I have realized that the United States, specifically, takes tipping really seriously. Even though it’s not a legal obligation to tip, leaving a little tip or no tip may be considered rude. There are countries such as China, Korea, and Japan that don’t practice tipping, since they find it offensive that they are given “handouts”. In America, the typical tip amount would be 15-20%. Tipping became more popular after the Civil War when restaurants started to hire newly freed slaves but offered them no wage. This meant that the workers had to rely on tips to make up for their pay. “It’s the legacy of slavery that turned the tip in the U.S. from a bonus or extra on top of a wage, to a wage itself,” explains Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of Restaurant Opportunities Center United. In today’s economy, inflation and low wages are nothing new, especially in America. Tipping culture has gotten out of hand when even self-checkout kiosks ask for a tip. Tips should be a form of gratuity of how well the service is, and should not feel like an obligation. I had a time in middle school when I ate at a restaurant with my friends. The food was mediocre and the service was not as good as we would like it to be. When the bill came, we had just enough to cover it leaving $5 as a tip. However, the $5 was less than the percentage shown on the receipt, less by $2. The waitress chased us down when we exited. We were in middle school and we gave them all the money we had with the tip we felt they deserved for their service. With inflated prices of goods and low wages, I understand that many have to rely on tips to make up for their wage. The U.S. should do something about the unbalance between inflation and wages.
