What do you want to know about consequences?

As more eloquently mentioned above, tips/gratuities to people with service jobs increases their income and their ability to support themselves and their families.

You can tip or not.

You may find it "obnoxious", but how "obnoxious" is it not to respect local customs?

I agree with Oscar1. Custom or not, I believe that tipping is discretionary and is based on not just doing one's job but going above and beyond expectations.

For example, when the bathroom in a hotel does not have soap or the linens on the bed are dirty, I don't feel any need to tip the person who comes up to give me the soap or change linens (from the past guest mind you) when it wasn't done correctly in the first place.

I am tired of everyone holding their hand out for every little thing.

Whether one likes it or not, tipping is not mandatory, it is discretionary. I am also tired of people saying well they need the tips because that gives them a living wage. Hogwash. If you want a job that pays well, go to school and take loans out and get a better job. Don't expect me, the guest, to make up for a bad decision. Based on what I see others tip I think that many in the service industry are overpaid (when you account for the tips). Myself, I've been a waitress, hostess, worked in a hotel, etc. and I can tell you another thing is that these people are not declaring these tips when it comes time to pay the IRS. At most they declare about 10% of their tips that's it for the most part.

Yes!!

Oscar, you appear propose that fixing the system would involve employers paying better wages for their employees, but in doing so, they would raise prices on everything. Trust me, I am one of the biggest fans of the living wage, but I also know that the CEO's are not going to take smaller salaries to give that to their employees, they will just raise prices. Either way, you will end up paying more than the present menu price on a hamurger.

Yes, it is part of our culture, and part of travelling is repsecting their cultures. Similarly, in India you are expected not to kiss your wife/gf/s.o. in public, or in Japan you are expected to bow instead of shake hands upon meeting someone.

Tipping is a way to thank someone for doing something for you, whether it is dealing with traffic so that you don't have to rent a car, or bringing you food and drink so you can enjoy time with others. I felt horrible not tipping when I was abroad, even though it was considered offensive if you tip. However, I followed custom, because that's what you do when you travel.

Thank you to DUKEY, happytrailstoyou, littlemarysunshine & irishtmac. You have all restored my faith in human nature.

As for the others, I have never laughed so much in my life. Especially reading the contribution from the person who talked about moral and ethical obligation and taking food out of the mouths of children. How pathetic! I'm still laughing whilst typing this, which is quite difficult. As the Pomms might say: "What a nutter"!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oscar1

I can think of one thing more pathetic.

Any other questions about your "trip"?

Oscar, may the gods of tourism smite you.

Irishmac...probably some tips still get by undeclared, but not most of them. The IRS went after them quite a few years ago and I don't know every little in and out but there are several methods that are used to calculate tip income. Much of it is taken out of the employees hands and also, more place split their tips now...easier for accounting purposes. The main responsibility for reporting tips is put on the employer with some pretty hefty fines attached for not towing the line. It must have been quite some time ago that you were waiting tables and working for tips.

Crefors, It has not been a long long time since I was a server. I am 31 years old and I worked summers during college,law school. Basically the idea is that the IRS assumes that you are getting about 10 percent roughly of your gross sales in tips (not including tax of course). When you file your taxes, you, the employee who received these tips NOT THE EMPLOYER contrary to your opinion, you must declare the amount you received in tips. Most people declare the minimum amount.

My other point is that I find it annoying especially when I travel in NYC that every cabbie expects these outlandish tips...I give him a 15 percent tip on a cab ride from manhattan to LGA and they take it like it is just an expected thing as if you HAD to give it to them in the first place. This has happened so many times to me that I have changed that tipping habit.

I think that the problem is that when you are in the service industry, having myself worked in it, is that one does have a tendency to come to just expect these tips. Unless it is an outlandishly nice tip, well then they just say thank you if you are lucky and that's it no big deal.

Having said all of that, I think that if they simply do their job a server deserves at least a 10% tip from me and I know, based on my past history in the industry, that the server will be furious. I think a 13-15% tip is in order if they give excellent service. Again, this is personal I'm just telling you what I do.

Finally, I wanted to say that being a waitress was a very difficult job---you are on your feet the whole time, running around like crazy, and juggling many tables at one time. I think everyone would learn a lot by being a server at least once in your lifetime.

This living wage argument gets me though--servers at any average and up restaurant make very good money given that these jobs require no education. The problem is that there is a shelf life to it and you can't really do it if you have physical problems/are older.

The problem our society has is that everyone wants the TOPS of everything and are willing to pay up for it regardless of income---from a $4 coffee at Starbucks to a top quality piece of chocolate from a chocolate cafe...everyone has more than one car and many are driving cars that are beyond their financial means but they do it anyway. The whole time everyone complains about how bad the economy purportedly is and how they don't make enough money. With so much focus in our culture on celebrity and wealth, and one too many episodes of MTV Cribs and abnoxious sweet 16 parties, the regular Joe feels that they are getting the raw end of the deal because they aren't living like that. The reality is they are living beyond their means and if they want to live a certain way, stop complaining about how your job doesn't pay enough and the economy and either a)get more education to advance yourself to get a better job or b) stop living beyond your means.

AND---stop tipping like money is water and instead choose to give a reasonable tip...every dollar adds up. This ridiculous tipping of everyone that puts their hand out for every little thing is fine if you are a high roller, but let's face it, most of us are not!

Irishmac, thanks for bringing some sanity to this thread. htty

From MSNBC.com's Well-Mannered Traveler (Tipping tips for travelers):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18313395/

This seems appropriate and timely!

Great article if you want to get a reputation among service people as being a big spender.

Unfortunately, it doesn't explain how much to tip when you go to a hotel or restaurant for a good time but are given a bad time.

Perhaps it's done differently in NV. The bottom line for me is...if the service stinks, I don't tip or tip next to nothing. If the service stinks, I'm not going back to that place again anyway. I don't always leave tips for the maids..depends on how they keep the room, etc. I think some people are almost intimidated into tipping. I will sometimes drop some odd change in the jar at Starbucks..depending on the type of change I get, sometimes I put in nothing. Speaking of...I noticed tip jars at several coffee houses in Stockholm...so, it's NOT JUST an American thing I was surprised to see.

I wasn't ticked off at Oscar for his question, but the way he asked it. And the answer is still, tip or not as you choose.

Oscar's a troll, please, please stop taking him seriously.

If Oscar is trolling, so are about 30% of the posts on this forum.

Please identify all of them for the amusement of those who don't care.

To whom it may concern

I had decided not to write anything further but the reference to "Troll" intrigued me.

Wikipedia came to the rescue. I now get the "Troll" reference. As I am not a "Troll" I will make this my very last missive. It has been quite an experience for me. My initial expectations were that I would not receive a response. Clearly I was wrong.

For those who wish to continue on your stirring ways, feel free. You will not be hearing from me again.

Oscar1

PS I have also discovered that the words "thread" and "stiff" have meanings other than the meanings I have been familiar with.

Thank you & good bye!

You have contributed nothing of value to this site...
You obviously think pretty highly of yourself.
I can assure you, you will not be missed.

Oscar, Ågain--don't let the schoolyard bullies drive you away. Some of them need a whipping boy on whom to release their pent up anger and frustration at not having achieved lifetime goals. You have been providing a mental health service.

I knew you were for real all the time. This forum needs authenticity. Please reconsider.

HTTY

Happy trails, thank you for posting that,

In response to Irish who said that the IRS thinks you are receiving 10% of your gross income in tips and that you have to report it. Well if you do not make tht much money on the books 10 % is not bad because I am sure most wait people make a heck of a lot more.

I am not saying this to be critical believe me just observing.