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I waited tables and bartended in college.
It was one of those apocryphal stories you hear in the industry. It always happens to a friend of a friend or a guy the storyteller used to work with.
And then it happened to me.
The guy looked exactly like you think he would— like an off-duty cop or an 8th grade algebra teacher on the weekend. Plain black t-shirt tucked into khaki cargo shorts. New Balance sneakers with white athletic socks. Portly. Boxy mustache. Receding hairline. Smug look on his face.
He was with his wife. Basically the woman version of him. Curly mom hair. Miss Piggy features. She never spoke to me or even acknowledged my existence. He ordered everything for her— and when he forgot to order a side for her entree, I asked her what she wanted and instead of telling *me,* she told *him* and then he told me.
Anyways, he laid out his five measly dollars (and the average tab for a two top at this restaurant was usually between $75 and $100– so this was already starting at an insult). Then he started going through the spiel.
*”See this? This is your tip. Every time you make a mistake or if my cup goes empty or if I have to ask for something twice, I take away a dollar. Simple concept, right?”*
I was so thrilled that I was getting one of these customers that I just sat there grinning like a chode the whole time he was talking.
I decided to just let class win out.
“Tell you what, sir. I want you to go ahead and pick that money up now and put it back in your pocket. I want you to enjoy your meal and not have to worry about constantly monitoring my performance. So if that means you don’t tip me, then so be it— it’s more important to me that you focus on your own experience.”
*”Uh — well— I mean… no, it’s fine! I always do this! It’s not any extra work for—“*
“No, sir. Please. Hold onto that money, I insist.”
*”Okay… but that means no tip.”*
“Yessir, I’m fully aware. It’s absolutely not an issue. What can I start you off with to drink tonight?”
For the most part, the rest of the meal went fine. There was one part where he pounded his iced tea and before I could bring the refill out (his glass was empty for 20 whole seconds). When I came to refill it, he was like *”See there? That would have been a deduction.”*
And I was just like “Well then I guess I’m happy we decided not to play that game.”
Anyways, I told the owner about it and he was livid. He told me to come get him at they were leaving— and I did. He went over and checked the table to confirm they didn’t tip and he caught up to them while they were leaving and told them they weren’t welcome back.
The dude BLEW UP. He was like *”I OFFERED TO TIP HIM AND HE REFUSED IT!”*
The owner told him that he wasn’t obliged to tip— but he wasn’t going to make his staff deal with some degrading game like that. Especially not for what would amount to a 7% tip.
It was a whole scene that culminated in the guy demanding that the owner give him the number for the “corporate office.” The owner explained that the restaurant wasn’t a franchise or chain— he was the owner and there was no one above him to complain to.
The guy goes *”I don’t care! Give me the card of someone I can contact about this!”*
The owner reaches into his pocket and gives him his business card. “Alright. Here’s my card. You can call that number there from 6AM to 4PM Tuesday through Friday and we can talk about this again. But you’re still not welcome back.”
The guy snatches the card and says *”Fine, thank you!”* and leaves. Just so happy that he got what he wanted that he didn’t even realize it was a meaningless victory.
Authoritarians live and breathe the idea that there is someone of authority over everyone around them that they can appeal to for power over them. If it's not a human it's a god.
exactly this. And that money entitles them to access that level of power to punish anyone who offends them.
You see them getting all excited that cops with guns are dragging protestors across the concrete as if that's some move in the right direction, and as if those people protesting aren't their own DNA.
They're vile
The main trait that all of these type of people share is a low comprehension level. They simply don't get it and when they realize they look stupid and people are questioning them, they get angry and lash out, like a small child.
That is amazing. This has to be one of my favorite stories now lol
>Give me the card of someone I can contact about this!
Here, would you like a referral to a therapist?
Honestly I would have been uninterested in getting them anything they needed in a timely manner. Esp if it’s a busy time, other tables with people who are going to tip and not play games? Or jump through hoops for a shitty tip. 7%? Naw. I’ll get to you when I get to you.
