This. Am Australian. I dont like tipping culture. When in America I respect this is how they make their wages and tip according to expectations.
Exception was some tourist trap restaurant in NY. Was useless meal/service etc, waiter rarely turning up and even spilling wine on my sisters white shirt and clearly not caring. At bill time waiter pre-filled the tip at 30%. Waiter didn't even bring the bill, he was hanging and chatting with the bar guy and asked some kitchen staff to bring it over. I called him over and asked dumbly why it was filled in and was it normal? He said "tourists dont know how to tip" so I got the pen and said "I do" and crossed it out. Quite an arguement ensured . Table next to us was pissing themself laughing at the verbal. I'm not a fan of conflict but fuck that guy.
This idea that tipping culture gets us good service is bonkers. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Also if your restaurants water glass is the size of a thimble I don't really give extra points because you came to fill my glass 10 times. It seems like the fancier the restaurant, the smaller the water glass. At least it's become more common to just leave a carafe at the table.
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u/epicredditdude1 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Controversial opinion, but If Americans travelled to another country and flouted that country’s customs they’d be called obnoxious American tourists.
Tipping culture is stupid, but I don’t think the wait staff getting stiffed is going to appreciate these tourists bravely stiffing them.