The 11th Commandment

So my last posting was a bit of a rant on Bonds and you may view this one as a rant as well but really it's not. It's an axiom that you should follow if you are a grown and classy individual regarding going out to dinner with friends.
It's my absolute pet peeve to have dinner with people then have the bill divided up based on "well I had the chicken and you had the steak" , etc. etc. or the more subtle approach to this same move, where the other party just leaves no additional money for the tip as their way of implying that you need to cover the rest because your portion was more. My answer to this behavior - do not go out to dinner, stay at home! If you are so concerned about that extra ten dollars then leave your butt at home. Not only does a move like this smack of cheapness but it really ruins the dining experience for those evolved individuals that are dining with you, I am not out at the diner with a bunch or 90 year old ladies on social security nor am I at Denny's with a bunch of 18 year olds (only cases where it's okay to pay for what's yours because you are scrimping by).
Otherwise if the urge to say "but you had an extra drink and dessert" rises to the back of your throat then just face the facts that you are not cut out for life as a dinner companion. Having a pleasant and civilized evening is what going to dinner is all about and besides if you think your dinner partners are "trying to pull one over on you" then I think you need to re-evaluate some bigger issues than the check.
This isn't sparked by any particular, recent even (for those of you that may have had dinner with me recently!) but rather an on-going irritation so I felt that I needed to clear the air with that one and put the rule out there. Rule #97 - thou shalt not become a cheapo when the check arrives!
(I think that was actually the 11th commandment as well.)