To tip or not to tip... or should it be banned?

[livingdead]

A New York restaurant has banned tipping to spare customers the bother, while some restaurants in other US cities have already replaced the gratuity with a fixed optional service charge. So is the discretionary tip falling out of favour in the land where it's king?

A young man and woman are sitting in a restaurant in New York, enjoying their second date.

The man pays the waiter the bill and heads to the bathroom while the woman gathers her things.

"How much did he tip?" she asks the waiter. He tells her.

When the man comes back to the table, there is an angry exchange and she says she doesn't want to see him again.

A tip of 8.5% brought that romance to a premature end.

his story, told years later by the waiter that night, Steve Dublanica, reflects both how seriously Americans take tipping and how loaded with social meaning it has become.

The size of tips has increased and the list of those who expect them is growing also, in recent years joined by staff in takeaways.

Meanwhile, tip jars have proliferated to such an extent you may be confronted by one where you receive your sandwich and another one a few feet away where you pay for it.

It's a custom that's become second nature for most Americans, although there's still a sharp intake of breath when they see three or four hotel staff involved in taking their luggage from the boot of the car and up to the room.

But it's worse for visitors - whom to tip and how much can be a source of debate, confusion and often anxiety at doing the wrong thing or appearing to be ungenerous.

Tip the barman but not the shop assistant, reward the hairdresser but not if he or she owns the salon. Give the hotel luggage guy a dollar or two but not the receptionist. And don't under-tip.

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BBC News - To tip or not to tip... or should it be banned?