On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 00:56:49 GMT, "Rick & Cyndi"
> wrote:
> "The Ranger" > wrote in message ...
> > On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 04:30:58 -0500, "jmcquown" > wrote:
> > [snip]
> > > Depends on the restaurant, I guess. When I cashed
> > > out every night they would calculate my tips on the
> > > spot based on the sales and make a record of it. It
> > > was deducted from the meager base paycheck I got
> > > for my under "tips and other compensation".
> > >
> > So? That's just a step-saver and kind of convenient. If
> > you weren't making enough money to work there, it
> > wasn't the customers' or managements' faults. Look
> > in the mirror.
> >
> > > A lot of servers are high school or college kids who
> > > wouldn't even *think* to keep up with their tips for
> > > tax reporting the next year.
> > >
> > Age is such a stupid excuse for not keeping records...
> > Why not peg it for what it really was; sheer laziness.
> >
> Umm... not necessarily. Those that work the breakfast
> and into lunch crowds aren't always tipped as considered
> 'standard'. A lot of times, no matter what the bill amounted
> to, I used to have customers that tipped $ 1.00. Especially
> some of the elderly customers - and they were the ones
> that ran your butt off! I always kept track of my tips and
> there was one year that I made $ 50.00 (actually $ 47.
> and some change) less than what my tax statement said
> I did... not worth fighting the restaurant for that. When I
> was able to switch to the dinner crowds - tips dramatically
> changed.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I have worked both and, yes, the
breakfast shaft can be pretty grim at times -- especially when the
restaurant is courting the silver-n-gray brigade. I was lucky in
both night and morning shifts. People asked for me and tipped me
well enough to support my college addiction and sport car habits.

But you also kept records and that drives my point home.

Allowing someone to claim age as a reason for not keeping records
is sheer laziness and reason for an audit.

The Ranger