Why is Tipping an issue?

Why do I hate tipping?

Two reasons.

One, nobody actually cares about people they don't know. It takes too much work. All appearances created by "over-tipping" is to make the tipper look good (as they guess they do based on their uncritical view of social acceptance).

Counter: It is not for one person, when I over-tip it is a statement socially.

The world does not actually get better when you over-tip. See "Two."

Two, the system is rigged. Tipping is a manipulation by big business to increase profit. Why does a Starbucks employee trick you into tipping on the cc machine and a Burger King one not? Same job. Because Starbucks is a newer more manipulative business in this regard.

Two, in addition to it being random, service industry employees should do a good job, like everyone else doing a job, without a bribe.

Counter: Tip related jobs require extra service, waiters, valets, hair stylists.

First of all, that's bullshit. Second of all, not all service jobs get tipped. Third of all, tipping is not for additional service, it is a mandatory component of one industry and not another.

Do I tip? Yes, of course. No choice. And that's my point. If tipping was not mandatory and sometimes people did it for service people that go above and beyond, then that makes sense. It is now a mandatory way for businesses to avoid paying employees randomly and has worked its way into the social/guilt system. If you don't over-tip (not just tip) you can easily get in an argument with strangers and friends. It is non-stop. Tipping is so contentious that, in fact, even non-tippers just shrug and over-tip just to avoid anxiety and confrontation.

So next time you guilt your friend into raising his tip from 15 percent to 50 percent, like my brother does, think about it. Are you supporting a fascist system?

PS I was a waiter at six different restaurants as a kid. I never got tipped. I skimmed off the till.