A woman who walked out on her date after he refused to pay $US3 ($A4.50) for a slice of cheese on his burger is copping criticism for the “insane” reason why she abandoned him in a restaurant.
New York woman Dafna was on a date having dinner with a man she’d met on dating app Hinge and things were going well – until he said no to having cheese on his burger after the waitress told him it came at an additional cost.
His refusal to part ways with an extra few dollars proved too much for Dafna who, after eating, said she was going to use the bathroom but actually went and paid the bill.
She then left the restaurant without saying goodbye, opting to instead send him a message that read: “The cheque is taken care of. You should have gotten the cheese.”
While walking home, Dafna took to TikTok to rant about the encounter, explaining the entire bill was just $US55 ($A84).
However, her gripe at her date’s apparent cheapness has angered others, with many claiming the man had a “lucky escape”.
Dafna didn’t explain why her date’s refusal to pay extra for a burger topping was a deal-breaker, but said she was exhausted by “dating in your 20s”.
“Why am I doing this to myself?” she began in the now-viral clip which has been viewed almost six million times.
“So we schedule to go to dinner, we’re sitting at the restaurant and he seems very nice. Not a catfish.
“Things are going well, and the waitress comes over, she wants to take our order.”
Dafna ordered branzino, a Mediterranean sea bass, while her date went for the burger which prompted the waitress to ask if he’d like cheese on it.
“He asked, ‘Is this gonna be extra?’
“And she says, ‘Yes it’s $US3 [$A4.50] extra.’ He said, ‘OK never mind.’
“I’m like what the actual f**k? I’m like OK, I’m hungry I’m gonna get my branzino and see what happens.”
Dafna continued: “And he’s like, ‘Oh my God, you have to pay extra for everything these days,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah. It’s New York City.’”
The pair then ate their meals before Dafna made an excuse to go to the bathroom in order to escape her date.
“I took my purse and I went to the waitress and was like, ‘Hey I just want to pay the bill.’
“I just paid and walked out of the restaurant.
“So I texted him and said, ‘The cheque is taken care of, you should have gotten the cheese.’
“Then I blocked him.”
But if Dafna was looking for reassurance she’d done the right thing, she didn’t get it, as thousands left comments on the video – with many more even responding publicly with their thoughts.
Some commenters pointed out the world is in the grip of a cost of living crisis in the aftermath of the pandemic which could be why he’s watching his money.
“That seems extreme. I mean maybe he isn’t always frugal but he’s struggling right now like so many people are,” one said.
“But $US3 [$A4.50] for a slice of cheese is criminal!” another wrote.
Someone else agreed, saying: “Nah, I’m with him. Cheese should be included in the price and $US3 [$A4.50] extra for a 25 cent slice of cheese is outrageous.”
“I’m not even broke but I’m not about to pay three whole bucks for a slice of processed cheese,” another wrote.
Others said the woman’s response was “extreme” and described Dafna’s decision to leave as “harsh”.
“That’s a little harsh. I would have just never met up with him again,” one wrote.
“The problem is people are too quick to judge someone off one comment. You didn’t even give him a chance based on a piece of cheese,” someone else said.
Another wrote: “I understand where you’re coming from but think about it. A whole pack of cheese is like what? $3.50? $4? They were charging him $US3 [$A4.50] just for one slice.”
Many more said they were “confused” what the issue was, pointing out her behaviour could be perceived as a red flag.
“My boy was just trying to make conversation,” one said.
“I’m so confused?” another wrote.
“This wasn’t the power move you thought it was,” one woman added.
“Is this a joke? Please say it’s a joke. Ugh. Over cheese?” someone else said.
However there were some who agreed, saying they too get the “ick” – a dating phenomenon where attraction to a current or potential partner is suddenly flipped to a feeling of disgust – when their date is “tight” with money.
“I also get the ick when a guy complains about prices within the first few times hanging out,” one wrote.
“He didn’t just decide not to get it, he also complained to her about how everything cost extra. Not wanting your partner to be more frugal than you nor to be broke seems fine, she deserves no drag,” another said.
“Worrying about $US3 [$A4.50] in NYC is nuts unless you’re in serious financial trouble. I can see why this would concern her,” someone else commented.
The video has been so divisive it has made its way over to Twitter where one user described it as “one of the most insane ‘ick’ stories I’ve heard so far”.
“It’s not like he kicked up a fuss about it or anything, just when told that’s how much it would be for cheese, he simply decided not to get it. Mental,” one wrote.
“Even McDonald’s charges more for cheese on a burger,” another said.
Dafna has since responded to the tidal wave of backlash in a separate video addressing the “unhinged” comments about her dating gripe.
“Do you think I don’t know that I am crazy? I’m crazy,” she said.
“But you guys are taking it to a different level.
“You really need to take it easy. Some people are going through all my videos saying I’m ‘ugly’ and that I don’t deserve love.
“That’s not OK.”
Remarkably, Dafna said she’s “going on a second date” with the guy as he had seen the video and thought it was funny, adding she’s actually “broke” herself.
“I’m a student, I’m an unpaid intern, my rent is half my pay cheque. I have a huge credit card debt. But I’m fine about it. It’s going to be OK.
“But when I go out on a date or to a restaurant with friends, I’m not going to b**ch about money. I’m gonna enjoy myself and deal with it later.”
However, people still thought Dafna’s reasoning was “wild”, stating she “overreacted”.