A new study out of Berkley has revealed a shocking statistic: Three out of every five women are not going to Venmo Kristin for dinner from several weeks ago.
The study, which took place at a Thai restaurant in Hollywood, involved extensive observation and tracking of five friends who were out for a nice dinner. The researchers recorded the five women’s behavior as they entered the restaurant, ordered their meals, ate, and then allowed Kristin to cover the single bill. After a comprehensive, multi-week follow-up, the researchers definitively proved that of the five women, only two actually held up their end of the bargain.
“I think that’s terrible,” said Kristin’s friend, Macy, who was one of the two who did pay her back as promised. “How hard is it to pay someone back? The app is free.”
Dr. Anne Cavendish, the head researcher, expressed shock that such a high ratio of women wouldn’t pay their friend back.
“As an anthropologist and sociology professor, you try to always believe in the best of humanity,” she tells us. “But when 60% of a group of women will allow their friend to foot the entire $112 bill? That’s disappointing.”
For her part, Kristin has taken the entire experiment and outcome in stride.
“I knew the risks going into the study,” she tells us. “When the server brings out that single bill and you offer to put it on your card, you’ve got to be ready to never see any of that money again.”
Using advanced scientific practices, such as looking at the bill and adding up how much each thing cost, the researchers were able to calculate exactly how much money each woman owed. Shockingly, of the three women who didn’t Venmo Kristin, two of those women had the most expensive meals.
“Stacia got satay for the table,” Macy tells us. “But she knows three of us are vegetarian.”
While many have found the results of this research shocking, the researchers were quick to warn that this isn’t an isolated incident. All across the country, every day, people are neglecting to open Venmo and pay their friends for dinner, despite claiming they will. So what advice do the experts have for avoiding this type of crisis?
“Politely ask the server to split the check at the beginning of the meal,” Dr. Cavendish says. “It’s usually not a big deal.”