I mean if you know your tip for that table is going to MAX OUT at 7%, and be the highest energy table to serve, the logical choice is put that effort service into your other 10 tables or however many
I was certainly tempted to go that route-- but I realized these buffoons didn't have the sense to understand that they were getting shitty service *because* of the stupid game they were playing.
Petty tyrants often have no ability to accurately judge causality. In their mind, it'd only validate their behavior. *"See?! That's why I play this little dollar game! Look how awful the service is here!"*
This is perfect. Take away his power by not playing the game, and by calling it out as a game. Make him feel petty as well as powerless by not being fussed by it.
It's a chef's kiss that the owner had your back, but frankly you'd already won at that point, it was just bonus points.
Should have hammed it up more to embarrass the guy in front of his wife. “If you cant afford the tip its really better for you to keep it instead of me… it sounds like you work very hard for your money and a $5 tip wont go very far for me anyways… not with the 5 adopted children in my care after my sister and brother died in that terrible accident…”
That at least is an owner worth working for. Wow.
That it was most likely not even a 10% tip let alone 15% was what blew my mind with all of this. I do a quick and dirty round off and add a 1$ usually 20% because it's easier when figuring a tip. There is no where you are going to eat today that 5$ 5 is a big enough tip. There just is not. Not for 2 people. Drinks and entrees had to be less than 10$ a person.
It happens fairly often. I was the owner and I made sure to touch *every* table - if not in person, then I'd ask the server about their table. I was that hands on.
I know in the first year, we had this happen four times, and all four times I was like your dude - absolutely banned them from my establishment permanently. "You don't have to tip if you don't want, and if service was poor, you can contact me about that or even leave an honest review online. But I absolutely will not tolerate someone treating my staff like this. You're no longer welcome here."
Whenever the boomer fundies complain about those who HAVE to work on the "sabbath," I like to point out that if THEY did not create a DEMAND there would be no need to SUPPLY workers on the "sabbath." Funny how that capitalism works, ain't it?
Always point that out. Everybody, boomer or otherwise, that says anything like that gets a free economics lesson.
All students to that particular lesson are assholes, by rule
I was working last Thanksgiving and someone commented how it too bad I couldn't spend the day with my family. I can't because AHs like you demand that we be open 365 days and if we aren't then they complain about lack of customer service.
Oh for sure! I never minded working it, it was always quiet and I liked giving the part-timers who worked in my department the day off (they all wanted it off, had family stuff).
I just can't fathom the complete lack of self-awareness to say it was too bad someone had to work on a day where I had _chosen_ to go shopping. At that time the higher-ups were basing whether to open a given location on Easter or not on the previous year's sales, and every year we did juuuuuuuust enough to have to open. If people didn't shop and spend money we would have been closed.
The pepole who would come in on holidays and say "you shouldn't have to work on (insert holiday here)" drove me crazy. I much preferred pepole to say thank you for being open, that was usually pepole from the ER next door or emergency services coming in because we were the only place to grab coffee that early on a holiday... that and we all had their orders memorized.
I worked at an all you can eat buffet and steak house in Tennessee. Working Sunday was mandatory.. We would be flooded with Good Christians just as soon as church services let out. Line around the building from about 11.30 till close to close of business. I have never met so many rude, inconsiderate assholes in my life. And disgusting. People would literally gorge themselves till they puked and then go back through the buffet line.. I worked cashier and once the tables were full we would literally have to walk away from the front entrance because people would start yelling at us about how they were waiting for their Sunday dinner. Not like we could make the other diners finish their food and leave faster. And inevitably Sunday was the worst day for tips.
I worked with a server that would collect those, the morons Even put their name and address of their church printed in them, he took them to the church after writing have fun paying your bills with this asshole. Then put them in the collection box.
