6 ms·

Personally I don't enjoy the dine-in experience that much. It takes an additional hour of time for long meals, mostly just sitting browsing through my phone, or

Personally I don't enjoy the dine-in experience that much. It takes an additional hour of time for long meals, mostly just sitting browsing through my phone, or 15-20 minutes for short meals, again browsing through my phone. I don't like the tipping system, feeling pressured to order drinks, or the whole credit card payment ritual. I hope you're right and that we see delivery-focused restaurants in low cost areas with sustainable packaging, so we can enjoy higher-end food at home besides pizza and chinese.

chrisseaton 6y ago
> or the whole credit card payment ritual Huh?
- falcolas 6y ago
  Probably: Wait for the check. Get the check, attach a credit card to it. Wait for the wait staff to return and get it. Wait for the wait staff to run the card. Wait for the wait staff to return with your card. Do some math for a tip, sign the receipt. It’s also mildly concerning to leave your bare credit card (with pretty much everything they need to commit fraud with it) with a complete stranger.
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    Do you not have contactless, or chip-and-pin? The waiter or waitress turns up with the bill, I glance at it, I tap my card, or if it's a larger sum insert it and type in my PIN. Worst case scenario it's 30s. I'm pretty sure that your agreement with your card company includes that you must not let anyone else touch the card, let alone take it away.
    - steveklabnik 6y ago
      It's still very new here, and most places just don't do it the way that you all do elsewhere in the world. I think I got my first one last year? And I bank with one of the biggest banks. Even then, we have just the chip, no PIN. (There is a PIN for like, ATM transactions, but if I go to Europe, I still have to sign, even if they do the contactless thing. Folks (reasonably) almost never expect it, and have to go find a pen...)
    - falcolas 6y ago
      A very, very few places offer it at the table. Most places I’ve been to in the last few years do not offer it. Even at the counter, as a sibling mentions, a few places offer a chip, but no pin. Quite a few will still only have swipe readers.
    - ReactiveJelly 6y ago
      Chips only came to America recently, and mobile card readers are kind of a novelty. The last few times I went to a sit-down restaurant (Before March, when the hammer fell), it was still done that way. I only got a completely contactless card... last month. October.
    - pessimizer 6y ago
      > I'm pretty sure that your agreement with your card company includes that you must not let anyone else touch the card, let alone take it away. In the US this is the standard way restaurants work, and it is very strange when they do not work this way. At the low end there will sometimes be a cashier who accepts payment.
  - Lammy 6y ago
    > It’s also mildly concerning to leave your bare credit card (with pretty much everything they need to commit fraud with it) with a complete stranger. This actually happened to me at the Santa Clara Convention Center bar of all places.
- ndonnellan 6y ago
  If I had to guess, I'd say they were talking about (in most US restaurants) - Ask for check -> waiter brings check -> put card in fold, wait ?? minutes for waiter to return to grab card -> wait ?? minutes for waiter to run card and return it -> sign receipt and leave. On a busy night, this ritual could last 15-20 minutes. To be fair, in some countries in Europe (and a small number of restaurants I've been to in the US), it's more like: - ask for check -> waiter brings hand terminal to table -> swipe card, then leave
- dannyeei 6y ago
  America is a weird place. They bring the bill. You put your credit card in the bill. A waiter comes and takes it then brings it back and after all that you have to enter the tip amount. In Australia they bring the Eftpos machine to your table and I'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to touch your card.
  - leetcrew 6y ago
    it's really not such a big deal. if I'm in a hurry, I just give them the card and they come back with a receipt to sign. if there's any issue, I'm confident amex will be happy to process my chargeback. I think this is more of a cultural thing than anything. if americans are in a rush, we get takeout or go somewhere that doesn't have full table service. I think the "credit card ritual" is usually just a way to show they are not rushing you out the door. something to understand about america: in general the protections for ordinary folks are pretty bad, but the act of paying for a good/service is sacred. if you (or one of your employees) fuck over a customer, they have ample remedies against you.
    - chrisseaton 6y ago
      > I just give them the card Pretty sure you're explicitly not supposed to do this... Doesn't it have everything needed to make online purchases printed on it? What stops the waiter or waitress using all the info on Amazon?
      - cnasc 6y ago
        > What stops the waiter or waitress using all the info on Amazon? Most people don’t want to go to jail after their fraudulent purchase is quickly flagged
        asciident 6y ago
        It's hard to track down. They could just write down your credit card number, name, expiration, and security code. Then use it a month later, at which point you have already been to several restaurants and handed people your card many times. And you don't know if the card was taken in some other way like a online retail hack.
rblatz 6y ago
I assume you are dining out alone? Or are you just ignoring your dining companion(s)? I agree dining out alone takes some getting used to, I would normally pony up to the bar and chat with the bartender or other patrons when dining alone.
- asciident 6y ago
  Yes dining alone, especially on business travel. I just want to eat my entree and go to the hotel. Dining with a group is totally fine as an experience. Dining with a partner is still a bit of a wait if it's someone you're very familiar with. I'd rather have a 1:1 conversation in a quiet private place with a coffee or drink.
romanoderoma 6y ago
Can I ask why you dine in if you can take out the food? Delivery means you are not even going out from your house, which can only make those browsing sessions while eating longer and more depressive.

