Bingelela Lodge Nightmare

Drunken Threats and short-term hostage-taking in Bergville, South Africa

The Overview

• Our experience at Bingelela's was so bad, it puts every other bad restaurant experience to shame. It ends with drunken threats of violence and a short-term kidnapping (by the owner). But here's how our Valentine's evening began:

Our Order

• Our party of 9 ordered around $250 worth of food and drink, including one pasta dish which my daughter requested specially as she is a vegetarian.

The Meal Arrives

• She found the dish poorly made; the pesto was grey and bitter, a bit off. So she requested that it be returned and ordered a pizza instead. When the bill came, the pasta dish was still included. I showed it to the waitress, who nodded and left. I expected her to return with an adjusted bill but she didn't. Oh well, she wasn't a very good waitress. I took it up with the owner instead, showing him the bill and politely letting him know that we returned the dish.

The Owner Refuses

• He said that since the dish wasn't on the menu, we didn't have a right to return it. I was dumbfounded; I've eaten at restaurants all over the world, and have never encountered this attitude. I told him that, and that I wasn't going to pay for a poorly made dish that we returned, almost entirely uneaten.

The Reckoning

• We left cash at the table, and I subtracted the cost of the dish (62 rand, or about 8 dollars), as well as the 14% VAT and a mandatory 10% service change (which they wisely include, as their wait staff is so bad they wouldn't receive many voluntary tips).

Joss Rolls into Action

• Believe it or not, the owner, Joss Joubert, followed us out into the parking lot and demanded payment. I told him I wasn't going to pay for a lousy dish that we returned. He grew angry, cursed at me, and called a tall, drunk friend and they headed for their truck.

Joss’s Drunk Friend

• When we tried to leave the premises, we saw that his truck was parked in the entrance, effectively blocking us in. He cursed some more (in front of my two children, an a 78 year old friend with whom we were dining), and his friend threatened to "blixem and donner me" with his fists. I got out of my car, took some photos, at which they threatened to take and destroy my camera.

The Police Get Involved

• He called the police, and wouldn't let us (or any of the other 5 vehicles that were now lined up behind us) leave. The police came (3 vehicles). They asked me to pay just to settle it, even though what Joss and his drunk friend were doing was wrong. I told them that I wanted to press charges for being held against my will, and they were sympathetic, but wouldn't do anything about it.

Why I’m Not Still There

• Had I been alone, I would still be there in the parking lot with the entire population of patrons waiting behind me. But with a family and an elderly friend, I was forced to swallow my righteous anger and just pay the ransom so we could get home.

We Get Threatened

• Two couples who were also part of our table tried to reason with Joss, but they were also verbally abused and threatened. The drunk guy now had some sort of weapon that he had retrieved from the truck, which he brandished over a woman in our party.

I Capitulate

• Finally, after 30 minutes, I went back into the restaurant and paid the ransom.

Photos

• I managed to snap a couple of photos of the owner and his drunk friend blocking us in.

The Truck That Blocked the Exit

The Moral of the Story

• Be sure to visit Bingelela if you want to be abused, threatened, delayed, and sickened.

• Oh, my trout and avocado salad was pretty good.