Hey Folks!
I’ve been living abroad for over half my life in a country where tipping is not the norm. At most you would round up. 19€ bill? Here’s a 20, keep this change.
Going to the US soon to visit family and the whole idea of tipping makes me nervous. It seems there’s a lot of discussion about getting rid of tipping, but I don’t know how much has changed in this regard.
The system seems ridiculously unfair, and that extra expense in a country where everything is already so expensive really makes a difference.
So will AITA if I don’t tip? Is it really my personal responsibility to make sure my server is paid enough?
You don’t exploit by paying the price that was agreed on. The driver let’s himself be exploited, but that is not the fault of the customer. If I agree to give away 100 $ bills I don’t get exploited by people taking them.
The price that was agreed upon includes the assumption of tips as it’s currently apart of the social contract in these countries, like it or not. You’re allowed to hate the system, shit I’m sure drivers and servers hate the system and would much prefer to make a risk-free living wage, but if you refuse to participate and by doing so fuck over the lowest paid workers in those countries you are 100% an asshole. You aren’t fighting some big evil social injustice, you’re just an asshole.
How is this relevant?
An agreement with the owner that is exploiting the laborer is absolutely exploiting the laborer.
The people who bought slaves for the agreed upon price from the master are also guilty of slavery.
It’s a very painful and difficult truth than participating in the broken system is enabling the broken system.
You mean that being exploited is marginally better than being homeless.