DURBAN - The businessman who quietly paid the dinner bill for five strangers at the Nottingham Road Hotel in the Midlands said he did it because “it’s nice to be nice”.
The 36-year-old man from Joburg, who wishes to be referred to only as Fred, said he paid journalists Nerissa Card and her husband, Garth Johnstone’s bill after he heard their story.
Card was celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of her parents, Marcelle and Fred Card, at the weekend. The waitress surprised them with the news that the bill had been settled.
Fred said two people who were having dinner with him went out to smoke and began chatting with a lady from the table next to theirs.
“The lady mentioned that they relocated and it wasn’t the best move because they actually lost a lot of money. They had brought their parents out for an anniversary dinner,” said Fred.
“I thought, I’m fortunate enough to pack up my stuff and go on a good family weekend, let me just pay their bill for them.”