alt Hacker NewsIt has a certain logic to it, and I think US tipping culture basically follows the same rules.
Even if you almost always end up paying the bill + 20% tip, Americans like the idea that they could not pay the tip if the service was bad.
The appearance of free action is appealing and preferable to being forced to pay the extra amount, even if you almost always pay the amount willingly anyway.
Replies
nozzlegear • today at 12:21 PM
I actually like tipping culture because it makes me feel generous and charitable, not because there's some kind of weird master/servant relationship. I even make it a point to passive aggressively tip well when service sucks because who gives a shit?
In my experience, everyone who defends tipping culture is defending not paying the tip. I don't buy this idea that someone likes tipping culture and still pays it. After all, you're free to tip anyone you want regardless of culture.