Dining and dashing is a truly old-school crime, up there with bank robberies and museum heists. It’s a pretty basic premise. You order, you eat, and you walk out. It’s as simple as it is uncool. Most restaurants are small businesses that operate on pretty thin margins. Their whole ecosystem could be upset by a diner and dasher. Not to mention, you can never come back there again. And if you liked the food (which hopefully you did after going through all that trouble), then that’s a huge bummer. 

It’s also a messed up thing to do because it can come down on the server. Servers aren’t rolling in the dough. They rely on tips to survive and they don’t have infinite bank accounts. They’re also working hard to make sure you have a good time. The least you can do is pay them. But just how responsible should the servers be held? My take: not at all.