When I got out of the military in 1976 and brought my wife and son home after 8 years of hard and sparse living, I got a job repairing electronic medical equipment for $150 a week - it was more than I made in the military, actually.
However, Carter’s economy hit and that $150 didn’t go so far. My wife helped out working at a German Bakery here in Georgia making sandwiches all day long waiting on customers for very little money and not much thanks. We put our son in daycare and we shared the one car and tried to subsist but it got worse.
I finally bit the bullet and committed to college with the GI bill and my wife slaved many long days at work wearing that apron and having to work under a Nazi (my opinion of him) while I stayed up at night until 2 or 3AM studying.
It took three hard years of very demanding work from both of us but it has since paid off. But we always, ALWAYS paid near-extravagant tips since then because of my wife’s hard work to eke out a living. We knew what it was like.
If that minimum wage ever hits here in Georgia, that tipping will stop.
I’ve never met a waiter or service worker who didn’t tip well. They’ve been there and never forgotten. I’ve heard Rush is an extravagant tipper although I don’t think he did that kind of work in his youth.