A couple’s visit to a restaurant in Bakersfield, California, took an unexpected turn after they decided to livestream their dining experience. However, the manager told them they weren’t allowed to do so. They refused to shut the camera off, and then were asked to leave, with the man calling the manager rude. While some were on their side, most viewers criticized them instead, saying that the restaurant, after all, is private property.
The interaction was shared on TikTok by Ivan Escobar. He is a content creator who usually posts viral clips engaging with the police, business employees, and others, mostly in a “trolling” manner. The clip attached above and its follow-up went viral, too, garnering a collective 827,600 views, 41,800 likes, and more than 2,200 comments.
The first part of the interaction showed the California couple checking the menu at a Red Robin. Immediately, a woman who appeared to be the manager approached their table and told Ivan he needed to turn off his cellphone. The device was placed on the table and recording them as they sat in the restaurant. Ivan refused to comply.
“That’s my phone. Why would I turn it off?” he asked. The manager asked repeatedly, “Would you please turn it off?” to which Ivan responded, “No.”
The manager left the table immediately, saying, “Okay.” Meanwhile, Ivan and someone who appeared to be his girlfriend imitated the manager, mockingly, calling her “rude” in the clip’s caption and description.
Couple Told To Leave
In the follow-up, the manager returned to the table and explained why she had asked them to stop recording. She said, “I already asked you to turn off your phone. And we’re not allowed to record in here. Like, not even us employees, ’cause it’s really abrasive to the other customers.“
Ivan, pointing straight to the camera, said that he wasn’t recording. Still, the manager told them that the restaurant was refusing service and that they were being escorted out by security.
“Okay, that’s fine. You could have come in nicely, but you came rude. […] I don’t know what’s your attitude,” Ivan said, as he took a sip of his drink.
The California couple eventually stood up and left the Red Robin. The manager told them they were banned from coming back into the restaurant, and Ivan cut her off, saying, “Yada, yada, yada.”
Social Media Reactions
The video sparked multiple responses, with some viewers criticizing the restaurant and the manager’s attitude. One said, “You are allowed to record in public.” Another person commented, “I don’t get it tho, you’re not recording others. Everyone records these days.”
However, a vast majority of users called the couple out for being in the wrong, saying that the restaurant, being private property, has the right to set a no-recording policy inside its premises. One wrote, “It’s a private place. Need to follow the rules.” Another one added, “She wasn’t rude at all, you are with your camera recording.”
The debate continued in the comments, and it appears that it won’t end anytime soon. One thing’s for sure, the couple will never return to Red Robin even if they wanted to.
