Is it ‘rude' to box up leftovers when someone else pays? Father-son argument over to-go food sparks debate

New York Post

11 hours ago

A 28-year-old man got into a dispute with his father after asking for a to-go box at a restaurant — dividing diners on Reddit and prompting a larger discussion about etiquette.
In a post, the man wrote that the dispute began after his family went out to eat at a diner, on his father's dime.
'I ordered a main course but also felt like I was in the mood for a side dish, so I ordered it as well,' the Reddit user wrote.
'My eyes were bigger than my stomach, because I was unable to finish my food. I asked for a to-go box.'
But his dad was peeved by the move, the Redditor said.
Soon thereafter, his father told him what he had done was 'rude' and 'that when someone else is paying for your meal, you shouldn't order extra stuff if you won't be able to finish,' the man wrote.
The man added that his father 'meant well' and was trying to teach him a lesson — but he did not take the advice well.
They 'got into an argument and I offered to pay him back if it bothered him so much, and he said I was missing the point,' the man recalled.
'I didn't think it was that absurd to get a to-go box. Was I an a–hole?'
4 A 28-year-old man got into a dispute with his father after asking for a to-go box at a restaurant — dividing diners on Reddit and prompting a larger discussion about etiquette.
Suzi Media – stock.adobe.com
Many agreed with the father.
'If someone else is paying, you don't order up big, that's just rude,' one of the commenters said. 'I wouldn't be happy either. Be a little more respectful next time.'
'[My] nephew used to do this all the time until I put a stop to it,' another said. 'Not appropriate when someone else is paying.'
A third person wrote, 'I have a grandson who does this. He orders a huge amount of food, takes a few bites and leaves the rest… It's rude and wasteful.'
4 'I ordered a main course but also felt like I was in the mood for a side dish, so I ordered it as well,' the Reddit user wrote. 'My eyes were bigger than my stomach, because I was unable to finish my food. I asked for a to-go box.'
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Others sided with the original Reddit poster, arguing the father was unnecessarily harsh.
'What sort of dad doesn't want to feed his kid?' one person wrote. 'He sounds awful, and I wouldn't go with him again.'
'It is very easy to over-order if you are hungry or if you don't know the portions this place serves,' another said. 'You apologized and offered to pay. That should be the end of it.'
4 His father told him what he had done was 'rude' and 'that when someone else is paying for your meal, you shouldn't order extra stuff if you won't be able to finish,' the man wrote.
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Texas-based etiquette expert Pat Durham told Fox News Digital that both parties handled the situation imperfectly.
'When we are a guest and someone else is paying for our food, we should be considerate of our host and his or her pocketbook,' Durham said.
'In this instance, ordering an additional side was inappropriate.'
4 The Reddit story sparked a divided response, with some comments agreeing with the father, while others took the son's side in the disagreement.
Viacheslav Yakobchuk – stock.adobe.com
However, the dad 'didn't handle the situation well, either,' the decorum pro said.
'The offending party missed the whole point,' she added.
'But, children can only know what they learn from their parents and others in positions of teaching and mentoring.'