Tipping and When Did It Become Expected?

I have burned a lot of bridges arguing with people on the topic of Tipping. Last summer I went on a camping trip and started a Tipping debate; in a nut shell we all ending the trip two days earlier. My freshmen year of college a male friend of mine gave me and my room mate a lift to the local supermarket. Some how and someone brought up the topic of Tipping. He was a waiter at Applebee’s and I spoke from a customer’s point of view. (SIIIGGHH) he became upset. He dropped us off and after 10 minutes of cashing my money order we realized he left us a mile away from school in the supermarket parking lot. 30 minutes later he returned. I guess speaking about tipping can be correlated to the topic of politics.


As a child I remember how tips were made. I remember clearly that Tips were given to people who went above and beyond their job requirements. Who gave you impeccable service, were knowledgeable and helpful. There weren’t any set price on how much you could tip someone. We didn’t sit around a table with a Tip calculator making sure we tipped them what they wanted. Consumers/customers had the choice to tip what we felt they deserved but mainly what we could afford. Sometimes my grandmother and I would go to the beauty parlor. Once the beautician was done my grandmother would sit in the mirror admiring her dazzling new do. Touching her tresses which were softer than normal because Magdalena , (the beautician), used an extra conditioner at no charge. She admired her full bouncing curls because Magdalena used extra precision when blowing out her hair. The mirror my grandmother looked into was bordered with pictures. A picture of me and my younger sister hung in the left corner. Magdalena told my grandmother in her heavy Spanish accent "Jean! wear a silk scarf to bed and get a deep conditioner every two weeks." Magdalena deserved a Tip. I remember going through my pre-teen spats with my mother packing my things and preparing to move out. Dragging suit cases full of clothes into the rain, my mother refused to help. The cab driver sensed me struggling/unhappiness. He met me half way and placed the bags in to his trunk. On the ride to my father house the cab driver tried to explain life to me; he tried to cheer me up (he mentioned he had a young daughter as well). He deserved a tip. I think back to 3 ½ years ago on my 1st date with my 1st love at Red Lobster. Our waitress made periodic checks on us. She wouldn't let the biscuits get lower than 2 before refilling, she would see our glass 1/3 empty and would come to refill it. She smiled; seem excited and happy. She wasn’t over bearing. Me and my love was both in awe. Until this day we speak about her. She deserved a tip. But when did a tip become mandatory?  When did you tip people for simply doing their job; and sometimes not even doing that?

When did it become an American custom to pay someone extra, something that for so long has been done out of gratitude, for fulfilling their job description? How can you stamp the word ‘gratuity’ on a receipt? How do businesses get away with assuming I have any gratitude towards the service I just received? With the addition of "gratuity" have Americans realized how businesses are making us pay their under waged staff salaries? Not only do I have to pay for my meal, my drink, and taxes that are included. I also have to pay a 15% tip included. What if I don't have 15 percent? Should I not be allowed to eat? To go get my hair done? My nails did? Because it is pre-determined that you deserve a tip. In High School my teacher, who I loved dearly, explained to the class that for many years before teaching she was a waitress and a bartender. She said that Blacks, Young teenagers, and Police Officer’s were considered bad tippers. No one wanted to serve them and if they did it was usually with resentment. But what is a bad tipper? If you feel that you are worth more than a 2 dollar tip than why not feel that you are worth more than a 5 dollar an hour wage? Why can’t people tip you what they can afford? Are young teenager’s terrible tippers? Or is it that they simply are dining out on their parent’s income? It became an issue when I realized I was adding tips into my budget. 13 dollar drinks shoot up to 14/15 when adding tips. 40 dollar weekly salon visits shoots up to 45 dollars including tips. 8 dollar eye brow waxing shoots up to 9 dollar when adding tips. 26 dollar weekly manicure and pedicure shoots up to 30 dollars when adding tips. This is an issue to me because sometimes I leave the nail salon not completely satisfied or the beauty salon eager to get home to curl that back of my hair more to my liking, but I still tip. I knew shit was for the worst when I was in a yellow cab. I got in the cab and told this man where I was going. The windows was down  and it was scorching, where was the AC?. The man never spoke to me, He didn't change the music station. He just drove me to my destination. And than asked for a Tip. A Tip? why do you feel as if I should pay you more money for simply doing your job? Am I suppose to Tip a cab driver for driving me to my destination. is 10 dollars for 20 blocks simply not enough? I have a Tip for America , Pay your workers better wages and not pry on your customers. Don't pay a waitress 4 dollars an hour and then us costumers are considered "ain't shit" when we don't leave a Tip to their liking. Scratch this gratuity shit off my bill. sometime I want to go to UNOs for a pasta dish and may not have 15% to give anyone, I may have a dollar. What is so bad about me tipping someone a dollar when big businesses are paying them 6 dollars? I refused to give people my hard earn money for simply doing their job. especially when there job just simply rely on taking an order. Usually it is the bus boy bringing the food or cleaning the table. If anything he deserves the Tip. Do your job because this is what you have decided to do. do it with love. a Tip should be left up to the consumer. not mandatory. because there is no such thing as mandatory gratitude