Well I couldn't agree more

I come from a non-tipping country and yeah, it kind of puts a downer on the whole experince and awkwardness when you're eating with other people and they don't really understand/want to tip. Plus you also forget when you're not used to it, I'd got out and eat a meal that was already probably too expensive for my travelling bugdet and then you have this horrible realisation halfway through eating that you have to also then pay another 20% on top.

Tipping in the United States has gone overboard. I feel pressured to constantly tip anymore. If I order a coffee and pastry and pay with a credit card there’s an entire screen that pops up with an entire tip selection. If you don’t tip for a coffee you’re like a social pariah. Pay your workers a livable wage, US! It’s mind-boggling!

If it was just Resturants, that's one thing, but it's the huge amounts you are expected to tip for taxi's, conciërge, the guy that opens a door for you on a taxi even if the taxi was already standing there, room service, cleaning staff, tour guides, helicopter pilots and so on and so on... It's exhausting. And financially crippling if you are traveling from a country where the doller is far stronger than your own currency. It leaves a bitter taste from the travel experience.

The odd thing is, the main reason we don't get rid of tipping in the US is because the people getting the tips WANT to keep it (not the "greedy" businesses as everyone assumes). With tipping being the norm, servers make WAY more money than minimum wage, even at a modest eatery. On a decently busy night at just an Applebees, you can walk out with well over 100 bucks on a five hour shift easily.

Personally when I'm out at a restaurant I tip only if the service, atmosphere and general look of the food is good. I agree though tips should be included in the price but this tip never reaches the people who earn it.

The worst is when you are asked to tip at starbucks or fast food places, I never do! And I am rarely going out!

10% tip is acceptable in UK... if you've had a lovely meal and good service.

Not this again

I agree. But people not tipping is never going to solve the problem. Not tipping sends NO MESSAGE to the company. All it does is scr*w over the person serving u. If u want to send a message, DON'T GO TO THE RESTAURANT! That's the ONLY way they will get the message. Everyone saying that not tipping is how I solve the problem, r just cheap and trying to justify it

OMG YES I AM AMERICAN AND NEVER UNDERSTOOD TIPPING!

I don't think tipping is unhinged. I just tip for restaurants, coffees, the normal stuff. I think it's churlish and cheap to not tip for a haircut etc.

If business owners would pay a decent wage, tipping would be unnecessary.

It's a pain, but for tipping, you have to realize businesses count on it as an excuse to not even pay minimum wage to their workers. They even steal tips or hold them "hostage" against general performance, attendance, etc. They have no incentive to change at all. And the problem w/including taxes in prices is that every state, city & sometimes small areas or types of items have different tax rates. You get used to it.

Completely agree. 'Muricans need to stop being so blasted cheap and pay staff a living wage. And 'Muricansneed to stop expecting to pay so little for good food and good service. Tipping has a racist background and is completely unfar.

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As far as taxes go, how else are sales tax going to be collected, because otherwise, you are having to keep each and every single receipt for the year to itemize what you owe each year. It's not included in the advertised price simply because of the differences in tax between locales (which would make preparing advertising that covers multiple locales more difficult, and more expensive, with the additional cost passed to the customer). Everywhere I live, the price sticker on the self lists the retail price plus the tax due for that item. This sounds like "don't make me do math" whine. If there were no sales tax, it would just be placed on something else and still owed. 🙄

I am with the boomers on this one.

There is a huge difference between how Emerati are being treated and how foreigners are being treated. Yet, the country could not function without foreigners. Treat them accordingly!

Plus all the rules surrounding this. If you want it, still refuse it and make the cook persist. Refuse x times. Eat y times. Thank z times. What...?

American here. As a general rule, we do not look through the gap from outside of the stall. If needing to check if the stall is occupied we look for feet under the door. Edit: it is acceptable to look out through the gap from inside the stall.

Unfortunately this is a real problem. Discussing this in a class and asking for ideas to stop it one small boy suggested,, that since it was usually older people doing this, young people should all carry a stick and give offenders a smack. You had to love him.

The weird thing is that American business owners will tell you that paying their staff low wages and forcing them to rely on tips help them to keep prices down, to the customer's advantage. While it keeps the advertised price down, it's no advantage to the customer, who's obliged to pay AT LEAST an additional 20%. It benefits the business owner, no-one else.

"Burt! This bloke won't haggle!"

Yep. That's Japan. And during those 12 work hours there is no time to walk, you have to run.

Using a shot of NZ bread, with a tax-inclusive pricetag XD

Once broke my leg in a county where squatting toilets are the norm. Ever tried to squat while wearing a cast? Fun times.

That is horrible!

Aaah yes, the Beijing Bikini, greatest of belly flexes

All fine - as long as they are capuccinos, and not "vanilla caramel latte with extra oat milk and three shots of matcha" -because that is not coffee, it's a dessert..

Sweltering....in December? December when it's winter in Europe?

They are not disappearing, they are leaving you alone to enjoy your meal without pestering or useless small talk. If you need anything (reorder, check) just raise your hand or call them, is that so hard?

I can't even squat, because knees

I must have been a Spaniard in my past life

As i said elsewhere: It sort of violates a rule of contracts. The contract is, e.g. , the restaurant advertises a meal at a certain price, and the customer accepts to pay that price. But the restaurant then repudiates that contract by expecting the customer to pay another 20% on top of the advertised price. Same goes for state and local taxes not mentioned in the advertised price.

Don't forget that giving them to homeless or letting homeless dive for them in the dumpster is illegal too.

I have a vacuum cleaner. Amazing I know

Some of the Greek islands are the same.

I have a mnemotechnic thing for that! They're NOdding...they mean NO! Hope that helps

Cat calling for real. Hissing and meowing at people sounds like a mental disorder.

It's like this at one of my friend's houses. Radio on, TV on, computer sound on. Ahhhhhhh!

I knew i should have married a Filipino lass.

US and Canada are massive countries with 500 million people. And poor public transport systems.

They’re not unpredictable, they’re different than what you’re used to (lunch break / nap break / afternoon break / early closing etc) It’s usually written somewhere, or so customary that it’s not necessary.