News and notes from around the interweb:
- Tourist furious after restaurant in Italy adds €2 charge for cutting sandwich in half.
Basically: (1) This is Italy. (2) The customer wasn’t charged ‘coperto’ so probably came out ahead. (3) 30 years ago the U.S. and Italy had similar per capita GDP. Now Italy’s is half. Italy is broken.
Tourist furious after restaurant in Italy adds €2 charge for cutting sandwich in half #Travelhttps://t.co/4E7s7oj27H pic.twitter.com/XwCImF3VyI
— Secret Flying (@SecretFlying) August 10, 2023
- Upgraded catering in United Clubs.
Thankfully didn’t fully bite into this metal screw in my food at the @fly2ohare United club pic.twitter.com/93Z5LBdEL6
— Rob (@TheBoardmanJr) August 9, 2023
- The Boeing 747 that almost crashed into Athens (HT: @crucker)
- Great thread.
This is probably the best video of an aircraft parachute in action, but the story around how a pilot ended up landing 200miles from Hawaii over the pacific is just as interesting. This was a transoceanic ferry flight to deliver an aircraft to a customer in Hawaii. pic.twitter.com/nfTjHu2E8E
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) August 8, 2023
- New Choice Hotels sweet spots: Booking suites at Radisson properties And Citi transfers to Choice at 1:2.
- Air India has a new livery. The registration on the mocked up aircraft in the media kit is F-UBAI which sure seems like ‘F- Dubai’ and Air India is looking to go after traffic that has abandoned the flag carrier for Emirates.
Absolutely zero need to cite/hate on a country’s GDP because a tourist doesn’t understand local customs. But then again, you always love to hate on Italy
To be clear – This wasn’t a fee to cut the sandwich to make it easier to pick up. This was a fee to split the meal with a dining companion. There are plenty of restaurants here in the USA that charge a plate-sharing fee too.
Everything else on the bill seems to be fairly priced for any of the big tourist cities in italy. And no coperto so I think no room at all to complain. Should be pleased his bill was fair for Italy tourist. standards
GDP is useful context. “Local customs” are not always good; I don’t need to get into the more extreme examples of sexism and homophobia, but to charge a fee expressly cutting a sandwich in half is laughable. There are limits to what cultural differences we can tolerate. Fortunately, as SWAG says, the fee is not for cutting a sandwich but for splitting a meal, which is commonplace all over the world and reasonable.
@swag & @CERTIFIED – I can’t recall ever being charged to split a sandwich / meal with a companion at a restaurant, though I do this often, and am curious if perhaps I missed it on the check all these years. You say it is commonplace in the US – do you by any chance have examples of specific restaurants that have menus online where such a potential charge is listed?
@Jake – there is often a charge at restaurants if 2 people share a meal. Also in this case the owner responded, in a separate article I read, that they cut the sandwich in half, served it on 2 plates and added fries to both plates. As usual there is more to the story
Also to get upset over a couple of Euro when it is common to charge that, or more, for a set up in Europe is really petty and cheap
I think gary blew it with this post. I have been to Italy several times and I have never seen such a charge. Obviously the person was sharing the sandwich which is not an uncommon charge in many restaurants worldwide. So even if this is a charge to cut, why do you use the plural “restaurants”? This implies that it is a common practice in Italy. Do yourself a favor and remove this biased unnecessary false post.
“3) 30 years ago the U.S. and Italy had similar per capita GDP. Now Italy’s is half. ”
Totally wrong.
L3, query WolframAlpha for:
“GDP per capita Italy vs US”
Make sure to switch the y-axis scale from log to linear which makes the comparison more straightforward. It’s a slight embellishment to say the GDPs have ever been similar, because Italy has never had the lead. But the time series of the past 30 years is unmistakable and the US is indeed close to 2x per capita GDP of Italy at present.
@CERTIFIED: Read the question. The data show a massive difference. Even before PPP adjustment:
https://tradingeconomics.com/italy/gdp-per-capita
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-per-capita#:~:text=GDP%20per%20Capita%20in%20the%20United%20States%20averaged%2040172.30%20USD,of%2019135.27%20USD%20in%201960.
Consider changing your name to “CERTIFIABLE”.
That screw seems to be a huge improvement in Uniteds catering
Its far more tender than what they typically serve
I’ve never been charged one that I know of but have seen a extra plate or sharing charge disclosure on the bottom on menus a few times. I guess akin to a “2 drink minimum”, if you take up space, you better buy enough. Was subject to a “must order at least $25 per person per hour” at a sports bar in LAS during a “March Madness” Saturday a few years ago, cards place upon tables.
Its not right but if you give in like sheep and continue to patronize, we are part of the problem. I just declined a pre-selected tip at a sandwich shop moments ago…
I see nothing wrong with minimum orders or preselected tips (just don’t expect another voluntary tip over and above that). Inflation on food prices has outpaced other categories, and restaurants have never operated with high margins in the best of times. Dining out is a luxury and we should be prepared to pay prices commensurate to that luxury.
They charge more for sitting vs standing at the bar.
They charge more for sitting outside vs inside.
They used to charge more (in St Marks Square) when the music is playing.
All fine.
As to the original issue, it’s 2 friggin euros , get over it or stay home.
I do not take kindly to the logic of “it’s a pittance (2 EUR) so get over it.” If it’s a pittance, then what does it say about you, as a business operator, for charging it?
Psychology is real. If, instead of charging fees to split a meal, you offer a token refund when everybody at the table orders their own thing – you’ll come out ahead in reputation. You may have to increase every menu price by a tiny amount, but that’s something people won’t notice. A separate line item on a bill, however trifling, is noticed.
Apologies, I was not clear, this was a takeout only fast-food sandwich shop. I was already charged 4% more for use of a credit card then a 20% tip was pre-selected (begged for) on the screen. Time to stop the nonsense, people.
@Jake:
Here’s one with a split charge: Carnegie Deli.
$3 split plate charge, $12.50 minimum check per table occupant
@NedsKid – thank you! I’ll check it out. I’ve eaten there many years ago while touring the East coast with the kids and probably split one of their gigantic sandwiches with one of them. They must’ve charged me and I never noticed!
@.Nedskid
Carnegie Deli has been closed for many years
Great deli missed
NYC has high operating costs
They still have mail order and it’s great
USA GDP per capita in 1993 is $26,387 USD
Italy GDP per capita in 1993 is $18,739 USD
30 years ago, US is higher by 29%
USA GDP per capita in 2022 is $62,866 USD
Italy GDP per capita in 2022 is $34,158 USD
In 2022, the US is higher by 45%
So in 30 years Italy’s GDP declined by 36% in comparison with the US’ and thus Gary’s comment!
@Kalboz: Read it:
“3) 30 years ago the U.S. and Italy had similar per capita GDP. Now Italy’s is half. ””
They were not similar 30 years ago — even before adjusting for PPP.
Look at your own calculations:
“USA GDP per capita in 1993 is $26,387 USD
Italy GDP per capita in 1993 is $18,739 USD
30 years ago, US is higher by 29%”
US is 40% higher — not 29%.. Idiot!