For example, if three people are having lunch and the check comes to $45, they just automatically each pay $15 instead of splitting up the check by item so that each person is actually paying for what they ordered. The restaurants here will even automatically split the check this way if you ask for separate checks.
I've never encountered this system before. Everywhere I've lived, "separate checks" means that you basically get a check as if you were your own table of one, and it's just assumed that when you eat with friends, you'll each pay for your own stuff.
Is this equal split thing something people actually do, or is it just some local anomaly?