LO 91

LO 91 Credit: Two Hot Takes
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My husband and I went out for dinner last night, and something happened that honestly left me confused.Our bill came to ...
05/23/2026

My husband and I went out for dinner last night, and something happened that honestly left me confused.

Our bill came to $70, and we left $20 on the table as a tip. In my mind, that felt reasonable. It was not meant to be disrespectful, and we were not trying to make any kind of statement. We simply paid the bill and left what we thought was a fair tip.

But the waiter refused to take it and told us that if we were not willing to tip at least $35, then we should not be dining out.

I was surprised, because $20 on a $70 bill is still a real amount of money. Maybe it is not what some people expect now, but it also does not feel like nothing.

I understand that servers work hard. I know tips matter, and I respect the people who do that job. But I also think moments like this show how tense tipping culture has become.

What used to feel like a thank-you now sometimes feels like a demand. Customers feel pressured, servers feel underpaid, and everyone ends up frustrated with each other instead of questioning the system that created the problem.

So I am genuinely asking: was $20 on a $70 bill really that bad, or have tipping expectations gotten out of hand?

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Comments
Ron Kerensky
Take the money back and walk out with nothing but a smile!
2w
Reply
George Prather
MY AVERAGE TIP IS $20.OO!! I DON'T TIP ON THE PRICE OF THE MEAL!! I TIP OM SERVICE AND ATTITUDE!! ENOUGH SAID!!
2w
Reply
Doug Thomas
Pick up and retrieve the 20 and draw a smiley face.
2w
Reply
Brent Maylin
You left more than the suggested amounts so if he didn't like your 30% tip I would have picked it up and exchanged it for $10… See more
2w
Reply
Edited
Sally Newman
Let's do the math. An average server has five tables. Most diners are only in a restaurant for about an hour. Their tips Plus … See more
2w
Reply
W David Stutz
29% is a very generous tip. I will tell you how I would have handled it. I would have listened to the server and after he/she … See more
2w
Reply
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So I moved into my new house this weekend… and apparently this was my official neighborhood welcome package. 🙃I came out...
05/23/2026

So I moved into my new house this weekend… and apparently this was my official neighborhood welcome package. 🙃

I came outside and found a blue car parked directly across my dropped curb while my car was sitting in the driveway behind it. my

When the owner finally came back, I politely asked if he could avoid blocking the driveway access in the future. Instead of apologizing, he immediately got defensive and told me:
“It’s a public street. You can still technically squeeze out, so I’m not doing anything wrong.”

That honestly blew my mind.

Apparently his logic is that unless my car is physically trapped and unable to move at all, parking across the curb is completely acceptable behavior.

I didn’t want to start neighborhood drama during my FIRST week living here, so I let it go in the moment… but the more I think about it, the more irritated I get.

Like yes, public street parking exists. Nobody owns the road. I understand that. But common courtesy and basic respect for driveway access should still exist too, right?

Am I overreacting here, or is this guy completely out of line?

This sign turns an ordinary restaurant bill into a statement about fairness. It reminds customers that good service does...
05/22/2026

This sign turns an ordinary restaurant bill into a statement about fairness. It reminds customers that good service does not happen by accident. It comes from people who spend hours on their feet, managing tables, handling requests, and making guests feel welcome. Whether the tip amount feels right or not, the message is hard to ignore: service deserves respect.

As I walked into the establishment, the first thing that caught my eye was a sign stating that tipping was expected at a...
05/22/2026

As I walked into the establishment, the first thing that caught my eye was a sign stating that tipping was expected at a minimum of 25%, framed as part of the rent. What stood out was the presentation of this expectation prior to any order being placed or service provided. Typically, tipping is associated with the quality of service and is at the discretion of the customer. The upfront expectation of a specific percentage alters the dynamic of the interaction, making tipping feel less like a voluntary act. I am generally amenable to tipping; however, the advance declaration of expected tip amounts feels more like pressure than an invitation for appreciation. This changes the atmosphere from one of hospitality to one of obligation, which impacts the overall experience.

To the parents of the two kids covering our street with chalk drawings in broad daylight: I have photos of everything, a...
05/22/2026

To the parents of the two kids covering our street with chalk drawings in broad daylight: I have photos of everything, and the situation has already been reported to the appropriate people.

The amount of markings covering the pavement is excessive, and it sends the message that it is somehow acceptable to treat a public street like a giant drawing board.

People live here. Families walk through this neighborhood every day. Cars drive through constantly, and residents work hard to keep the area looking clean and respectable. That is why it is frustrating to see the street turned into what looks like a graffiti wall.

I’m not sure where the supervision was while this was happening, but this is something that needs to be addressed by the parents involved. If your children were responsible, the right thing to do would be to come back, clean up the mess properly, and have a serious conversation with them about respecting shared public spaces before this turns into a much bigger issue.

Ignoring behavior like this only encourages more of it — and the neighborhood should not have to deal with the consequences.

So now we’re fueling full-size fire trucks at kroger gas stations now…??Blocking TWO pumps at once, stretched out across...
05/22/2026

So now we’re fueling full-size fire trucks at kroger gas stations now…??

