Do you tip your bartender?

You hit it perfectly. One is right over the other - just different customs. Personally I think it best out of respect of where you are visiting to adopt their customs as long as it is reasonable and easy enough. Myself I try to prepare by simply reading about the local customs just to try to avoid as much as possible my own personal embarassment (well and to be be respectful of where you are visiting).

What always gets me is how nonpolitical threads (this basically started out as an etiquette thread) turns political. I never expected this thread to get such a high turnout when I started it. I thought it would have ended a day or two after I posted it.


The purpose of this thread was about the general etiquette of tipping and (specifically) the nontraditional tipping on open bars where the drinker/patron gets his or her drinks free. The thread evolved radically from there. I knew, understood, and accepted the European/Brit tradition of nontipping long before I started this thread. But let's not get our hopes up and assume that the European/Brit model will ever be allowed here in the US (not allowed by the collective restaurant owners).

Every once and awhile, I hear the clarion call to ban tips and force restaurant management to pay waitstaff a livable wage. Sounds like a great idea and I hope that fast food workers also get their proverbial rising tide (a livable wage). I don't expect the current wave/movement for fast food workers will catch them the $15 an hour they're calling for. They should be expecting something considerably lower then that if the powers that be finally concede to them the right to a slightly better income.

Oh please. You and particularly Lordyaswas should stop patting one another on your backs for your aversion to politicizing subjects.

Dis anyone else just feel that gust of hot air?????? Oh look, it's Finn!!!! Nevermind!

What's wrong, Finn?

People being reasonable and acknowedging both sides of the argument, are they?

The author has two choices when launching a new thread. Question or Discussion.
Maybe you should ask the hamsters to add a "sneering point scoring argument" button?

What's wrong?

Any absurd suggestion by you that you are objective.

I will not take your bait, Mr Begrumpled.

Anyone can read my earlier post and make up their own minds.

Found this map



The minimum wage at McDonald's in Germany is $10.70 (average is $14,20).

Not understanding the relevance of this post. McDonlds is slightly better than a vending machine since your food can at least be warm..but no service involved . You pick up the food and condiments, drinks..get your own drink refills and dispose of garbage . The average this worker makes in the U.S. Is minimum wage. Which as for now is $7.00 and cents. In the U.S service is compensated with tips. But then tips are accepted at Starbucks...don't really see rhyme or reason for it. My opinion is when in Rome do as Romans do.

Indeed Lord Sunshine.

Entirely irrelevant to the discussion thus far.

If you wish to introduce a new avenue, perhaps you could introduce it better.

Wekk, you can see that in those countries, where the wage is regulated, employees have health insurance, paid holidays etc included, a tip really is a surplus.

But sorry, if that is entirely irrelevant.

Good information actually .. I wish some hard working employees would get that here..simply didn't understand the relevance but thanks for the info. It's all good.