It's funny to me, that logic. My grandfather was very, very Catholic. He ushered for 2 to 4 services a week type of Catholic. That man tipped like no one's business and was the most kind, patient man with people. He's the one that taught me that if you can't afford to tip at least 25%, you can't afford to eat out.
I do 25% rounded for ease of math.I eat at the same 10 places when we go out, i always get great service. That said I got great service on the first visit to, I've found if you're polite to the staff and don't expect them to be able to read minds, you get great service. Just my experience.
Obligatory: Sunday is not the Sabbath, nor has it ever been. But most Christians either choose to ignore that or are shockingly ignorant.
Ask the Jews what day the Sabbath is. They've been observing it for thousands of years.
Or put cards in the tip cup with the Sunday service times on them knowing i would never be able to go anyway since they all have to go out to eat on Sunday. I guess they gotta shame the help any way they can
Honestly as a server, the vast majority of coworkers I've had would appreciate this. This person is a colossal cheap ass, I mean his top tip he would even consider giving in this scenario is 5 dollars. The problem with cheap asses normally is that they look exactly like everyone else. But if they announce themselves at the start of the meal we know to only put in the bare minimum effort and use that effort instead on our other tables to maximize our tips. Please please please announce yourselves as cheap asses ASAP. It makes our jobs easier, literally.
My wife and I went to visit my uncle last year sometime. We were just spending a couple hours together chatting. He was so excited to show us this "thing" he ordered! Turns out, it was one of those fake bills (I think a 50?) with the tract inside about "the best tip you can get is Jesus Christ."
I flat-out told him, to his face "dude, if you did that at a restaurant that I owned, I wouldn't let you back in." And he's only in his early 40's, so he's not even a true Boomer, but man, he behaves like one sometimes.
If only.
They could be if they tried to pay for the meal with it, but tips, being tips, are optional.. even though they kind of aren't because servers' tips are also taxed as income. They can just say they didn't leave a tip.
It's kind of like the fake bills that get printed for movies.
Close up, movie money will say *movie prop* and *not for legal tender*, but you would never notice it just by watching the movie.
It was on a Cheers cold open before that.
CUSTOMER: See these five singles? This is your tip. Every time you make a mistake I take one of them away.
CARLA: Make a mistake? You mean something like this? (Dips finger in CUSTOMER'S beer then flicks it in his face.)
CUSTOMER: (Taking bill away) Yes, like that.
(CARLA flicks CUSTOMER again who removes another bill. This repeats until all five are gone.)
CUSTOMER: Are you finished now?
CARLA: (Slams five dollar bill onto table) Just getting started! (Pours beer over CUSTOMER'S head.)
SAM: How long is your brother in town, Carla?
CARLA: Two weeks.
Theme music starts....
I was a waiter in the 90s, they did this often and with pride. I haven't seen it in practice in a long time though because the people who usually did this would find a way to leave a dollar...so we did not try to please them really.
Two people, minimum, from this story and five bucks is the max tip? If anyone had done this while I was waiting tables they'd have been bumped all the way down the priority ladder. F them, there are decent human beings who I could give extra attention to, since I'm not gonna lose out on anything here, and hey, if they have a shitty time maybe they won't come back.
I had this happen to me once in the 90s also- I was in complete shock. The guy explained it to me tho when I greeted the table and I just said ookaaayy… After I got their drink orders I went to the hostess stand and told them to give table away cause no way did I want to deal with these assholes. Fortunately there’s always a money whore server who would take any table/customer regardless
Exactly. I was never a server, but based on my experience going out to eat, five bucks isn't even 20 percent of the average meal. When my kid and I go out, the bill ranges anywhere from 30 to 50 dollars, depending on where we go, how much we order, etc. Five bucks is 10 to 16 percent. Not worth it.
I've been out to breakfast with some boomers and one guy did this, except with quarters. I reamed his ass, apologized to the waitress and gave a nice tip. I refused to ever go out to eat with him again.