Blocking TWO pumps at once, stretched out across the lot like it’s a private fueling station.

I’ve been sitting here for 15 minutes, got gas, cleaned my windows, everything and it’s STILL parked there taking up space like nobody else exists.

This isn’t even about impatience at this point, it’s just common sense.

That thing barely fits in here. It’s hanging out into the lane, making it harder for people to get through, and completely shutting down multiple pumps at once.

And correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t vehicles like that have designated places to fuel up??

Because a regular, busy gas station in the middle of everything doesn’t seem like the safest or smartest spot for something that size.

Meanwhile everyone else is just stuck waiting around while one vehicle takes over half the station.

Like cmon, you gotta think about everyone else that’s also trying to use the place to get gas.

Eight years serving… and this is the kind of check that makes you pause.Table of two. Prime rib, full service. Bill come...
05/22/2026

Eight years serving… and this is the kind of check that makes you pause.

Table of two. Prime rib, full service. Bill comes out to $101.72… they leave $15.

And yeah, I get it—there’s already an 18% service charge on there. But that doesn’t go to me. I’m still at $2.34 an hour. Tips aren’t extra… they’re the paycheck.

What makes it tough is everything felt solid. Good energy, no issues, drinks full, timing right. The kind of table you think went well.

Then the tip hits… and it’s not even close.
It’s not about one table—it’s when it keeps happening. People enjoy the experience, the service, the attention… but don’t always realize how the pay actually works behind it.

That service charge? Different bucket.

Tips? That’s what we live on.

And trying to explain that over and over?

That’s the part that wears you down.

Unpopular opinion: the fastest way to end tipping culture is to stop tipping when dining in.People always ask why those ...
05/22/2026

Unpopular opinion: the fastest way to end tipping culture is to stop tipping when dining in.

People always ask why those of us who are against tipping still go to sit-down restaurants.

Simple: because refusing to participate is the only pressure customers actually have.

What are the alternatives everyone throws out?

“Wait for legislation.”
Most of us are not lawmakers, and every time reform gets brought up it goes nowhere.

“Just stay home.”
So customers are supposed to completely stop living normal life because employers refuse to pay wages?

“Only support no-tip restaurants.”
Great idea in theory, except in most places those barely exist.

“Just get takeout.”
So now we’re paying restaurant prices to eat lukewarm food out of a plastic box, and half the time they ask for tips on takeout too.

Here is the reality no one wants to admit:

As long as customers keep voluntarily subsidizing payroll, employers have zero reason to change.

Every dollar tipped is another dollar the business does not have to feel responsible for.

Servers continue relying on customers.

Owners continue relying on customers.

And the entire broken system keeps surviving because diners keep feeding it.

If enough people dined in, paid the bill, and stopped leaving extra money out of guilt, the pressure would finally land where it belongs — on the employer.

Because once tips stop covering the gap, servers stop defending the system too.

You do not end tipping by participating in tipping.

You end it by refusing.

So now your morals are judged by a percentage button? 😭Not tipping enough apparently means you “don’t respect workers.”M...
05/22/2026

So now your morals are judged by a percentage button? 😭

Not tipping enough apparently means you “don’t respect workers.”

Meanwhile customers are already drowning in:
* Inflation
* Gas prices
* Rent
* Food costs

But somehow THEY became responsible for fixing the restaurant industry too?

That’s why people are getting angry.
The pressure never stops anymore.

I just spent over an hour driving across town picking up a massive food order, sitting in restaurant lines, fighting tra...
05/22/2026

I just spent over an hour driving across town picking up a massive food order, sitting in restaurant lines, fighting traffic, burning gas, adding mileage to my car, and basically turning my vehicle into a mobile catering service just to deliver over TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of food to someone’s house and after all that I open the envelope and see a 10% tip sitting there like I’m supposed to celebrate it.

People genuinely do not understand that food delivery is a luxury service now. You’re paying someone to use THEIR car, THEIR gas, THEIR insurance, THEIR time, and THEIR patience so you can sit at home in pajamas while somebody else deals with traffic and restaurant chaos for you. Then after all that effort people act like leaving ten percent is some incredibly generous act of kindness because they think drivers are just teleporting food to their doorstep for fun.

And before everybody starts saying “a tip isn’t mandatory” okay then neither is accepting your order next time because if someone is spending over an hour making your life easier while your food bill alone is over $200 then maybe tipping like you just bought a coffee isn’t exactly proving you appreciate the service.

At this point some people genuinely expect white glove convenience while tipping like it’s still 2007 and gas costs $1.89 a gallon. If you can afford a $200 food order you can afford to tip more than the price of a fast food combo meal to the person that spent their evening delivering it to your front door.

“If you disagree with tipping culture, eat somewhere else.”Restaurants really said:“Pay extra or leave.” 😳Then wonder wh...
05/22/2026

“If you disagree with tipping culture, eat somewhere else.”

Restaurants really said:
“Pay extra or leave.” 😳

Then wonder why customers are cooking at home more often.

People are tired of being blamed for a broken system they didn’t create.

And honestly?
Signs like this make restaurants look angry at the wrong people.

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231 S 24th Street
Philadelphia, NY
19103

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