Waiter Raised the Alarm

How Aperol Became a Diner’s Downfall

His fondness for the mixed drink gave the suspect away.(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

The scam was always the same: book a room for two days, eat, drink, and then disappear without paying. One suspicious dine-and-dash artist even stuck to his favorite drink, which ultimately proved to be his undoing. Because after a bar owner issued a warning, others took notice—and the handcuffs clicked shut.

At least the dine-and-dash artist’s ecological footprint was positive, but otherwise, the suspect left only a negative impression. “He arrived at our place on Tuesday by bike and booked a room for two nights; he ate dinner at the inn and drank eight Aperol Spritzes with his meal,” explains Karin Baumann, owner of Gasthof Kastenhuber & Hotel Traunfall in Desselbrunn.