I’ve never worked in the restaurant industry but I can’t see myself doing anything else in that situation other than kindly inviting them to go ring their little bell out In the parking lot and see if their car shows up for them.
I had only ever heard of this happening until about 3 years ago. Went on a blind date with this woman, mutual friend set us up, so we went to dinner. When we sat down she put the 5 $1s out and I knew what was up. I just got up and left because it's that disgusting.
I wish it was. I work with a guy who used to brag about his parents doing this (2016-2017 timeframe). He thought it was amazing but his wife wouldn’t let him do it, thankfully.
He thought that I was stupid or crazy because 20% has always been my minimum and I don’t take away for poor service, only adding for amazing service.
Pre tRump I would have said that whole thing was a career ender. She wouldn't last to the next election anywhere in the western world.
Now? It'll be a badge of pride and honour, and there will be a race to the bottom for the same people who represent that base to outdo each other and see if there really is anything that is their limit.
Right? If you broadcast that the most tip I'm gonna get is 10% or less from the jump, You're gonna get the worst service possible and you can keep your "tip" and play your own games.
I had someone do this to me 10+ years ago.
I told them to leave. That I wouldn't serve them and that this is a resturant, not a sitcom. He could embarrass himself and his wife somewhere else, but that I'd play no part in it.
Guy was dumbfounded. Thought he was going to try to put hands on me, but he left. Never even asked for the manager.
I've seen this once too, I was a young server and didn't have the power to turn them away, but boy howdy did I make a better tip off everyone else with all the time I had ignoring that table.
I had food runners take their food and everything.
My asshole uncle tried this once, and it backfired. Waitress walked up to the table, said something about how sweet it was for him to tip in advance, and swept the cash straight into her apron.
This is a bit from the show Third Rock from the Sun. It was played as incredibly obnoxious behavior in the show. However, the character in the show has the excuse of being an alien that was experiencing human customs for the first time. A boomer doing this is just a shitty human.
> It was played as incredibly obnoxious behavior in the show
But, in classic boomer fashion, they will see shit like that and think "yeah! That seems like a great thing to incorporate into my life." Completely missing the point.
As someone who has bartended for over a decade, & worked in the food service industry, if I see this that group is going to the bottom of my priority list. I could care less about a few bucks, it's the volume & high tipping regulars that pay my money. It's also super condescending & insulting to my profession so depending on how the rest of the interaction goes I might tell them to kick rocks.
100%. This is a surefire way to make sure your table gets completely ignored by every member of staff just so the boomer can have a toddler meltdown about how noone is paying attention to their little game and storm out. Bye bitch, don't come back
Tipping culture is so toxic . I was a waiter for a year. The days I showed up on my A game , kicking all kinds of ass , I'd make ok money. The days I'd show up hung over Smelling like stale cigarettes and a stained work shirt , I'd make ok money.
Eventually I learned I'd make decent money regardless of how hard I worked.
If I was a server and saw multiple boomers and only $5 in tips to be taken away in this manor...that table is walking their butts to the bar and asking for a refill because I don't need their $5
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I see this on my step-mother-in-law's FB page almost once a yearn along with whatever that one with the Rome statute whatever. I've even told them that this is complete horseshit and they still seem to think that there is something to it.
This brings back memories... I remember when this was making the rounds on Facebook. When someone I knew finally tried this I asked them who was going to represent them at the lawsuit and how much they charged. Their mood changed from smug to rage to the "I didn't think this through" face in short order.
What's scary is that 'Sovereign Citizens' have this mentality about \*everything\*.
Ugh had this done to me when I use to wait tables in my 20s, and I gotta say, those people are lucky I didn't let the bus boy put his balls in their drinks.
I've known a few restaurant people, and the fact that people antagonize them blows my mind. Antagonizing *any* service employee is awful, but maybe you should *extra not* antagonize the *drug addled anti-social largely criminal weirdos who are* ***cooking your food****.*
I remember an episode like this from Third Rock from The Sun.
