lifestyle

Is it a crime to ditch a bad date and leave them with the bill? Japanese man finds out

28 Comments
By Dale Roll, SoraNews24

Dating is hard, and it seems like most Japanese young adults agree. And although it’s becoming more and more common, online dating is not any easier, because when you agree to go on a date with someone you’ve met online, you’re essentially signing up for a blind date. That means that there’s a chance you will end up eating dinner with someone who is not quite who they said they were, or who doesn’t look like quite like their profile picture.

One Japanese man recently found out the hard way that online dating can be tricky. After meeting a woman on a dating app, he agreed to see her at a local restaurant, but when he saw her in person she was apparently so different from her profile picture that he felt sufficiently betrayed as to sneak out of the restaurant without paying his share of the bill, instead of seeing the date through to the end.

He thought that was the end of it, until he later received a call from the police, who had questions about his departure. Apparently the woman had called the authorities after she realized he had left her to foot the bill. Though he wasn’t arrested or fined for his actions, this close brush with the law had him wondering if it was a crime for him to leave without paying, so he turned to an online legal consultation message board for help.

The answer, apparently, comes down to the man’s initial intent.

If he’d never intended to pay his part of the bill from the very beginning, ordered and ate his meal, and then slunk away, then it could be considered a scam. According to the lawyers he consulted, this is a common hoax, which is probably why the woman called the police in the first place. The point to really keep in mind here is that a perpetrator is a scam artist if he doesn’t intend to pay, but gives the impression that he does, leaving the “date” forced to pay the bill against her will when he disappears.

The man clarified on the legal message board that he had not intended to ditch his date when they agreed to meet in the first place. In that case, the lawyers said, it’s not against the law, but rather a case of delinquent debt. It then becomes a civil affairs case, depending on whether she would like to demand repayment from him or not.

So in summary, in Japan, it’s not illegal for you to skip out on the bill unless you intended to scam your date from the beginning, but you could be sued for it (even though most people won’t go to the trouble). But do note that, while you may not suffer from legal repercussions, if you do run away from a date without saying anything to them, just because they “didn’t look like their profile picture”, you’re definitely lacking in morals and common decency, and so ought to be ashamed. Hopefully the woman didn’t feel too badly about what a terrible date he was.

Source: Livedoor News via My Game News Flash

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© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

28 Comments
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Yeah that’s a rude move no doubt. But that said, so is posting a bunch of pics that don’t reflect your true self.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Seems they deserved each other.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

If you show up for the date, and the person looks nothing like they portrayed themselves to be, then it's fine to walk away. This guy's mistake is that he didn't, then went for food with her.

That said, most people are not going to be the types to be able to look at someone, then just walk away. It's essentially saying 'you are just too ugly'. Now that may be the truth, but the majority of people have enough empathy to not want to be that blatant about expressing that opinion, as the majority of people are good people and don't want to hurt someone too much.

This guy was stuck in a bad position, and was understandably not happy about it, but unfortunately his own actions as a result leave a lot to be desired and were pretty scummy.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

And I wonder if his claim that his date looked so hugely different from the photo is an honest one

Who knows. But I have a buddy who does a lot of net dating, and he said that it's happened a few times where he's met up with girls who were "+10+10". What's that you ask? They're 10 years older and 10kgs heavier than in their pictures.

Apparently, you need to watch out for girls whose every image is taken from the same angle, particularly if it's taken from above, or their chin is pointing out, as these are how they make themselves look skinnier and younger. Plus photoshop.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

While sometimes not easy to complete a promised obligation, especially after the conditions have changed, a person at least has to try. (unless the conditions have changed drastically)

That the women misled him was not something in her favor either.

A bad situation for everyone in this case.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I wonder if the situation was reversed would anyone care as much ?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

It should be illegal.

I've suffered through plenty of dates with people who didn't meet my expectations. If it's your first time meeting somebody, take them to lunch. If no good, have an excuse prepared and you have the rest of the day/evening.

My excuse is usually that I'm watching my friends dog and need to feed them by a certain time.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

A good lesson for both of them in that life isn't the "happiness is just a click away" easy-peasy fantasy the Net presents to people.

