20
So, I was right to begin with... lame54 Jul 2016 #21
Two different notes on rcpt- Thomas thanked for spt, server wrote the other note Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #17
The excerpt says the cop scribbled the message on the receipt: tblue37 Jul 2016 #13
Yes, I misread it - but... lame54 Jul 2016 #14
Yeah, the note amounted to butt-wagging, bird-flipping snark. nt tblue37 Jul 2016 #15
Officer Thomas wrote note as in article, server added what's shown in pic Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #18
Yes, that wasn't helpful. n/t Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #24
You think they will try that from now on to get a free meal? nt Rex Jul 2016 #5
Why do they think it's always about them ? drray23 Jul 2016 #9
I read that as the tables were next to each other. PersonNumber503602 Jul 2016 #10
K&R :( Shame on that couple! DianaForRussFeingold Jul 2016 #11
The cops are paid too much. JEB Jul 2016 #12
Sounds like bullshit - much like the waitress that was mocked for being gay. tenderfoot Jul 2016 #16

lame54

(35,143 posts)
1. So the cop wanted to create a bridge to the couple...
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:28 PM
Jul 2016

but the employee had to belittle them...

What an asshole

zz-la

(224 posts)
3. I agree
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:37 PM
Jul 2016

Would have been better if the police officer wanted to make that gesture, he could have done so and told the server to not say anything and just let the couple know that their check had been taken care of. If and when the couple inquired about the nice gesture of who picked up their check, then the server could have told them it was the police officer.

Would have been better than writing that crude, self serving message on the receipt.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
6. Free meal and all they had to do was want to be seated elsewhere.
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:39 PM
Jul 2016

I wouldn't have paid them the time of day, but that is just me.

zz-la

(224 posts)
7. Misread the last part of the article
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:41 PM
Jul 2016

Still I wish he would have just picked up their check and left it at that. Not saying anything to the couple and not writing that message on the receipt would have made a better gesture IMO.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
19. He didn't write THAT msg - here is the whole pic
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 08:33 PM
Jul 2016
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1262375807106606&set=pcb.1262375833773270&type=3&theater

I agree that as shown, it makes the gesture look snotty rather than generous - the server must have added the note shown.

As for the note about the tip, I assumed the officer wanted the couple to know that they didn't need to leave one.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
23. It wasn't you, it was the article/photo. I searched for the pic because
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 09:05 PM
Jul 2016

I found it confusing myself.

The article said one thing and the photo said another, and I reacted the same way you did - that was a bit nasty rather than nice.

lame54

(35,143 posts)
8. What is written on the receipt...
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:47 PM
Jul 2016

is different than what he says he wrote on it

"He wrote that he paid for their dinner and thanked them for their support."

what he wrote was very sarcastic

to their credit the people did laugh - but it could have gone the other way

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
20. You're wrong - look at the whole pic
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 08:35 PM
Jul 2016
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1262375807106606&set=pcb.1262375833773270&type=3&theater

The one shown has been cropped so all you see of the officer's note is the "Sir" in the top left. Your impression is reasonable, but the officer wrote exactly what is described in the article. The server or someone at the restaurant must have added in the note shown.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
17. Two different notes on rcpt- Thomas thanked for spt, server wrote the other note
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 08:29 PM
Jul 2016

Here is the whole picture:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1262375807106606&set=pcb.1262375833773270&type=3&theater

I am not sure why the picture was cropped in a way that makes it seem that the Officer was being snotty.

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
13. The excerpt says the cop scribbled the message on the receipt:
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 05:50 PM
Jul 2016
Thomas said that he wanted to leave the two a note but was unsure how to go about doing so and then decided to pick up their check and scribble a message on the receipt. He wrote that he paid for their dinner and thanked them for their support. He also left a $10 tip.

lame54

(35,143 posts)
14. Yes, I misread it - but...
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 07:54 PM
Jul 2016

the article describes something quite different than what the note reads

"He wrote that he paid for their dinner and thanked them for their support."

that's a much nicer way to put it than the note actually reads

that's why i assumed it was the employee added the sarcastic tone

drray23

(7,587 posts)
9. Why do they think it's always about them ?
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 08:46 PM
Jul 2016

when I am with my wife, I may want to sit at a table by ourselves, not share it with strangers.

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