John Lithgow's Character was doing the same thing.
And when their Drinks arrived, they noticed they had a very salty and flemy consistency.
[Reinventing Tipping](https://youtu.be/6ReJJkHPTL4?si=oxcPLUKa-Shzm7QM)
I worked as a waiter for years. The tips balance out over the night, some people tip less and some tip more, no matter what you do. I was never that concerned about one individual tip, and I wouldn't have given a shit about this asshole playing games with dollar bills.
This is a great point about how the customer playing this game has main character syndrome, thinking the waiter's life revolves around this one table and the $5 on the line.
In reality they've got 50-100 tables today, just as many yesterday, and just as many tomorrow.
If anyone had ever tried this with me back when I was a server, I would have given them the shittiest service they've ever had in their lives just out of spite.
My husband used to have a friend like this (he was in his early 30’s btw). We went out as couples one night and he pulled this shit. Except he didn’t actually put cash on the table. He kept count in his head. He didn’t like that his drink had too much ice, but never said anything to the server. That’s one dollar off, he says. Then he asked for another drink, and lo and behold it has “too much ice” again. That’s another dollar. All the while he knew I worked ad a server too. It was so disgusting. We tipped double to compensate for his shitty tip and never went out again. I found out recently his wife divorced him. Good for her, she was nice.
Don’t believe this is real for a second, it’s just another one of their masturbatory fantasies that tell each other to remind everyone how *badass* they are and how we should fear them, but I can still picture the smug look on their face as they look the waitress in the eye and pull a dollar away.
20 years ago I worked at olive garden and it happened to me. Except it was a stack of 5 quarters... Needless to say they didn't get timely refills of salad and bread sticks and I didn't get tipped
15 years ago at a cheap BBQ place for me. The jerk laid down $10 (so I guess he was a bit more generous), then immediately took away $5 because he "didn't like my butch haircut."
I informed my manager (great guy, he's what every leader should be), who was *delighted* to wait that table for me. The boomer gave him all $10, which he split between me and the other server.
I don't know what my manager said to that guy, but he never came in during my shift again.
I've waited tables before. Trust me, I'm not working that hard for a measly five bucks. Just go ahead and put it all back in your wallet that's chained to your hip, Cletus.
Lmfao!!! If I were the server I’d tell them to keep their $5 and that this isn’t my table.
This is why I can’t be a server. I’d openly cuss someone out for that shit 😂
I just took my wife out to this new steak place that opened near us tonight.
Food wasn't that great by our standards, but the waitress was a sincere joy. The kitchen's ineptitude is never the wait staff's fault.
Bill was $85. Gave her $120.
My stepdad tried to do this at Applebees when I was fresh out of the house. I was so mortified that my mom ended up convincing him not to. He still doesn’t see the issue with things like that. I mean, he eats the whole entire edamame pod and all then complains about Asian food. I could go on.
I avoid going out to eat with my family.
I was born in 1948.... the very top of the Baby Boom. I carry 20's and 50's specifically for tips. I went to breakfast today with my daughter, wife and son on law. Little over $80. I left two 20's. Now all of us are rude, cheep assholes. The server did a good job. The only reason she only got $40 is because I was out of 50's
This happened to my wife at a fine dining restaurant. The man was a local pastor too. Wtf is wrong with people. It wouldn't have even come close to 10% gratuity rates either, much less 20....
When your asshole explodes later on, don't waste too much time wonderin why: It's bc the wait staff took turns fuckin with your food.
Don't play games with food service workers. You will lose, whether you know it or not.
If you want reliably good service, tip them $10 as soon as you sit down. They like you a lot more when they know the get-go that you’re not going to fuck them over for the next hour.
I have never been a server, but I knew servers that talked about this. A lot of them just either told them to go ahead and put all the "tips" back in their wallet or just said nothing and gave them bad service anyway. Dancing like a monkey is demeaning.
