I think's it's elitist and unAmerican.
I absolutely agree with you.
It's one of the reasons I avoid eating out as much as possible.
Another reason is less chance of someone sptting in your food.
When I go out to a sports bar or something, I'll usually only have a couple of beers/drinks before switching to what we midwesterners call "pop". Now if I sit there for 2-3 more hours watching a game, my bill will stay tiny even though the barmaid has to keep refilling it. The whole "tipping" thing is great, because I massively overtip. I usually match my bill, and tip in cash. I still save money over what I'd pay if I was drinking alcohol like everyone else, but I leave a much bigger tip.
Of course, that means I always get great treatment when I go there, barmaids are all friendly and will hold a seat for me if I ask. Don't do it that often, but they remember.
I love cheap tippers because they make things better for me.