Tip Of The Day

Blame it on Americans! The art of the tip, given to service workers like waitresses and parking attendants is now a universal practice. The British started it all in the 18th century in their drinking pubs. Tipping was considered an essential incentive for better service in the pub. 'To Insure Promptness' (of service) was turned into 'TIP'. But America's wealth in the 19th and 20th century made tipping a normal thing here. As Americans traveled abroad they tipped and the locals decided they had to tip as well.
I can remember when tipping even in allegedly, cultured in Europe was almost a rarity.

One time, years ago while in an Austrian cafe, I saw some of those 'crazy American' tourists leave tips on the tables of the restaurant in which I was enjoying my gulashasoup. I sighed to think they also probably wanted tips from me as well (well, I am crazy and am also an American). But alas! A little fellow in disheveled clothing who was sitting a few tables away from me had a better tipping strategy that day. As each American table left it tips and departed the restaurant, he slightly slithered to the table and deftly swept the money into his own hands, departing to his corner table and cup of coffee to await the opportunity to steal the next tip he spotted before the waitress was ever aware it had been left.

I soon learned that tip thieves flourished in Austria. But eventually the wait staff caught on and even Austrian patrons were expected to leave a tip. When too few did leave tips the infamous "gratuity will be added to the bill' appeared as a sort of forced indenture to giving a tip. Now that is a universal practice in restaurants all over the world. It's curious though. Tipping was meant as a reward for promptness and skill in service. now it is an entitlement in certain professions.

The latter is the rub for me. Why is it the waiter in a restaurant gets a tip but the dentist or fast food server does not? Should we tip the barber or hair stylist every time we get our hair cut (I do)? What is the correct protocol for who is to be tipped, how much and when? These days, many workers rely on tips as a substantial and necessary part of their income because their employers exploit the tip system by underpaying and forcing the customer to subsidize their employees incomes with the tip. More and more people want tips. There are even web sites that list how much a person should be tipped. One I saw says we should tip gas station attendant 1 or 2 dollars for pumping gas. But Why? What extra service does a gas station attendant give when pumping gas?

I can't understand tipping, any of it. According to research in Bartender Magazine (now that is a reputable scientific journal...) the best and worst tippers are as follows.
- lawyers and doctors are the worst tippers (probably because they never get tipped themselves). Next in line for least likely to tip are, computer technicians, teachers, musicians, pro athletes and pipe smokers (I have no idea why on this one)
- The best tippers are bartenders, waiters and waitresses ( probably because they get the most tips themselves). Next in line as best tippers are hair stylists, regular customers of a place and gangsters ( I suppose that's why gangsters are not pipe smokers).

I have no tip for you today, but feel free to send one back in appreciation that I didn't write more garbage about this subject.