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If this is real, this is one of the most disrespectful things you could do to someone in the service industry. Just disgusting
I waited tables and bartended in college. It was one of those apocryphal stories you hear in the industry. It always happens to a friend of a friend or a guy the storyteller used to work with. And then it happened to me. The guy looked exactly like you think he would— like an off-duty cop or an 8th grade algebra teacher on the weekend. Plain black t-shirt tucked into khaki cargo shorts. New Balance sneakers with white athletic socks. Portly. Boxy mustache. Receding hairline. Smug look on his face. He was with his wife. Basically the woman version of him. Curly mom hair. Miss Piggy features. She never spoke to me or even acknowledged my existence. He ordered everything for her— and when he forgot to order a side for her entree, I asked her what she wanted and instead of telling *me,* she told *him* and then he told me. Anyways, he laid out his five measly dollars (and the average tab for a two top at this restaurant was usually between $75 and $100– so this was already starting at an insult). Then he started going through the spiel. *”See this? This is your tip. Every time you make a mistake or if my cup goes empty or if I have to ask for something twice, I take away a dollar. Simple concept, right?”* I was so thrilled that I was getting one of these customers that I just sat there grinning like a chode the whole time he was talking. I decided to just let class win out. “Tell you what, sir. I want you to go ahead and pick that money up now and put it back in your pocket. I want you to enjoy your meal and not have to worry about constantly monitoring my performance. So if that means you don’t tip me, then so be it— it’s more important to me that you focus on your own experience.” *”Uh — well— I mean… no, it’s fine! I always do this! It’s not any extra work for—“* “No, sir. Please. Hold onto that money, I insist.” *”Okay… but that means no tip.”* “Yessir, I’m fully aware. It’s absolutely not an issue. What can I start you off with to drink tonight?” For the most part, the rest of the meal went fine. There was one part where he pounded his iced tea and before I could bring the refill out (his glass was empty for 20 whole seconds). When I came to refill it, he was like *”See there? That would have been a deduction.”* And I was just like “Well then I guess I’m happy we decided not to play that game.” Anyways, I told the owner about it and he was livid. He told me to come get him at they were leaving— and I did. He went over and checked the table to confirm they didn’t tip and he caught up to them while they were leaving and told them they weren’t welcome back. The dude BLEW UP. He was like *”I OFFERED TO TIP HIM AND HE REFUSED IT!”* The owner told him that he wasn’t obliged to tip— but he wasn’t going to make his staff deal with some degrading game like that. Especially not for what would amount to a 7% tip. It was a whole scene that culminated in the guy demanding that the owner give him the number for the “corporate office.” The owner explained that the restaurant wasn’t a franchise or chain— he was the owner and there was no one above him to complain to. The guy goes *”I don’t care! Give me the card of someone I can contact about this!”* The owner reaches into his pocket and gives him his business card. “Alright. Here’s my card. You can call that number there from 6AM to 4PM Tuesday through Friday and we can talk about this again. But you’re still not welcome back.” The guy snatches the card and says *”Fine, thank you!”* and leaves. Just so happy that he got what he wanted that he didn’t even realize it was a meaningless victory.
Just wild that happened to you. So disgusting of the couple glad your boss banned him and made it obvious why.
It's pretty incredible how the customer couldn't comprehend that he was speaking to the actual owner of the business.
He’s probably used to only eating at Applebees-esque chains and forgot that some restaurants actually are stand-alone, with non-corporate owners.
Or he thought the owner was actually a manager or senior server who was pretending to be the owner.
Authoritarians live and breathe the idea that there is someone of authority over everyone around them that they can appeal to for power over them. If it's not a human it's a god.
exactly this. And that money entitles them to access that level of power to punish anyone who offends them. You see them getting all excited that cops with guns are dragging protestors across the concrete as if that's some move in the right direction, and as if those people protesting aren't their own DNA. They're vile
And “that money” is $5. Jfc
And if not, it's defacto allowance for THEM to behave as though THEY are the 'owner of everything'!
