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I do think it sucks that a restaurant assumes I will pay their workers. They certainly can do so, but I mention it to them from time to time that it makes me less pleased eating out knowing how little they compensate their workers.

Waiters and Waitresses are not strippers who should be charged for use of the pole.

On tipping, I’m generally a large tipper. It does bother me that two waiters provide me the same service, but due to historical convention the one who serves me a $30 meal gets twice what the guy does who serves me a $15 meal.

However, I know that this is the market. The waitstaff train and when they are good enough, they look to move to the more expensive restaurants, so theoretically you get much better service there as they have the “best”. Don’t generally see it though when I’m served, but sometimes. Certainly you see the difference between a fine restaurant and the guy behind the counter at McDonalds.

I’ve got nieces and nephews who have done the waiter bit, and they said on many days they would make less than they would have behind the counter at McDonalds.

I do think it sucks that a restaurant assumes I will pay their workers. They certainly can do so, but I mention it to them from time to time that it makes me less pleased eating out knowing how little they compensate their workers.

Cool. Let’s mark up the prices on the menu by about 30%. You won’t be expected to tip.

Is everything perfect in your world, now?

First of all, you don’t understand a thing about free enterprise. You are paying the workers, and paying for the food, and paying the rent - like all customers do for all businesses. This is how it works.

Second, your niece and nephew either stink at waiting (maybe they get it from your DNA about service) or they work at bad locations - which does happen.

I’ve got nieces and nephews who have done the waiter bit, and they said on many days they would make less than they would have behind the counter at McDonald's.

Then the need to hone their waiting and service skills.

My daughter upon graduating from college worked as a hostess, waitress and bartender. She saw how the system works, learned from it, and moved to better and better restaurants. She was making $500 a night in tips. She took what she learned and is using it today as an employee at the DOD, managing the operations of our nuclear submarines.