Perhaps they think I appreciate their work.

And they certainly could leave it where placed - if tipping is so rare in the UK, wouldn't they assume the money had been left inadvertently and to take it would be inappropriate?

No, they'd probably just roll there eyes and mutter "Yanks throwing their money around again - flash gits"

Nothing to do with tipping "money", but the other day at one of the ibis hotels near Gare de Lyon in Paris, when I was checking out, there was a couple of business men ( wearing suite and tie) from Ethiopia chekcing in. They gave a recepetion guy a bag of coffee beans, saying "for you from Ethiopia". When he did not understand, I told him it was a gift for you ! He looked surprised. Oh, ok, he said. I thought he could have shown a little more appreciation. I'm not sure whether he even said thank you or not. Perhaps he was that surpirse so forgot to say it... But I did think it was a nice ( and a bit funny )gesture. Ok, maybe the Ethiopian guest wanted to get rid of the bag of beans, I don't know.

Could be Peter Minuit all over again ;-)

I wonder how it would go over in the US if I didn't tip people based on UK custom? I could just explain - silly me, we don't do that! Would certainly make my trips cheaper and less confusing

Nyse, does it make you wonder, too, why all the vitriol over the simple act of leaving a £ on the bedside table? What can it hurt, yet all this seeming anger.

It's not about the money it is about imposing your customs on others. Do you refuse to cover your shoulders when you go in churches in Italy because in the US you don't? Of course not, you respect the culture and act as an Italian would. How is the culture of tipping any different other than it makes you (not directed at anyone I mean in general) feel good because in your culture it is showing appreciation. That doesn't mean the person that accepts it not insulted because of how their culture perceived a tip..

When I'm in the UK I try to follow UK customs (as long as I know what they are) -- to play 'Big American tipper' really labels one a git - a git w/ money but a git none the less.

I don't think leaving a small token of appreciation is a sign of disrespect as being uncovered in a church would be. I think the analogy is a weak one and I suspect the recipients of these small expressions appreciate it despite all the fuss being made over it here.

A git? For a £? This really has gotten funny now.

There is also the problem that if you tip you change expectations. Not necessarily for locals (although this may be a long term effect), but for other tourists. Then you get people like my taxi driver in Amman, Jordan, who when I handed him the previously agreed fare, said (somewhat aggressively) "but Americans tip". (I replied that I was British - I have dual citizenship.)

I am still awaiting an explanation of why it is so necessary for an American to tip in a non-tipping country. I am not holding my breath, as we run into the same issue on the Asian board, with Americans who insist on tipping in China, where tipping is called "the stupid foreigner tax".

If so many get 'angry' about a few coins shouldn't that tell you something?

Thursday I think you are right - many pubs in London will set up the debit machine at the tip screen for North Americans but not for locals. Happens all the time when I am out with friends.

Anyways clearly people will do as they please regardless of what locals tell them is the social norm.

>>They may take it (what else are they going to do?), but that doesn't mean they think you are being "magnanimous". More likely either patronising or stupid. Probably both.<<

That's pretty harsh. I would think they are more likely to think (a) the guests must be American and (b) ooh, maybe I'll treat myself on the way home tonight.

Most pubs I know have dropped the " do you want to leave a tip" option when using the card machine.

Two told me it pissed so many people off they stopped.

Victory for the sane.

>>Most pubs I know have dropped the " do you want to leave a tip" option when using the card machine.<<

Thank God for that. However we are still stuck with the now ubiquitous 12.5% automatic tip added onto restaurant bills in London. You never used to see this ten, twenty years ago. The practice has spread largely in my view as a result of the large number of US tourists visiting London. End result is that we locals are pressured into paying even more exhorbitant prices for eating out. Thankfully this insidious and completely alien custom has failed to catch on (at least for now) outside the London area.

"I would think they are more likely to think"

On what grounds? Other than as reinforcement for your strange desire to keep giving money away.

"If so many get 'angry' about a few coins shouldn't that tell you something?"

Yes, it tells me there are angry people posting on this thread. My English houseguest is shaking her head that anyone cares so much about such a small thing. Well, small to me.

Thank you, Kate, for injecting a bit of sense into what has largely been yet another excuse for abuse.

If it is such a small thing, why do you have a problem with not doing it?

To me it's not a problem. Do it or don't, it just doesn't seem to me close to "a problem".

This has been an interesting glimpse into some minds whose posts I've generally enjoyed in the past.