[jaminben867]

Okay,

I was invited out to dine with a friend and his family. I have known these people for almost 8 years now. I consider them to be a part of my family, and as far as I can tell they consider me a part of theirs.

Here is my question. The meal was paid for by his aunts, I only ate half of it. Was I over stepping my bound by asking the waitress for a doggy-bag? Or was my friend overstepping his bounds by saying that the left-overs should go home with his family(for the family dogs)?

His family didn't eat the fat and grissel of the steaks and they were going to give that to the dogs, my friend thought I should have put the half of my steak that I didn't eat, cause I was full, to the dogs.

[JoeCanada76]

My opinion, which may count for nothing. If somebody is treating you for dinner. You only eat half, they treated for you. You should be able to bring the leftover home yourself. Why do you need to give them food off your plate? Again this is my opinion and I would have done the same thing as you and brought it home for myself.

Especially because it is from my own plate. I do not need to feed it to somebody else's dogs.

Joe

[Thomas1970]

I agree. Absolutely your right to take it home with you.

[valinors_sorrow]

Your meal was a gift given by the aunt, technically. Your friend was inappropriately attempting to take back a gift-- one he didn't even give himself. It sounds like you yielded with grace since anything else would have been too sticky and it was only half a meal afterall-- good for you. But is your friend open to being corrected? If so, then run these answers by him before he attempts that with someone less forgiving.

[Fr_Chuck]

Ok, true etiquette , no one should take a doggy bag home from a nice high class place.

With that said, and I do take doggy boxes home for me to eat and have actually taken some home for my dog. If it is your plate then it should be yours, if it is their plate they can offer it for their doggy.

But then a proper person would not have pushed an issue of doggy bags in public anyway and let the person paying decide and not argue about it with them.

[orange]

Ok, true etiquette , no one should take a doggy bag home from a nice high class place.

Lol too funny Fr Chuck! You're absolutely right, of course!

I agree with everyone that since your friends paid for your meal as a sort of gift, they should have absolutely no say in what you do with leftovers. Actually I'm rather shocked that your friend even mentioned the idea to you. How extremely rude!

On the other hand, I *suppose* you could look at it as a kind of compliment, since he wanted you to do the same thing that the rest of the family was doing... so in a way he is treating you like family. Err. But polite? Definitely not! You were well within your rights to ask for the doggy bag.