Tipping in USA/Canada

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:32:21 -0000, "JohnT"
wrote:

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

Yeah. Think of it as an implicitly itemized bill.

When I was in England earlier this year, I noted the the prices in
restaurants in the UK were about the same as in the US, except that
the prices were in pounds, so something that cost 20 dollars in the US
would cost 20 pounds in the UK. Even after you leave a tip, I think
you'll find that restaurant prices in the US are not out of line with
prices in other developed countries.




I don't argue that often prices in the UK are much higher than in the USA.
Prices in London are obscenely high, but tend to be more reasonable
throughout much of the rest of the UK. But I do find it very strange that in
a highly-developed Society such as the USA whoever serves a meal may well be
paid much less than the minimum legal wage.

Not quite true. The legal minimum wage for waiters is lower than
the legal minimum wage for others.

And surely the USA (plus,
perhaps, Canada) is the only territory where taxes are not included in the
quoted cost.

Also Mexico.

So, in New York for example, a meal nominally costing $25 would
actually cost $25 + 8.25% + 15%, which is more than $31.

Yep.

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