Dine and dash

A dine and dash (also referred to as "dine and ditch", "chew and screw", or "running the check") is a form of theft, more specifically a form of fraud, in which a patron eats at a restaurant and then leaves without paying.

Legal aspects

It has been in practice the habit of employers to deduct the cost of the patron's meal in the case of a dine-and-dash from employees' wages or tips, on the principle that it provides employees with an incentive to ensure that patrons pay. In many jurisdictions such deductions are illegal. In British Columbia, for example, such deductions are illegal under section 21 subsection 3 of the Employment Standards Act.^[1]

The advent of smoking ban legislation for restaurants has caused concern for owners, who believe that patrons can take advantage of the prohibition on smoking, by claiming that they are "going to go outside to have a cigarette", to perform a dine-and-dash.

In Hongkong, some restaurants (Cantonese: Chaa Chaan Teng) installs Closed-circuit television, in order to prevent dine and dash.

References

1. ^ British Columbia Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services (2005). "Interpretation Guidelines Manual: British Columbia Employment Standards Act and Regulations". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)