SINGAPORE: One Singaporean woman said she “got the biggest shock of her life” after her date unexpectedly sent her a bill and asked her to transfer money for their dinner.
Sharing her story on the r/sgdatingscene Reddit forum on Friday (Dec 19), the woman said she met the man through a matchmaking event and thought things started off on a reasonable note. On their first date, he made a point of telling her, “If I ask the girl out, I would pay,” and true enough, he followed through by settling the bill. She added that she had ordered “the cheapest main on the menu” because she does not eat much in the first place.
Going into the second date, she assumed the same understanding applied.
On that date, the man ordered “the most expensive dish on the menu” for both of them to share and even upgraded the meal, which came with extra charges.
According to her, there was “zero consultation” on whether she was okay with the added cost and that he ended up eating “wayyyyy more” than she did.
Explaining why it never crossed her mind that she would be expected to pay, she laid out several reasons. First, he had already stated that if he asked a woman out, he would pay. Second, she is underweight and “doesn’t eat much,” adding that even when she orders cai png, she can usually only manage “tao ghey + tofu before I have to stop.” Third, he made unilateral decisions to add items and upgrades that increased the bill without checking with her at all.
She also pointed out that when the waiter placed the bill on her side of the table, the man “quickly grabbed the bill,” which she took as a clear and deliberate signal that he was settling it.
“So I didn’t offer to pay,” she wrote bluntly.
