On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:50:17 +0000, Martin D. Pay
wrote:


I have a sort-of-related question...

When I've traveled in the US, sometimes I've paid the whole bill
and tip in cash, sometimes paid the whole bill and tip on plastic
and sometimes paid the bill on plastic and left the tip on the
table in cash. Is there a preferred way (preferred, that is, by
the waiting staff)? I sometimes wonder how much the waitress sees
of a tip that goes on the plastic and so through the
establishment's books...

This is hard to answer because you don't know what of a credit card
tip the waiters will get, but, then, if you pay in cash you don't know
either because they may be being watched and have to fork over the
cash as well. In many place, tips are pooled and split on some ratio,
which you don't know either. No set rule for this question.