I'm sure anyone in the service industry has experienced this scenario one too many times. You have a party come in, and not everyone gets there at the same time. So the first person says, "No matter what, give me the bill." Okay. Then, the rest of the party joins. Then someone else gets up to go to the restroom and pulls you aside saying they want the bill...okay, well someone already asked you.
I don't have time to play that game, because that's what it really feels like - a game that I didn't agree to play. We have other tables, other things going on, so when we drop the bill off, we are not worrying about that. I usually just go with whoever asks me first, and sometimes they'll give me their card before they even sit down, but then when you drop off the already paid bill to say thanks for coming in, all hell breaks loose because the other person who also wanted the bill is now pissed off and taking it out on us. I've heard it all: "I'm the father, what I say goes." "I'm not very happy with you I said I wanted it." etc. etc...
Leave us out of it. If you can't contain your wish to pay the bill, and it's that big of a deal, figure it out with the rest of your party before you go out to eat. Slip some money in the other person's bag. We really don't care what you do, but don't sit and yell at your server when you didn't get to pay the bill because someone else already asked for it.
I'm happy to honor anyone's request to pay the bill, but if you're late to the party, oh well. If you can't contain yourself and can't present yourself with some restaurant etiquette, then don't say anything at all and let your server drop the bill in the middle of the table like we normally do.
If this ever does happen to you as a customer, and you're irritated that you didn't get to pay the bill when you wanted to, realize that someone else already communicated with us about it before you lose your composure and embarrass yourself. Don't put us in that situation. Figure it out on your own time. There's always next time.
Playing that back and forth game isn't part of our jobs.