chrisseaton 6y ago

> or the whole credit card payment ritual Huh?

falcolas 6y ago
Probably: Wait for the check. Get the check, attach a credit card to it. Wait for the wait staff to return and get it. Wait for the wait staff to run the card. Wait for the wait staff to return with your card. Do some math for a tip, sign the receipt. It’s also mildly concerning to leave your bare credit card (with pretty much everything they need to commit fraud with it) with a complete stranger.
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  Do you not have contactless, or chip-and-pin? The waiter or waitress turns up with the bill, I glance at it, I tap my card, or if it's a larger sum insert it and type in my PIN. Worst case scenario it's 30s. I'm pretty sure that your agreement with your card company includes that you must not let anyone else touch the card, let alone take it away.
  - steveklabnik 6y ago
    It's still very new here, and most places just don't do it the way that you all do elsewhere in the world. I think I got my first one last year? And I bank with one of the biggest banks. Even then, we have just the chip, no PIN. (There is a PIN for like, ATM transactions, but if I go to Europe, I still have to sign, even if they do the contactless thing. Folks (reasonably) almost never expect it, and have to go find a pen...)
  - falcolas 6y ago
    A very, very few places offer it at the table. Most places I’ve been to in the last few years do not offer it. Even at the counter, as a sibling mentions, a few places offer a chip, but no pin. Quite a few will still only have swipe readers.
  - ReactiveJelly 6y ago
    Chips only came to America recently, and mobile card readers are kind of a novelty. The last few times I went to a sit-down restaurant (Before March, when the hammer fell), it was still done that way. I only got a completely contactless card... last month. October.
  - pessimizer 6y ago
    > I'm pretty sure that your agreement with your card company includes that you must not let anyone else touch the card, let alone take it away. In the US this is the standard way restaurants work, and it is very strange when they do not work this way. At the low end there will sometimes be a cashier who accepts payment.
- Lammy 6y ago
  > It’s also mildly concerning to leave your bare credit card (with pretty much everything they need to commit fraud with it) with a complete stranger. This actually happened to me at the Santa Clara Convention Center bar of all places.
ndonnellan 6y ago
If I had to guess, I'd say they were talking about (in most US restaurants) - Ask for check -> waiter brings check -> put card in fold, wait ?? minutes for waiter to return to grab card -> wait ?? minutes for waiter to run card and return it -> sign receipt and leave. On a busy night, this ritual could last 15-20 minutes. To be fair, in some countries in Europe (and a small number of restaurants I've been to in the US), it's more like: - ask for check -> waiter brings hand terminal to table -> swipe card, then leave
dannyeei 6y ago
America is a weird place. They bring the bill. You put your credit card in the bill. A waiter comes and takes it then brings it back and after all that you have to enter the tip amount. In Australia they bring the Eftpos machine to your table and I'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to touch your card.
- leetcrew 6y ago
  it's really not such a big deal. if I'm in a hurry, I just give them the card and they come back with a receipt to sign. if there's any issue, I'm confident amex will be happy to process my chargeback. I think this is more of a cultural thing than anything. if americans are in a rush, we get takeout or go somewhere that doesn't have full table service. I think the "credit card ritual" is usually just a way to show they are not rushing you out the door. something to understand about america: in general the protections for ordinary folks are pretty bad, but the act of paying for a good/service is sacred. if you (or one of your employees) fuck over a customer, they have ample remedies against you.
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    > I just give them the card Pretty sure you're explicitly not supposed to do this... Doesn't it have everything needed to make online purchases printed on it? What stops the waiter or waitress using all the info on Amazon?
    - cnasc 6y ago
      > What stops the waiter or waitress using all the info on Amazon? Most people don’t want to go to jail after their fraudulent purchase is quickly flagged
      - asciident 6y ago
        It's hard to track down. They could just write down your credit card number, name, expiration, and security code. Then use it a month later, at which point you have already been to several restaurants and handed people your card many times. And you don't know if the card was taken in some other way like a online retail hack.

rblatz 6y ago

I assume you are dining out alone? Or are you just ignoring your dining companion(s)? I agree dining out alone takes some getting used to, I would normally pony up to the bar and chat with the bartender or other patrons when dining alone.

asciident 6y ago
Yes dining alone, especially on business travel. I just want to eat my entree and go to the hotel. Dining with a group is totally fine as an experience. Dining with a partner is still a bit of a wait if it's someone you're very familiar with. I'd rather have a 1:1 conversation in a quiet private place with a coffee or drink.

romanoderoma 6y ago

Can I ask why you dine in if you can take out the food? Delivery means you are not even going out from your house, which can only make those browsing sessions while eating longer and more depressive.