On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:32:35 -0500, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:

>
>sf wrote:
>
>
>> On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:17:21 -0500, "Gregory Morrow"
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >cybercat wrote:
>> >
>> >> "Billy" <Hereiam@hotmaildotcom> wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> > On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:49:45 +0200, Sven Svensson > wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >>Go to a place where the tip is already included in the price.
>> >> >
>> >> > I am positive you have a list of the restaurants that have that
>> >> > policy?
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> If so, they are all outside the US.
>> >
>> >
>> >N-o-p-e ...
>>
>> Many restaurants include the tip for xx number of people so the wait
>> staff won't get stiffed, but they don't do it to small parties.
>>
>
>
>Googling around you'll find that some high - end places add a gratuity, see
>my response to hoohoocat below...
>
>In Miami's South Beach this is also apparently a somewhat common practice,
>as a large number of foreigners (Europeans...) frequent the place...
>
>[Lemme tell ya, how many CHEAP - arsed Europeans, Australians, etc. have I
>seen here in Chicago who stiff waiters and bartenders as a matter of course?
>A LOT...and the most egregrious skanky - assed offenders are those who have
>chosen to RESIDE here for a length of time, so there's no excuse for them
>not learning the local customs. They "play dumb" by pretending that they
>don't know that they are supposed to tip. Yeah, right...
>
>The very worst offenders in this regard I've seen are New Zealanders and
>Eye - talians. With the Eye - talians it is a magnitude worse because they
>generally don't bathe and have stifling BO. Bathing is another little
>practice they apparently like to play dumb about...and the wimmin folk don't
>shave their armpits or legs, either. Very elegant clothes, though, lol...]
>
>On several blogs and articles I've perused it's mentioned that the higher -
>end places have so many staff providing the service to each table that it's
>simply easier for the diner to pay a set gratuity instead of chasing down
>each individual to ensure that they are properly tipped out. It also
>ensures that everyone gets their fair cut. At least that's how it's
>*supposed* to work...

Too bad to hear that Europeans and Aussies (especially expats) are
unwilling to observe local customs. They've complained so long and
hard about us, you'd think they'd want to show us uncultured Americans
what a class act they are. I guess the old saying about "When in
Rome..." isn't observed anymore.

Anyway, we'll be seeing more foreign tourists now that the dollar is
taking such a beating, so restaurants with larger foreign tourist
populations will be the first to switch over to a service charge.
Can't say I mind, because it's is less than what I'd tip anyway.

Hooray for multi-national tourism!


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West