Opinion: You’re a jerk if you leave a small tip
By Colleen Shaddox, Washington Post
A Facebook friend was offended by the presence of an attendant with a tip jar in an airport bathroom.
“I felt harassed and examined and judged when I did not leave a tip or make conversation with the attendant,” she wrote, revealing herself to have zero experience being harassed, examined or judged. Many folks added a riposte sympathizing with her and making fun of anyone who had to earn their living minding a restroom.
“It’s how she feeds her family,” I commented.
My incredibly hardworking mother was a waitress, and I became one as soon as I turned 16. After almost 20 years surviving on tips, I understand what it’s like to be on the other side of that jar. Tipping is a demeaning custom. A worker’s compensation should not rest on somebody’s whim. Nor should she have to put up with insulting or handsy customers because she doesn’t want to endanger her pay. Tip-based compensation not only institutionalizes the examination and judgment of workers, it invites harassment, too.
Tipping absolutely should be replaced by fair wages. The regular federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 per hour, but for tipped workers, it’s just $2.13. While the regular minimum wage has risen by $3 since 1991, the tipped minimum wage hasn’t changed at all. People who work for tips are more likely to live in poverty. So until the system is overhauled, and all workers are given fair pay, your tips always should be large. If you can dine out, travel or get someone to clean your house, then you have discretionary income. Adding another $5 to the tip isn’t going to affect your standard of living, but it will make a big difference to the person serving you. That person almost certainly waits until her car’s gas gauge light comes on before pulling into the filling station. For $5, you can be a hero.
But when you do tip big, try not to think of yourself as a hero, lest you morph into a jerk. When my mother worked as as a waitress in a private club, the staff had to wear white gloves and line up like little tin soldiers as the officers of the club passed out the Christmas gratuities. The first year she worked there, she wondered – without any sarcasm whatsoever – if she should curtsey. No one should have to sit up and beg for a tip, but many customers think otherwise.
I tip for the service that I get, not for the wages that they make. I was not aware that the waitress only makes $2.13 per hr. can that be true????
In the state of California, employees that earn tips are paid the same minimum wage as other professions (currently 9.00 an hour, increased to 10.00 at year end). But, in other states tipped employees earn a lesser minimum wage.
Many friends have been tipped employees and I always leave a generous tip unless on the rare occasion I have a surly wait person. My complaint is the tips are no longer kept by the person that earned them – they are divided among all the wait staff, bus people and cooks. So, for that reason and just fairness we should do away with tips and pay a fair wage. Kel is right, I don’t remember what state pays only $2.13 but I heard about that a few months ago. But other states, like Arizona, pay less than minimum wage to tipped employees.
I think the minimum wage in California is about $7.25 currently.
Update–Nevada is $7.25 with health ins., $8.25 without.
Calif is $9.00
Those restroom attendants in a third world country are getting paid to provide toilet paper. Toilet paper doesn’t last in public access restrooms in some third world countries.
Most tiped employees do ok, I as a waiter 30 years ago at a dennys style restraunt and was making $7 an hr in tips averaging 16% tips. Many think 20% is cheap, but the correct amount should be between 10% and 20%(depending upon type of restraunt, ie buffet 10%) also depending upon service recieved tips stand for to insure promt service, if service is really bad than a tip is not deserved.
The bathroom attendants are getting paid to keep it clean….tip them!
I’ve observed that many affluent diners and drinkers spend an inordinate amount of time during their eating and imbibing Tahoe experience nitpicking the service and food and drink to make themselves feel better about their parsimony.