Posted on Feb 28, 2015
How do you react when a civilian offers to buy your meal?
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Etiquette
Ethics
Responses: 16
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They usually roll out before I get a chance to thank them. Then I leave the waitress/waiter a nice fat tip that is usually the cost of the meal.
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SFC (Join to see)
I do the same thing CSM.
I also quietly purchase meals for fellow veterans when I see them. I remember sitting in IHop one morning when a group of 3 came in. At first I thought it was a softball team with the matching shirts, they were seated in the booth behind me. Over the course of my meal I caught tidbits of their conversation and realized that they had all served together in Afghanistan and were getting together to remember 2 members of their team they had lost that day 2 years ago. I was moved by their camaraderie and quietly told the waitress to put their bill on me. I left shortly after and got on my bike and rode out...only to be passed about 10 minutes later by the guys who all offered a quick hand salute and rolled by.
CVMA ~NoS~
Vets helping Vets
I also quietly purchase meals for fellow veterans when I see them. I remember sitting in IHop one morning when a group of 3 came in. At first I thought it was a softball team with the matching shirts, they were seated in the booth behind me. Over the course of my meal I caught tidbits of their conversation and realized that they had all served together in Afghanistan and were getting together to remember 2 members of their team they had lost that day 2 years ago. I was moved by their camaraderie and quietly told the waitress to put their bill on me. I left shortly after and got on my bike and rode out...only to be passed about 10 minutes later by the guys who all offered a quick hand salute and rolled by.
CVMA ~NoS~
Vets helping Vets
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I say thanks, of course tell them it is not necessary and as CPT Ahmed Faried suggested, I have always asked them to join me, so that I can learn about them, and they about me (although as with many of the other experiences, I do not often get the chance).
What I do after though, is I will always seek out a veteran (in uniform or out, if I can identify them, especially WWI, Korea or Vietnam Vets) and I will buy them something -- coffee, maybe pay their bill at the newsstand stores...something.
I do not think I do this enough, but I want to be on the other end of this question. I want to buy for all veterans and then hopefully get to meet them and find out more about them. But then I'll also do the same sometimes for random civilians.
Maybe I am just atoning for my past transgressions...
What I do after though, is I will always seek out a veteran (in uniform or out, if I can identify them, especially WWI, Korea or Vietnam Vets) and I will buy them something -- coffee, maybe pay their bill at the newsstand stores...something.
I do not think I do this enough, but I want to be on the other end of this question. I want to buy for all veterans and then hopefully get to meet them and find out more about them. But then I'll also do the same sometimes for random civilians.
Maybe I am just atoning for my past transgressions...
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I thank them - if afforded the opportunity.
Only once have I had the opportunity to have them join me for a post-meal conversation. I think the connection mattered very much to the very shy and unassuming elderly gentleman who had lost his oldest son in Vietnam many years before. He told me a bunch of things he wished he would have had a chance to say to that young PFC, 40 years earlier.
Only once have I had the opportunity to have them join me for a post-meal conversation. I think the connection mattered very much to the very shy and unassuming elderly gentleman who had lost his oldest son in Vietnam many years before. He told me a bunch of things he wished he would have had a chance to say to that young PFC, 40 years earlier.
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I've had it happen several times.
If it's anonymous (more often than not), I ask the waitress to pass on my thanks. And then leave a big tip.
If it's not anonymous, I will thank them and let them know that I appreciate the sentiment. And then leave a big tip. I used to try to turn it down, but I failed 100% of the time, and it seemed to hurt feelings.
Since the prohibition of traveling in ACUs came out, it has happened a whole lot less (I don't like traveling in ASUs).
If it's anonymous (more often than not), I ask the waitress to pass on my thanks. And then leave a big tip.
If it's not anonymous, I will thank them and let them know that I appreciate the sentiment. And then leave a big tip. I used to try to turn it down, but I failed 100% of the time, and it seemed to hurt feelings.
Since the prohibition of traveling in ACUs came out, it has happened a whole lot less (I don't like traveling in ASUs).
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I try to resist politely but I'm usually outnumbered.
If I'm working my chef job and I see uniformed personnel in the restaurant, I'll comp their meal for them.
If I'm working my chef job and I see uniformed personnel in the restaurant, I'll comp their meal for them.
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This has happened only one time. I was coming back from Afghanistan. When we got back to the airport stateside, we all went to one of the airport restaurants to eat some 'real' food. We were all starving, so we ordered a ton of food and were happily eating and just enjoying not having sand in our food. The waitress came over and told us that our bill had been paid by someone who wished remain anonymous. We tried really hard to find out who it was, but she did not tell us. So we stood up and loudly thanked everyone for their support and generosity. I still think about how much that must have cost that individual.
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Honestly, it was always a combination of bashfulness and humility. As you know, we serve/served, because we believe/believed what we were doing mattered. At the same time, while I appreciated the gesture, I felt unsure, as I never did anything for personal gain.
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I recently had a meal paid by a person in head of me in a drive through. I was a bit stunned, so a returned the favor the next time I went to a drive through.
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