Sheldon wrote:
>
> Who decides what's a proper wage? With your system there is no
> incentive for service occupations to do a lick more than they can get
> away with... I've been to parts of europe where tipping was not the
> norm, decent service was non-existant, not to mention rude, did I say
> *rude*.

They are describing how it is in New Zealand and Australia. In the
three months we traveled there we found that first rate, friendly
service was the norm almost everywhere we went, at all price levels of
restaurants. Not surprising, really, given their less mercenary
cultures.

[snip the rest, so as not to incite yet another of these discussions
about tipping] -aem