Tipping in USA/Canada

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:36:40 GMT in rec.travel.air,
(John Kulp) wrote:

Then, genius, why isn't this the case in the US which was where they
were all sent before we got independance

very few of the original 13 colonies were settled by prisoners;
iirc georgia was the only one. some folks immigrated as
indentured servants, but were free once they worked off the
indenture or apprenticeship.

many of the colonies were settled by folks who left england
because of religious persecution --- the new england colonies
(puritans), pennsylvania (quakers), maryland (catholics), the
carolinas (scots presbyterians).

On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:23:24 -0800 in rec.travel.air, Robert
Cohen wrote:

We don't have European style hostels here (do we?)

we most certainly do, but only the erudite know about them.

PTravel wrote:

I've posted these before, but I'll do it again. There are three rules I
follow when I travel internationally (and I've been traveling much
longer than you and to far more places):

1. Always remember you're a guest in someone else's country. Act like
a guest and respect the customs, preferences and practices of your hosts.

2. If in doubt, ask rather than assume -- I'd rather appear naive than
rude and offensive.

3. Err on the side of generosity -- it is better to pay too much than
too little, tip high rather than low, etc.

You've violated all three rules and, as a result, you've already
offended a number of Americans and you haven't even gotten here yet.

I basically follow those three rules when I travel - but I will say
that, as an Englishman who's travelled extensively in the USA and who
has spent much of the last decade living in Canada, the one circumstance
in which I *won't* tip is if some waiter hears my English accent and
takes it upon himself to explain to me that in North America it's
customary to leave a tip. I absolutely understand that employees in jobs
where tipping is involved are poorly paid and depend on tips for part of
their livelihood, I've spent long enough in North America that I don't
find tipping remotely embarrassing, and in a restaurant in North America
I fully expect to tip 15-20% - but at the same time, tipping is still,
theoretically, discretionary, and I don't appreciate being patronised.

--

Stephen

What is this, an intervention? Shouldn't all my demon friends be here?

On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:10:20 -0900,
(Dennis P. Harris) wrote:

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:36:40 GMT in rec.travel.air,
(John Kulp) wrote:

Then, genius, why isn't this the case in the US which was where they
were all sent before we got independance

very few of the original 13 colonies were settled by prisoners;
iirc georgia was the only one. some folks immigrated as
indentured servants, but were free once they worked off the
indenture or apprenticeship.

many of the colonies were settled by folks who left england
because of religious persecution --- the new england colonies
(puritans), pennsylvania (quakers), maryland (catholics), the
carolinas (scots presbyterians).


Convicts were also sent there
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/ess...tishgrowth.htm

Qanset wrote:
Louis Krupp wrote:
Qanset wrote:
snip
... I try to be flexible when observing local customs, but I will
not be bullied into tipping, which I have seen happen.

Tipping in the US is like trying to speak French in France; do it,
and people smile. After all, one reason for traveling is to interact
with the locals, and it has to be more fun than just looking at the
scenery while treating the people like robots.



Interaction with waiters and so on isn't always just about money.

It is in the USA

Dude, I live here, and have for 56 years.

For what it's worth, you're not the first foreigner I've met who's
anointed himself an expert on the USA. The results vary from amusing to
annoying to infuriating. You've reached "annoying."

Louis

On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:26:28 +1100, Qanset
wrote:

StephanieM wrote:
The part of the question I couldn't understand why is someone would be
miserly not to tip when it is highly likely they are coming from a
place where they are buying US dollars for cheap, that they would be
offended by tipping.


Its not a case of being miserly. Its a matter of principle.
Everybody has the right to decide if they choose to tip or not to tip.
In some Asian countries my wife and I have gladly given money to the
homeless.

What that has to do with tipping is beyond me.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Nov 13, 9:48 pm, Craig Welch wrote:
Robert Cohen said:

Some Americans may fancy themselves as sophisticates when they are
actually ipso facto arrogant effluent ethnocentrics, trying to shame a
candid person who understandably doesn't like to tip.

Some Americans can also use latin phrases in a proper manner ...

--
Craig http://www.wazu.jp/
1,239 Unicode fonts for 82 written language groups:
Price your own web plan:http://www.wazu.jp/hosting/

the USA as a chauvanistic whole is smugly divisive by red & blue
cliches in a facile medium's overly-simplistic though expediently
interesting politically colorful, vulgar map, and this sentence
fragmentation proves that my abuse of "ipso facto" is maybe accurate
given valter heisenberg's uncertain law-theorem-hypothesis

e pluribus unum et have a good diem while waiting in line &
contemplating per se

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipso_facto

Qanset wrote:
Craig Welch wrote:

"Rog'" said:

"Craig Welch" wrote:

"JohnT" said:

So the customer has to pay his/her server's minimum
wage in addition to paying for the food and the tax.

As in every country in the world.
In the US, it's just structured differently.

Tipping does more to ensure that wait staff receives
a just wage than would funneling it thru management.


Really? In countries with which I'm familiar where there is
virtually no tipping, such as Japan, waiters seem to do quite well,
with a decent wage.


You cant compare this subject between the USA and Japan

How long have you been eliminating the apostrophe from your writings?

Qanset wrote:

Brian wrote:

On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:49:44 +1100, Qanset wrote:


Not really, I try to be flexible when observing local customs, but I
will not be bullied into tipping, which I have seen happen.


Then as someone said, don't eat at places in which the employees
depend on tips to earn their living.

Do you always try to change everyone's customs when you travel?

Dont be stupid, you cant change peoples customs in their own country,
If they offend you then simply move on.

Is this key broken on your computer?

"Stephen Farrow" wrote in message
...
PTravel wrote:

I've posted these before, but I'll do it again. There are three rules I
follow when I travel internationally (and I've been traveling much longer
than you and to far more places):

1. Always remember you're a guest in someone else's country. Act like a
guest and respect the customs, preferences and practices of your hosts.

2. If in doubt, ask rather than assume -- I'd rather appear naive than
rude and offensive.

3. Err on the side of generosity -- it is better to pay too much than
too little, tip high rather than low, etc.

You've violated all three rules and, as a result, you've already offended
a number of Americans and you haven't even gotten here yet.

I basically follow those three rules when I travel - but I will say that,
as an Englishman who's travelled extensively in the USA and who has spent
much of the last decade living in Canada, the one circumstance in which I
*won't* tip is if some waiter hears my English accent and takes it upon
himself to explain to me that in North America it's customary to leave a
tip.

Nor should you tip under such a circumstance. When I travel
internationally, I never mind when someone offers advice out of altruism.
When it's solely proferred for their own benefit, however, it's another
story altogether. In fact, now that I think about it, I feel the same way
when it happens at home as well.

I absolutely understand that employees in jobs where tipping is involved
are poorly paid and depend on tips for part of their livelihood, I've
spent long enough in North America that I don't find tipping remotely
embarrassing, and in a restaurant in North America I fully expect to tip
15-20% - but at the same time, tipping is still, theoretically,
discretionary, and I don't appreciate being patronised.

It's not only patronizing, it's rude as it assumes that the foreign visitor
hasn't made the least effort to learn about the culture.


--

Stephen

What is this, an intervention? Shouldn't all my demon friends be here?