Originally Posted by
lili
That said, if you want to participate in a FT dinner, you pay your share, and often a bit beyond that. You NEVER let the organizers pay out of pocket and you NEVER ask for special treatment.
I often don't care for the menu at a FT dinner, but that is MY problem, not that of the organizers. If I chose to join the event, I pay and eat what I can. (I once paid $26 USD for nothing but tap water, not even wine or soda.
Agreed. 100%. I would never think of not paying my full share. However, one advantage of arranging for each person to pay his own bill is that there is nothing left over for the organizers to pay.
Originally Posted by
cblaisd
Very well put, Jenbel. Permanently suspended members are not in fact FTers. They are former members of FlyerTalk. Yes, DOs should be open to all FlyerTalk members, but, as with any private organization, if your membership has been revoked for cause you are not and ought not be welcome at gatherings that take place under the aegis of that organization.
Yes...and no. As
Jenbel said later, someone who is permanently suspended has no right to attend a Meet but the organizer certainly has a right to allow him to come. Indeed, even people who have never been members can be allowed -- most Meets have friends or relatives of FTers.
Originally Posted by
Wingnut
But not all at the same time - that's the problem. Now I'm sure that you're happy for everyone at a Do to be served at different times - for some people to be receiving their deserts when others are only just finishing their appetisers, but the restaurant will assume that a group all wants to eat at the same time and just because a restaurant has x covers does not mean it has the capacity to serve x starters of y different varieties all the same time.
Wingnut, I can only answer from my two previous experiences. At both the Tel Aviv and the Third Annual PBI-FLL Meet, it worked out well. We did all eat at the same time.
Keep in mind that even at a medium-sized Meet (say 50 people) we are only a small percentage of the restaurant. In Tel Aviv we were given a separate room, in Florida we had the patio. In both instances the main dining areas could handle at least 200 people -- so the kitchens had no problem taking care of us.