15% is now 20% and 20% is now 30%

Having worked in restaurants from age 13 to 23 I have always been sensitive to the hard work which goes into the service industry and believe that I am a good if not extraordinary tipper. I seem to leave 20% for just about any dining experience but after discussing with regular TOR Relief Bitcher Philthy Ryan, I have a few major issues tipping has gotten out of control. I don't mind tipping but I do mind when you are given very little choice in terms of what you can give.

Philthy Ryan mentioned getting a $25 haircut (from one of those fancy Jean Claude Van Haircut places), on this he would typically leave $5 (20%) but since he gets his hair cut by one German and his hair washed by nihilist this makes for a sticky situation. It almost feels wrong to tip the hair cut specialist less than $4 but that makes for a stick situation since you would only have $1 for the hair-wash specialist. So the decision becomes tough, do you overtip and start giving away $2 or even $3 for the hair-wash lady and then another $4 or $5 to the hair-cut broad? Shit we are talking a potential total of $8 total for a $25 haircut?

This is an example when the system basically makes it so that you almost can't give less than that because of the way the system is set up.

How many times have I walked into a diner by myself, order eggs and a cup of Joe and the bill comes out to $4.50, I will still drop $2 and probably $2.50 on the table. I feel it's almost insulting to leave her only $0.90, although this is 20% which is what should be equate to a tip for exceptional service.. But I feel guilty so I drop $2 and leave. Truthfully this lady probably works just as hard as some schmuck with a wine-degree at some snot-nose high-end restaurant for a 10th of the pay.

But I feel like this is not expected of you and I like to be able to leave a bit extra when I feel like it's warranted. When the company sets an expectation I have a lot more trouble with it, like the credit-card machines they have in the NYC Cabs now.

When you choose the pay by credit card option in the cab, the screen gives you three options (you can do it manually if you want but the options are designed to speed up the process). The options on the screen are 20%, 25% and 30%.

30% for a god-damn cab-ride??? you have to be kidding me!!!! For years you would jump in a cab and kind of round off the total and give the driver that. You would jump in a cab, cost you $4.20 and you would give the dude a $5 and tell him "yo holmes smell you later". Now all of a sudden a $15.10 cab ride turns into $19.63 as opposed to $18.