Here is a question for Miss Manners: if your coworkers invite you to eat lunch at a pizza place, and you ate almost half a pizza for dinner the night before, is it appropriate to take the bag lunch you had prepared that morning and eat it at the restaraunt?
I did that today. My coworkers and I had a good laugh when I walked up to the group holding a plastic bag containing my lunch. The waitress looked at me strangely when I ordered just a glass of water and no food. I left a good tip: infinite percent of what I paid!
I told my parents about the experience this afternoon. Their responses could not have been greater opposites. Dad felt it was perfectly normal. He said one of his coworkers does it all the time. Sue, meanwhile, said, "That could not be more tacky!" I was right in the middle. It felt strange, but I did not feel that it was particularly rude.
What does the internet think? Is it appropriate to bring one's lunch to a restaurant?