I can't really feel sorry for you when you went to a restaurant without enough money in your account to pay for your food. You're upset that the restaurant expected you and your friend to get money to pay them? Did you think when your card got declined they'd just shrug and give you your food for free?

It was embarrassing, but you did not deserve the teasing from the staff at the restaurant. I would definitely ask to speak to the manager because really, if the staff is rude to the customers, chances are they would go as far as messing around with people's dishes in the back. As for your friend, he/she deserves another meal (but this time, make sure you have money!) for having to go begging for money. I hope you learned your lesson and that the next time you go out, make sure your card is working or at least carry some cash. If not, have someone go home to get some money, rather than have someone go outside and beg for money.

Only the police can make you "stay" anywhere. It's call unlawful confinement, and you may be able to criminally charge them for it. As far as the outstanding bill goes, there should have been alternatives discussed, such as sending the bill to your home, allowing you to call someone for assistance. Making someone beg for money in order to release you is ILLEGAL. Sure, you should have checked your balance (I have an app for that), but their response was not at all cool. File a police report as soon as you can.

I somehow doubt the truth of this

shoulda just offered to wash dishes.

So... None of your friends never thought of or were trustworthy enough to run off and come back with some money..?

According to United States law, a person cannot be jailed for debt unless it is a fine imposed by a court. Since a restaurant is a private business, they have no right to detain you. Here's an idea, you should have called the police and say that you are being held hostage for being poor. Also, by giving you the food before you pay, they are extending you a temporary line of credit during the meal, by giving you the check they are acting as a debt collector and thus have to follow the law, which says that debt collectors may not hold someone against their will. I know the law, I owe $500 to TD Bank and another $500 to Chase, I also owe $800 to Discover, and a bunch of money to magazine companies. I refuse to pay any of these debts, and I'm not in jail or ever been summoned to court for it. All they can legally do is lower your credit score and send you letters, as well as call you. Other than those things, that's it. I have overdrawn every bank account I have ever had and maxed out all of the credit cards I have ever had. I am 21 years old and live a nice life with my parents and they pay for everything. Even if they were to ever kick me out, my backup plan is to go to the many homeless shelters located in my town. I do not have a job because I refuse to be a wage slave. Also, about those maxed out credit cards and overdrawn bank accounts, I used the money to buy real. physical gold, which I can sell to a pawn shop at any time, in case I ever need money for anything. I pay zero taxes do to having no income, and I love the welfare system in this country. I am an atheist, and even I say God Bless America, land of the fool.

I doubt the entire staff made fun of him. I think OP either just thinks that out of humiliation or added it to his post for pity likes. because without the little part of the staff making fun of him, everyone would vote that he deserved it. Also, if his friend was out begging, that means he couldn't pay either. Usually in that situation the friend pays and makes OP pay back later. OP is a dick because neither could pay but he got to be the one to sit inside while his buddy worked to pay for the food.

Next time pay your bills.

I don't know who deserves the FML, your friend or you.