By Jordan Mitchell |Staff Writer|
A new application has been developed to split restaurant bills based on wage inequality among diners.
Equipay, an app designed by comedian Luna Malbroux, divides a dinner bill between friends and family based on the race, gender and income inequalities of each individual at the table, according to New York Daily News.
“Our goal is continuing the joke/conversation about the wage gap in a form that everyone can take with them and explore and play with,” stated Malbroux.
Equipay was originally created as an entry for the Cultivated Wit’s Comedy Hack Day (CHD), a comedy competition for comedians, developers and designers located in San Francisco.
Malbroux and her design team won the 2016 CHD competition with their Equipay application.
Users of the application enter basic information, such as the total dollar amount of the bill and the names of the individuals they are splitting it with.
The app’s “diversity tracker” then determines how much each individual pays based on how diverse they are.
If a user does not agree with the dollar amount they are assigned, they may then select the option to protest, choosing from a list of excuses such as “I’m aware of my privilege” or “I was a middle child,” as reported by the New York Daily News.
While the app was introduced as a satirical method to call attention to the issue of wage inequality, some students argue that it wouldn’t be appropriate to use.
“I would not split up the bill based on any of those things because that isn’t how friendship works. It depends on how often the same group goes out. Sometimes, I would pay for it and another time the next person,” said student Angelica Gubatz.
“Everyone should pay unless the one with the higher pay and better job offers to pay,” said student Alba Luviano.
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