This happened recently to me -- I wasn't charged for an expensive Copper River salmon entree. But I didn't talk to my waiter about it because I knew why . . . I showed him when he asked about my meal that the salmon was sadly completely raw in the middle. I did tip him on the whole meal with salmon because the undercooking wasn't his fault.

I would tell them - for two reasons: the first is that I don't know whether the restaurant might charge the staff for food that hasn't been charged to the customer. And that wouldn't be fair.

The second is that, well, it doesn't sit right with me and it'd be on my conscience. I try to live an honest life these days and I find that if I try to get away with something the cost to my peace of mind will be high. I never used to be like that, but in recovery I've had to learn what I can and can't do to allow myself to live a happy life.

I would say, "You know, I think you've given me the bill for a different table, I had the ________ and I don't see it listed here." That way my honesty seems just as accidental as the waiter's mistake, and nobody else at the table is forced to recognize my integrity for what it is.

Man, I don't really look at line-by-line listings like that... but yeah I would I think

I've actually been in that kinda cliche-y situation where I paid the guy at a pizzeria with a $5 (hey, it was 2001) and he gave me a $10 back with my change. So I was like, whoa, buddy, and he started to hand me a $20 while apologizing. I just had to be like, hey man. Don't worry about it, just give me my actual change. So he realized his double mistake and thanked me profusely.

Like... $20 isn't worth my immortal soul (actually my self-concept since souls don't exist). I ain't gonna screw a guy over for small change. I'm bigger than that.

I'm bigger than that.

Of course you are. You're a living god.

Like Firas, I often don't look at the bill that closely, so I might not notice. Would I tell? Maybe, maybe not. For something small ($10 app), maybe more likely not to, but that would probably be the thing I'd less likely to notice in the first place.

I have.

Ha, Hugh, that's great. So very tactful not to be showing off your integrity. Very refined. :-)