Tipping 25%

 

Last month a journalist, Ed Arnow, came up with a story that high-class San Francisco restaurants and waiters wanted a required 25% tip. The story went viral around the world. There was not a shred of evidence to support the story.

One of my wonderful readers asked my opinion about tipping.

Tipping is a left over artifact of slavery and servants. Any contemporary job that was held by slaves or servants is a job where we currently tip. Waiters, baggage carriers, parking valets, room clerks, hotel cleaning staff, pages, hairdressers and barbers.

Service occupations that did not exist in the days of slavery and servants are never tipped.  Gas station attendants, plumbers, electricians, doctors and dentists, the list is very long.

Don't expect any changes soon.  To require an end to tipping would need federal legislation and a comprehensive campaign to explain the reason for the change.