Waitress confronts elderly man accused of stealing tips in viral TikTok video
A mother of six working at a restaurant in North Dakota was forced to confront an elderly man who allegedly stole her cash tips left by previous customers.
Brittany Baker was in the middle of her shift at Perkins Restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota, on Saturday when she claims she witnessed the man take money from a table near his booth. “I saw him do it while I was at the computer, and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness!’” Baker told Valley News Live. “I had no idea what to do.”
The man reportedly stood up afterward and walked around the restaurant, seemingly searching for cash at other tables, Baker shared in a TikTok video.
“That money is mine!”
In footage captured during the incident, Baker is seen approaching the man, who was sitting in a window-side booth with his wife, and demanding her money. “I just wanted to say that I noticed you took money from this table, and that money is mine,” Baker said in the now-viral clip. “That’s my tip that I earned from that table, so I don’t feel comfortable serving you until I get it back.”
The man then took out his wallet and handed her a couple of dollars, mumbling an inaudible response.
Baker suspects this wasn’t his first attempt at stealing cash in the restaurant. “One of my co-workers told me that this was the same couple who tried to leave without paying last weekend,” Baker shared.
Baker stated for TV channels. Photo: New York Post.
“It was intentional”
In a follow-up TikTok video, Baker explained that after the confrontation, the man attempted to leave without paying his bill, but his wife stopped him and made him settle the amount. He did not leave a tip.
“This was very intentional,” Baker stated in her video. “He knew exactly what he was doing, old man or not.” She also emphasized the importance of tips in her livelihood, saying, “I work in North Dakota, so I only make $4.86 an hour. Tips are a big deal for me. I have kids to feed at home.”
Social media users expressed mixed reactions, with many praising Baker’s courage for standing up to the man. Others suggested stronger actions should have been taken. “I would’ve kicked him out. Being old should not excuse theft,” one TikTok user commented, while another added, “This is why I always hand my tips directly to my server.”