Rumination No. 2 - On Tipping
Trip Start
Apr 27, 2006
1
4
110
Trip End
Apr 01, 2008
Kosice,
Slovakia
Monday, May 8, 2006
Should I leave 10, 15 Krone or 20 Krone on a 200 Krone check?!?! I hate to admit it, but I find my self thinking about this more than I would like. It's a difference of $0.33 on a pizza and two beers. I am embarrassed to say how often I engage in this internal debate.
I hate to be ripped off as much as the next person, but I accept that it sometimes out of my control, such as when a taxi takes me by a long route in a city I don't know. But I can control what I tip. And I enjoy that the food/drink prices here come inclusive of tax and all but a token tip. In other words, if the menu says the steak is 339 Krone ($11), I can leave that on the table without calculating tax, or tip if I choose not to tip. More typically, though people will leave a round number like 350 Krone.
I feels cheap, however, if I don't tip well, particularly when I do the math and see that I am internally debating pennies, and an extra $0.75 buys the waiter a beer, so it is like $5.00 at home. So I tell myself to just leave the bigger tip, Colin, and agonize the tip where it matters, like London. Still, it arises at every meal, and I am fascinated by this crainial tug of war between my desire to not overpay or get ripped off and my fundamental inclination to tip well.
I will probably consider again tonight over duck breast. Huuuuhhhnnnnnhhhh, duck breast.
Comments
tipping
In 'Resevoir Dogs', Mister Pink said he didn't tip, and then only did so begrudgingly.
Look at what happened to him.