A $90 tip on a $100 check? Count me out

Tipping culture these days has gotten... a little out of hand, hasn't it? It feels like someone's asking for a tip everywhere you turn—whether it's your barista, the takeout app, or even the self-checkout machine at the grocery store. And it's not just about the ask. It's the guilt. That little screen that pops up after you pay, staring at you, daring you to pick anything less than 20%, even if you just ordered a single donut. Sure, tipping for good service is a no-brainer. We want to support...

Here comes the Yelp review

We've all been there, standing at the front of the line at the coffee shop and the blue-haired barista with an eyebrow piercing lethargically whips the iPad around towards you before saying, 'It's just going to ask a few questions'. We don't want to tip 35% but with the next customer in line breathing down our neck and the angry cashier in front of us, the peer pressure can be insurmountable.

It's no secret that tipping culture in America has gotten out of hand in the last few years. Every business with an iPad as their POS system will flip their little screen around to their customers they sheepishly say, ‘It’s just going to ask you a few questions'… Sorry, but it's hard to justify tipping 35% on a $7 coffee, but the social pressure of the barista with an imperious stare, a septum piercing, and electric pink hair is tough to ignore.

One customer was ‘held responsible for their actions’ by a full-service shopper who felt it was their mission in life to teach them a lesson. What was this lesson about? Well, tipping. Look, people are awful, I get it. I was a waitress once for many, many years, where I met people from all walks of life. Some were kind, some were petty, and some were downright entitled human beings. Working in the service industry really gets your hatred for humanity going, but still, by law, you don't need to…

When you place an order for pick up—which means you are going to the store, they are handing you a bag of your food, and then you take it home yourself—are you leaving a tip? How much of a tip? Less than the usual 20% or none at all? What about when it's a delivery or sit-down meal? Do you take out of your tip when a sauce is forgotten or utensils missing?