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I was once on a tour that had a group from North America and another from Europe. The group from North America were told that they should tip $10 per day, the group from Europe were told to tip 2E per day.
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Greyhaze, there are many of us who believe that the practice of tipping allows employers to unfairly shift their costs as hidden gratuities onto their customers. I am what you would call a "bad" tipper. I believe the whole thing should be addressed by the Wage and Hour people at the National Labor Relations Board. If employers paid a decent wage, the employees' contributions to Social Security would be higher and benefit them in the long run. They would also pay more taxes, but they would be paying their actual share of taxes.
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kswl,
Amen, but even here in central MX, we like to reward great service - it makes our lives way better. M |
"crazier then anyone you met in jail"?? I hope you were a prison guard and not an inmate!!
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It sounds as though Ms. Greyhaze was looking for a forum for sounding off on an obviously familiar topic.
And as far as the asterisks go, I shall tell you what I tell my children when they get that infantile disease, pottymouth: changing a letter of the word at the last minute but leaving no doubt of what you meant to say is simply a euphemism for the bad word, and just as unacceptable. I'd say that using asterisks is just about on the same level, and I'm really surprised that our Fodor's babysitter calls this "courtesy." |
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A different perspective on tipping.
I work for a multinational corp and spend more time with folks form "somewhere" else. They get PO'd at Americans for what they consider "outragous" tipping. They don't want American style tipping in their countries. In Singapore, the government tells you not to tip. Yet the people in service recognize Americans and expect a tip. I've had the bell hop hold out his hand to me for his tip. When in Rome . . . It is rather presumptious to assume American tipping practices are somehow better than other countries. |
Hello kswl, I sure agree with you! And of course I always consider someone that cannot express their outrage without using vulgar language rather lacking in imagination and/or education.
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Rex who
I am not sure why its important that people get "pod" at American tipping & worry about it coming to their country. Plenty of people here can't make a simple connection when they are forced by law to take an extra step that serves the common good. sorry to engage here....I am trying to settle on a hotel in Paris. So I am in and out of here all day. but...I think its important to try not to be cheap. Looking for reasons to put your wallet away when you know a tip could bring a smile? Corny I know but if they smile, I smile. I think you miss out on this if you justify next to nothing because of those foreigners you encountered. You gotta get some new friends buddy. :):) just kidding |
Meant prior post for empty nest
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Sarah, I'm sorry, but I think your justification smacks of valuing (your) personal gratification above the valid points made by EmptyNest. You could achieve a similar effect by handing out chocolates to urchins in the street.
And no, "...tipping well when we are abroad" is NOT, repeat NOT one of the things that you do right. If you were doing the right thing you'd be following local custom. I'm as aware as anyone that Americans are by nature generous people, but I think we're talking about something else here. To state the bleeding obvious (except perhaps to greyhaze), American tipping practices arise from specifically, almost uniquely, American pay practices. They are indeed widely resented in other countries, including my own, where waitstaff get paid a living wage. In fact, even if we had a class of worker called a "bagboy" (are they the children of "bag ladies", perhaps?), we wouldn't tip them either. There was a related discussion a few days ago on the Asia forum about tipping in China, where it's also an alien practice. Incredibly, one poster boasted of tipping Chinese concierges as much as US$50 at a time. This is more than most Chinese workers earn in a 6-day week, including really useful people like teachers and doctors who don't have the opportunity to pander to spoilt foreigners. It sounded for all the world like some sort of "hey, I'm a big shot, and here's how I prove it" syndrome. |
Hello Neil, yes "when in Rome". I completely agree. I tip according to the custom here in the US. I tip according to the custom when I am outside of the US. I don't understand what the confusion or arguement is about, and evidently neither do you. Again "when in Rome". Take care!
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An American tipping a Parisian bartender 5€ for one drink is just as improper as a European tipping a New York City bellman a 'quarter'.
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heck - even w/i the States tipping customs differ. Greyhaze states among other things "<i>but you do tip the bagboy who carries your groceries to your car</i>"
Well NOT in my neck of the woods. Most of the supermarkets/grocery stores where I live have courtesy clerks who take your groceries to the car. But not only are tips not expected - they are actually forbidden by a couple of the grocery chains. the upshot is - do what is done where you happen to be at the time. |
Neil Oz, you could have simply stated that "tipping is widely resented in my country" in your first post and that would have answered my question. This is it for me. Absolutely ridiculous. I will never leave another tip in Europe as it is apparantely a sign of flaunting wealth rather than good will. Please remember that those rules don't apply when you cross the ocean.
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Well <b>another</b> problem w/ Fodors threads not refreshing - I would never have posted that last bit if greyhaze's last diatribe had displayed. What a jerk . . . . .
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I said that I tip 1 euro per round in Europe, not 5. I got the answer to my question after 30 posts. Tipping in Europe is another sign of the "rude, arrogant American". Let's drop it because my potty mouth can't take anymore.
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Thanks, janisj,
I've only been living in the U.S. a year and I've just spent today feeling ever so guilty about not tipping the 'bagboy' at the local store. Good to see it isn't expected!! |
Well, this thread started out rather suspiciously and now it has degenerated into deranged asterisk typing. Nice.
Neil Oz, thank you for that cogent explanation of the reasons tipping has become the widespread practice in the US that it has. Anyone who doesn't understand that is, well ---the asterisks say it all, no? Hi LoveItaly--how are you??? You're right about the limited education and vocab.; I've always thought that too. We are moving in one month! As that day approaches I will probably be checking in less and less, but afterwards I will need a long, lovely vacation to recover, so I'll be back to plan. |
Where the heck do they have "bagboys" who take the groceries to your car? We sure don't have them here in Northern Virginia. I'd pay handsomely for that -or more to the point, for someone to accompany me home and put the groceries away. What am I missing?
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