Greetings.
I’m in quite of a pickle here, and just thinking about it will get me nowhere.

.

I attend a group hobby weekly.
Quite often we go for a follow-up hang-out in the local bar. I recall everyone else buying a drink and coming to sit down to have a chat.
I don’t buy anything. I wait for the first of us ordering and then I follow them to the table.

One of our attendees has commented on my behavior twice so far.
First she said that I’m a bum. That I use the bar’s staff and the place for my own benefit. There’s a chance that she said that in front of someone else.
Last night she commented that I’m still doing this (we two sat alone for a while). She’s afraid that they’ll throw us out because of my behavior.

I explained that I rarely buy stuff from bars.
On the second comment I said that I’ll probably continue this behavior to the end of times and they won’t throw us out because everyone else spends money. And that my friend said that she or her friends do the same thing quite commonly.
I could have felt her loathing upon me.

I don’t have the money to buy pricy consumables.
I have my own water bottle and sometimes snacks from a market to keep my belly full enough. Or then I don’t eat anything and eat later.
I’m there because of the company.

The employees haven’t commented anything about my behavior. I don’t know, would they even care.

.

Thoughts?
Am I unfair or is she?

I’m thinking about asking her next time that should I just leave if I’m such a bother to her.
I’m also thinking about suggesting us to talk about this as a group.

.

EDIT: I don’t think this is about alcohol. I believe most of them order something else cos it’s late Monday and most people go to work the next day.
EDIT2: We don’t have the tipping culture here.
EDIT3: Thanks for all the comments! You give my mind and feels some peace 💗

  • FarraigePlaisteach@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    Name-calling isn’t necessary at all, if that’s what happening. That said, would you behave this way in a restaurant?

    I organise a small group gathering at a local pub sometimes with people who aren’t close friends. If it’s just one person not buying in a decent sized group, then it doesn’t cause a problem for the venue as far as I know. When we’re huddled in a corner it’s hard to tell who has what drink.

    But you simply wouldn’t get away with that if it wasn’t for the others buying drinks and we do so to “pay the rent” so to speak. So when that happens there is a vibe of “I’m fine with you guys covering me here”. Saying “I don’t spend money in bars” isn’t that different to saying “I let others spend their money at bars”.

    Now if this was a group of good friends, or someone I knew was struggling financially, I’d be fine with it.

    • Damaskox@kbin.socialOP
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      11 months ago

      …would you behave this way in a restaurant?

      Yes. I haven’t ordered anything while a friend has eaten something.

      But you simply wouldn’t get away with that if it wasn’t for the others buying drinks and we do so to “pay the rent” so to speak

      Hmm. I think I wouldn’t go to a bar with a group of people if nobody were ready to buy anything.
      I’d believe a library would be one better option in that case.