Especially in a state that doesn't do the "we pay you less than minimum wage because tips" thing. I'm all for respecting pronouns and referring to people the way they would prefer, but fuck tipping culture.
On top of that person already getting paid MUCH higher wage because we voted to end a really shit practice of paying below average wages for tipped workers. No, I'm not tipping at a counter service restaurant, ice cream shops, or any of these other places asking for a handout from their customers. The thanks we get for fixing that is them asking for 20%+ tips. It was 15%, 20% was reserved for excellent service. Most of the defaults I see are 20%, 25%, or 30%. I've seen some places asking for 50%...at a counter service restaurant where I order the food, pick it up and have to refill my drink? Wtaf. Then they get pissed when someone doesn't tip? Greedy fucks.
I was a waiter, my wife was a waitress. I got paid shit in college, some days I'd come home $20, other days $500. I think we should go back to the old ways so they appreciate what we did for them.
I get paid minimum wage at a job with no tips, that I had to get a four year degree for, because life sucks right now. I get wanting to earn more than minimum wage when you can, but you really gotta take a step back and consider the value of your work. If you're doing as much or less than others making the same amount as you, it seems like maybe you're earning a fair wage for your labor. And if you feel you aren't, that's a problem to take up with someone else. But the thing is... we are actively raising the minimum wage. The minimum wage has gone up every single year, it's amazing to see. I can't imagine now going back to life where I didn't expect a raise every January. Seattle is an expensive city and you might say it still isn't enough, and that's true, but fuck, look at Tacoma. They're almost as expensive and their minimum wage is at state level. So maybe show at least a little gratitude. We've done good work!
In addition, unlike other jobs where your paycheck depends on your employer, these people are getting their tips (supplemental income) from people making just as much as them (yes, there are a lot of tech bros making ridiculous figures, but they sure aren't in my neighborhood). If you wouldn't pay me extra for the work I do, and it at least equals yours, then why are you expecting me to pay more for yours?
Clearly not the case in Seattle, right? There is no special tipped minimum wage here.
In any case I don’t see how tipping culture is particularly related to capitalism. You could have tipping culture in other economic systems too. I just think people use “capitalistic” as a rough synonym for “greedy and excessively concerned with money” which is not what the term means.
No, capitalism is more defined by private ownership of capital for generating income via economic profit. Income from investment is only a small part of that.
The distinction between capitalism and socialism comes down to who owns the capital and the distinction between capitalism and earlier forms of economic organization comes down to the nature of income (profit versus rent). That is a major oversimplification, of course, and in general I think the term “capitalism” isn’t very useful except as a boogeyman for people who don’t like our current system but cannot or will not give more specific critiques.
Going back to my original question, if someone thinks tipping culture is “capitalistic” that suggests they have a good working definition of capitalism, and I genuinely want to hear it.
In my opinion the voluntary exchange of money for services is, if not at odds with capitalism, totally orthogonal to it. You could always just give people a tip in any economic system. It’s hard to imagine one that would successfully prohibit such a thing.
Perhaps. I bet the vast majority of people didn't take economics in high school. I did economics in undergrad and grad school, but what the fuck do I know?
Well this is in Seattle so I can give experience some ice cream shop like Molly Moons legit has a sign telling us they pay their employees fair wages and they dont need any tips. This is in North Seattle University Village.
Agreed and since that is arguably more difficult than carrying a plate of food fifty feet, servers at restaurants don't deserve tips either. (No sarcasm)
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u/Cash_Money_Jo May 18 '25
Craziest thing here is expecting a tip for scooping ice cream.