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The Charity Of Strangers

Oct 16, 2015
by Caroline Miller
gratuities as part of the tax structure, Is It Extra-Rude Not To Tip At A Coffe Shop..., Jon Mooallem, orgin of tipping, poor wages of the food service industry, The Itching Palm, tipping, tipping as an undeocratic practice, William R. Scott
6 Comments

I’ve followed my hair dresser around as she relocated from shop to shop for a number of years. Tipping her was never in question as she was an employee working on salary. A year ago, she moved to a location where she owns her chair — which means she rents the space but is her own boss, charges what she wants, keeps all the proceeds and sets her own hours. According to the etiquette book, she is self-employed and no longer requires a tip, just as food cart owners aren’t tipped or folks who run their own shoe shine operation. Still, I continue to give my hairdresser a gratuity because habit Is hard to break and the expectation exists.

Frankly, the notion of tipping anyone never has felt right. The practice allows restaurants to pay miserable wages and leaves the income of their employees to the whims of strangers. Even the origin of tipping is suspect. As Jon Mooallem observes, tipping is an aristocratic convention inherited from Europe where the worker was obliged to rely on the generosity of his or her betters. (“Is It Extra-Rude Not To Tip At A Coffee Shop…” Wired, September 2015, pgs. 40-41.) Tipping isn’t really behavior compatible with the notion of equality. Writer William R. Scott railed against the idea in 1916 in his famous essay, The Itching Palm. (Click for free download) According to him, a tip is “what one American is willing to pay to induce another American to acknowledge inferiority.” (Ibid pg. 40)

Mooallem points out there were periods in American history when various societies rose up against the practice, but they never succeeded in squelching it. Not because employees were in favor of it. To the contrary. In Scott’s day, workers who were polled described the habit as “base, wrong, unjust and degrading.” (Ibid pg 40.) Tipping persists, I’m guessing, because it’s popular with employers. The food service industry has been so effective in keeping the issues of fair wages and working conditions out of the hands of government regulators, that the concept of gratuities is built into the tax structure and the worker is obliged to do the accounting.

Technology may eventually solve the question of tipping in many cases. Robots won’t know what to do with tips. In the meantime, I think it would be nice if anyone who worked in any service industry was paid a living wage and didn’t need to depend upon the charity of strangers?

waiter bowing for tip

Courtesy of www.kidzworld.com

 

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6 Comments
  1. Pamela October 16, 2015 at 11:22 am Reply
    It was such a relief to not tip in parts of Europe where workers are paid by the employers and prices reflected this. Tipping factors in such vicissitudes as likability, hierarchy, uncontrollable factors impacting the "tippee's" wage such as quality of product and performance of other employees and the employer his/herself! I would prefer if employers took ownership of employee "performance" and paid accordingly (i.e. if one waiter can handle more tables with better accuracy and professionalism, they are paid better, etc.). In addition to noting that the person providing service is instantly subject, it also puts unnecessary pressure and impossible objectivity on the tipper.
    • Caroline Miller October 16, 2015 at 11:41 am Reply
      We are on the same wave length.
  2. Christine Webb October 16, 2015 at 12:45 pm Reply
    Wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts on tipping, Caroline, but from a slightly different perspective. While in school at PSU I worked as a waitress at a popular restaurant on Sandy Blvd. I was new to this industry and once properly trained began happily waiting on tables and selling, in addition to other delicacies, 'sirloin steak dinners for two' to seniors who were eager to pay the $6.00 early bird special price. At the end of my first night, I was delighted to see almost $20.00 in change strewn out on a table in the back room where I was busily counting my earnings. I began to fill out the mandatory form stating, for income tax purposes, how much I had earned in tips and was immediately reined in by the more experienced waitresses. I was ‘encouraged’ to record only a portion of what I had made. Doing otherwise would send up a red flag because no one reported the actual amount of tips received--only a small portion, and if I did so, all the ladies could be in danger of becoming scrutinized. In my book, feeling guilty of lying and then cheating the IRS was right up there with the aguish of being ‘drawn and quartered’ but if I didn’t go along with the other waitresses I was quite sure by the tone of their voice and the look in their eyes, I’d be in deep trouble. In my case, receiving regular tips was a constant reminder that I was being untruthful, dishonest and in the position of making others angry. I would have much preferred not having the tips and then a bit more substantial salary than the $1.60 an hour I received. That, and a clear conscience would have more than made up for the difference...
    • Caroline Miller October 16, 2015 at 3:27 pm Reply
      You story really does open another can of worms about tipping. Thanks for sharing, Christine.
  3. S. L. Stoner October 19, 2015 at 9:02 am Reply
    When I served drinks in a Las Vegas casino I lived on my tips between paychecks. So, until we have the $15 minimum wage and paid for health care and prescriptions, I'am going to keep tipping. I just see it as a way to share wealth.
    • Caroline Miller October 19, 2015 at 11:00 am Reply
      I support your decision. As I wrote in the blog, service industry workers, being exempt from minimum law legislation, deserve our generosity until they have the same rights as other workers.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published five novels

  • Getting Lost To Find Home
  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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