> I find this all quite disturbing. I knew you foreigners tipped in
> restaurants etc, but now I find that you tip every man and his dog. That
> no-one working in these service industries that deal (even remotely, like
> cleaners) with the public makes a living wage and are dependent on charity
> (because that is what tips are) from the public to get by.
>
It's worse than that. Waiters have by law a lower minimum wage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States#Federal_minimum_wage
Since it was last re-set on July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage in the United States <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States> has been $7.25 per hour. Some U.S. territories (such as American Samoa<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa>) are exempt. Some types of labor are also exempt: employers may pay tipped labor <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_%28gratuity%29> a minimum of $2.13 per hour, as long as the hourly wage plus tip income equals at least the minimum wage. Persons under the age of 20 may be paid $4.25 an hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment (sometimes known as a youth, teen, or training wage) unless a higher state minimum exists.[2]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States#cite_note-YouthWage-2>
-- Andy "It's a testament to ketchup that there can be no confusion."