The man should pay his share of the bill, and running away is rude. If he had offered to pay the whole bill based on the photo, I think I don't think he should be held to paying her share if she looked significantly different. Otherwise anyone could just up photos of a stunner and eat for free every time.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The bloke should have listened to David Brent, always ask for a recent pic of the girl holding up that day's newspaper.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The term 'blind date' has been used a couple of times here - but this is not a blind date. It's actually the opposite - he knew exactly what she was 'supposed' to look like.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

maybeperhaps - Did he even try to get to know her? - Really? In this day and age? We swipe right on Tinder based on looks alone.

But I agree with Stranger - should have just said, "Sorry, there must be a horrible mistake," and then walk away. Happened to me many times with girls who took one look at me.

So this story basically tells me that I can sue a woman who shows up and has no intention of paying her half of the date?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This guy sounds sketchy as heck. Why did he stick around long enough to eat but skip out on the bill? If it was that bad he should have left immediately before even eating

I addressed this earlier:

most people are not going to be the types to be able to look at someone, then just walk away. It's essentially saying 'you are just too ugly'. Now that may be the truth, but the majority of people have enough empathy to not want to be that blatant about expressing that opinion, as the majority of people are good people and don't want to hurt someone too much.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So, not a criminal, just an arsehole.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Would never run out on a blind date. No matter how she looked.

The dude should be ashamed of himself.

So she posted a few photos of herself a few years back? So what?

Did he even try to get to know her?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Who goes to an expensive place on their first blind date? Fast food or Ramen should suffice.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A shallow and cowardly man. Some people are just unbearably superficial.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Did he even try to get to know her?

He stuck around for a meal, so I guess he did a little.

But that’s irrelevant. If someone puts out images they claim are of themselves, and an agreement is made to meet under the belief that those images are representative of how the person currently looks, if those pictures do not actually represent the person there is literally no obligation whatsoever to try to get to know the person. Let’s not try to pretend that looks don’t matter, or that they are not the initial basis used by a person to determine whether they may be interested.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

I reckon the girl was lucky. She found out very easily what kind of a jerk this loser is. A few thousand yen for a failed date is much cheaper than a life of misery with a gutless two-faced scammer. He didn’t even have the decency to say anything.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Might be a good idea to meet for coffee or tea before going on a more time consuming and more expensive dinner date. If things do, or don't, click over coffee, the next move becomes obvious.

Anyway, speaking for myself, I cannot imagine just sneaking away from a date and leaving her with the bill. That is disgusting behavior. Not sure about legal liability, but public shaming would be in order.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This guy sounds sketchy as heck. Why did he stick around long enough to eat but skip out on the bill? If it was that bad he should have left immediately before even eating, or just went through the motions and paid for his meal and just never accept another date from her. The fact that he stayed around long enough to eat his food, but didn't just pay his portion of the bill is scammy. Sounds like he wanted a free meal.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If the guy didn't like the way she looked, he should have told her before they had dinner. Running out on the bill was a cowardly thing to do. I went on a date with a guy i met on the internet and he posted his college picture and turned out to be old as my Dad. I didn't freak out I just paid for my own meal and told him at the end we didn't suit and I learned not to go out with someone without meeting them first.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ladies it is definitely in your interest to use a recent photo from a normal angle, and to include your body if obese. It is quite shocking to a man when a photo 7 is expected but a real 2 beast rolls up.

Ah, I see you're the shallow type who still gives a woman a score depending on their appearance.

The guy was a gutless git - anyone with half a brain knows that photos on dating sites will be the glam version of a person's real appearance... so surely going in with your eyes wide open would be in everyone's interest?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I wonder if Mr Suave there looks exactly like his profile picture as he does at the end of a busy working day or week. I wonder if he would appreciate being judged as 'honestly'.

And I wonder if his claim that his date looked so hugely different from the photo is an honest one, or whether he was looking for an easy way out, thought the coppers would sympathise.

However uninteresting and unattractive she may have been, at least she doesn't have the social skills of a boot-scraping, like this man.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

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