Check your bill, count your change!

The roti telur and whole chicken leg.

Right after the bubur lambuk program on Sunday, I decided to take a couple of the ladies for a drink at the famous roti canai place on Transfer Road. Choice of venue was due to the fact it's just a few steps away from where we were, the Bangunan Dato' Koyah, I have always preferred the one under the tree on Argyll Road which have moved to a proper shop on Sri Bahari Road, the roti canai crunchier and the dishes are a lot nicer and service way better.

We were told that the roti bakar will take about 20 minutes by the lady charcoal roasting the toast but she was immediately cut off by her male partner who told us to just grab a seat and our order will be on the way (she's being honest, he was making sure we don't leave). By now two more ladies have joined us, why they came is a story for another day ;)

Placing order for drinks was terrible, everyone we hailed just gave us the palm up, asking us to wait. When we finally managed to put our order in, it took a good 25 minutes for the drinks to arrive, one by one, some wrong drink. The teh tarik was lukewarm too! We just drank what was on the table, continuing with our discussion. Still no roti bakar.

Feeling peckish, one of the ladies ordered a roti telur with whole chicken thigh curry, and surprisingly it came in double time. By the time she's done with it, the last of the drink finally arrived, still wrong order. So we decided to ask for the bill. Ten minutes, no one came. So I walked to the drink counter that looks like they are doubling as the cashier too. Handed the guy a RM100 dollar bill (okay, I really didn't have small change) and told him my table number. Five minutes passed, no change, no one seems to see me standing there. I asked again for my change to be met with strange stares. By then my ante was up, I felt something is not right. I reminded that I gave my money and am waiting for change and I'd like to know how muc my bill is. Conversations in Tamil exchanged between the three men as they walk back and forth, another two minutes passed before one of the men handed me the change.

I asked how much is the total bill, he said RM16, as surprised as I was, I still had my palm out as what he gave me didn't look like RM84, more like RM70! So I asked how much is the roti telur and chicken as that is the only thing that may cost any significant, the rest are just drinks. He said it's RM7.40, asking what drink we had, so I told him, coffee, teh tarik, teh ais and milo ais. He said drinks is RM5.20. I looked at him and ask how did it come to RM16? He stuttered asking if we asked for any extra roti canai, I told him you are the one sending us the orders, did we get anything else? And since when one roti canai on a roadside stall, next to a drain cost RM3.40?
 

I asked again for my change, he handed another RM4, I glared, another RM10 came. Which makes the total change in my hand RM84, correct change for the original cheat total, but still short of RM3.40 of my actual bill. When he turned around to attend to another customer, that's when I snapped! Looking nonchalant, he gave me the RM3.40 and went on his way. 

When I got back to the table, I told the ladies what happened. More surprise, apparently someone came to calculate at the table and he told them the total is RM15. When questioned how can that be he just walked off. See even from the table to the cashier the bill was jacked up by RM1! I wonder how much the roti telur and chicken actually cost.

Not only they tried to cheat me twice (or was it three times?), they had this way of confusing you in various ways, and each time they try to add in a new con to extract money from you. It's true what people say, once your money are in their hand, they will try as hard as they can not to give you anything back. So a word of advice, have exact change or use the smallest note you have, they see red when they see large notes! And always always always ask for the bill breakdown details!

What infuriate me much more is that the shop is in Tanjong! Shame on you Roti Canai Transfer Road! I may need to do spot checks on the outlets I promote in Tanjong after this!

And oh, no roti bakar till the end!

I am truly fascinated by the way the man was fishing out the eggs with his BARE hand! A real asbestos hand if you may.