The Culture of Tipping Around the World
By Tom Thumb, Posted Jun 11, 2009
 Just gratuitous |
Remember Mr Pink?
- For Sale BlackBerry Curve 8900 $190 HTC Hero $250By: SCREENReplies: 0
- For Sale BlackBerry Curve 8900 $190 HTC Hero $250By: SCREENReplies: 0
- On Sale apple iphone 3gs 32gb-----$350By: Replies: 0
- For sale T-mobile Sidekick lx 2009, Sony Ericsson Experia x1By: Replies: 0
- For sale Apple iphone 3gs 32gb,T-mobile Sidekick lx 2009By: Replies: 0
Let’s come out and say it: tipping sucks.
It’s the residue of ancient class distinctions when one kind of profession was considered inferior to another and the difference had to be compensated by a financial gift. Hence why when the anarchists took control of Barcelona in the early 30’s they banned tipping, as can be read in George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia.
At other times it’s an act of pity, a social obligation or even a kind of disguised bribe to make sure you get reasonable service. Here’s a few extra coins to make sure you don’t spit in my soup..
I think the tipping point for me came when a taxi driver in the US got pissed with me when I waited for my $3 buck change from $20. He was making $50,000 a year, about 3 times my income and yet I was the bad guy for not paying him a gratuity on top of a ride I could barely afford.
Not that I’m playing Mr Pink here:
The reality is that all around the world people work exploitative jobs where any extra cents can make a big difference. As a traveler you can make a difference to someone else’s day by leaving a little extra cash. In many countries you’ll be the first person to even think about doing so.
But it still sucks.
First of all, because it’s a nightmare working out where to tip – try to leave an extra quid for the bartender in England and they might well throw you out. Fail to tip the barman in the US and expect to wait half an hour for your next drink.
Second, it allows a currency exchange to replace basic human interaction and kindness. As Paul Theroux noted in Dark Star Safari, tipping all the Egyptian taxi drivers, doormen, waiters, porters, guides and shoe shiners felt like he was paying for smiles.
People deserve to be paid a decent wage for the work they do and not have to rely upon the whim of the customer. Which is why it’s really cool in countries where tipping isn’t common practice – when someone is nice to you it’s because they are nice and genuinely like you. Not because they saw you were wearing expensive shoes and so were likely to leave more than 10%.
Roll on Digital cash.
MAKE A COMMENT
RECENT COMMENTS
Read More
Asterix, French Comic Hero
The poor old French. Once the dominant world culture with their own empire and the aristocrats of Russia taking French lessons to sound sophisticated at their salon parties, now their ...
Islamic Iran is a Bunch of Laughs
There was a feel-good article in the Guardian the other day about laughter classes in Tehran.
God knows there’s lots to laugh about. Here’s a comic speech given by the ...
Look at it from the point of view from the person receiving the tip.
Tipping is a great way to make extra money as a waiter or bartender, and gave me the extra incentive to please those I was serving.
What is really ridiculous is seeing tip jars in front of cashiers.
“try to leave an extra quid for the bartender in England and they might well throw you out.” – What?
Just because it’s not a custom in England to tip at bars, I love it when people tip.
We get paid shit wages as it is, where did this comment come from?
I agree with you. Tipping is bullshit. I earn my wages through hardwork, nobody gives me money because of some quasi social more. It’s an antiquated practice and it should be done away with. The real issue should be with your shithole company that is paying you that dismal wage! As a taxpayer, we all already subsidize companies and industry. Why should we be subsidizing the service industry too? It’s all bullshit. And it’s bad for ya
I agree,, tipping is a shit custom… This coming from someone who has worked the service industry in U.S. for 20 years.
Unfortunetly,,, the real blame lies upon the U.S. Government, as they are the ones who allow employers to pay less than minimum wages legally,, to certain jobs like waiting tables or delivery.
If the government is going to allow this B.S. of course the employers will take advantage of that. If the government would simply say,, NOBODY is allowed less than minimum wage,, then it would open the door for ridding us of tipping.
The problem however at the moment is forgeigners who come to the U.S. and basically say “I don’t tip, except for exceptional service”. Well that’s all well and good in their country,, but seriously. What kind of asshole do you have to be to make your waitress serve you for an hour and then not pay her anything at all. Guess what … she mades just over $2/hr … that doesn’t pay her taxes,,, What right do you have to make her work for free, just because you have some issue with tipping. Make your stand in your own country but not here.
It’s no different than any other custom. You don’t go to Suadi Arabia and run arond wearing shorts because “I do it at home”… You have to work with the customs of where you are visiting.
sorry,, I get off on a tangent sometimes because I used to hate it when Europeans would work me for hours and then leave nothing,,, I’m not a slave worker,, and trust me, I was not getting rich from tips.
I think you have it wrong there Gene. The customer is not making you work for hours, your employer is. Why should the customers be penalised for the crap wage the employer pays? The employer gets to have his cake and eat it too. Some cultural practices are antiquated and just plain wrong. Would you abuse women in a country that has a culture of doing so?
Still, it’s a practice that’s not going to stop. People that are paid minimum wage aren’t suddenly going to be paid any more.
The people who serve you get paid little because tips are normally expected if they work harder and give you a good service. Some places have a 10 or 15 percent service charge! Think of it this way, if you go out and spend 20-30 quid in a pub, a nightclub, a restaurant, what difference does it make to you to add on a couple bucks more? Hardly a thing, whereas it makes a massive difference to your server.
Unbelievable! Throw in a buck and be gone…
Tip who you want to tip. Not based on profession. Simple as that.
Tipping? Living in a country where there’s no such thing, I hadn’t even considered it in my travel budget. How do I know who I’m supposed to tip? It may seem obvious to those who live in tipping countires, but not me. Perhaps I should tip every man woman and child I meet just to be on the safe side? Could be expensive.
It’s sad that people are expected to accept bad wages with the idea that they will get more money through tipping. Australia’s minimum wage may not be the greatest (approx AU$14.75) but at least it’s mandatory (now that we got rid of former PM John Howard).
Maybe I should just avoid going any country where tipping goes on. Anyone got a list of countries that do and don’t practice tipping? I already have an anxiety disorder – tipping could kill me.