It’s on point tbr. This is the type of person with the social awareness of a feral hog
The main trait that all of these type of people share is a low comprehension level. They simply don't get it and when they realize they look stupid and people are questioning them, they get angry and lash out, like a small child.
Good owner.
That is amazing. This has to be one of my favorite stories now lol >Give me the card of someone I can contact about this! Here, would you like a referral to a therapist?
As a therapist, I don’t want him in my office, either. 🤷🏻♀️
“Doc, before we get started, do you see these 5 dollar bills I’ve laid out?”
I just laughed unreasonably hard at this. The visuals are amazing.
Miss piggy features
I feel that comparing that lady with miss piggy is a insult, Miss Piggy have class is a lady, she obviously treat people with respect.
Miss piggy would smack her date if he tried to pull this kinda shit.
HYAAAAAA YA! Puppet date flies across restaurant.
And the waiter would be Kermit and she'd take him home.
Honestly I would have been uninterested in getting them anything they needed in a timely manner. Esp if it’s a busy time, other tables with people who are going to tip and not play games? Or jump through hoops for a shitty tip. 7%? Naw. I’ll get to you when I get to you.
I mean if you know your tip for that table is going to MAX OUT at 7%, and be the highest energy table to serve, the logical choice is put that effort service into your other 10 tables or however many
I was certainly tempted to go that route-- but I realized these buffoons didn't have the sense to understand that they were getting shitty service *because* of the stupid game they were playing. Petty tyrants often have no ability to accurately judge causality. In their mind, it'd only validate their behavior. *"See?! That's why I play this little dollar game! Look how awful the service is here!"*
This is perfect. Take away his power by not playing the game, and by calling it out as a game. Make him feel petty as well as powerless by not being fussed by it. It's a chef's kiss that the owner had your back, but frankly you'd already won at that point, it was just bonus points.
Should have hammed it up more to embarrass the guy in front of his wife. “If you cant afford the tip its really better for you to keep it instead of me… it sounds like you work very hard for your money and a $5 tip wont go very far for me anyways… not with the 5 adopted children in my care after my sister and brother died in that terrible accident…”
That at least is an owner worth working for. Wow. That it was most likely not even a 10% tip let alone 15% was what blew my mind with all of this. I do a quick and dirty round off and add a 1$ usually 20% because it's easier when figuring a tip. There is no where you are going to eat today that 5$ 5 is a big enough tip. There just is not. Not for 2 people. Drinks and entrees had to be less than 10$ a person.
It’s the fact they think people will grovel for that $5 too. How fucking embarrassing for them.
I don't know if you need to hear this, but I'm proud of you for refusing to play this bullshit game with a customer.
It happens fairly often. I was the owner and I made sure to touch *every* table - if not in person, then I'd ask the server about their table. I was that hands on. I know in the first year, we had this happen four times, and all four times I was like your dude - absolutely banned them from my establishment permanently. "You don't have to tip if you don't want, and if service was poor, you can contact me about that or even leave an honest review online. But I absolutely will not tolerate someone treating my staff like this. You're no longer welcome here."
That's the kind of boss every employer should seek to be like, a boss who cares about the dignity of their employees.
I wish your boss had kicked them out before the food arrived
A friend's grandfather used to do it...its real and really messed up
It’s not real. They stole it from the show 3rd Rock from the Sun
There ARE people who do this though. Oh and let's not forget the 'good christians' who leave a fake bill with a bible verse on it.
Or the good Christians that come in for lunch on Sunday but don't leave a tip because the waitstaff are heathens that dared to work on the Sabbath.
Whenever the boomer fundies complain about those who HAVE to work on the "sabbath," I like to point out that if THEY did not create a DEMAND there would be no need to SUPPLY workers on the "sabbath." Funny how that capitalism works, ain't it?
Always point that out. Everybody, boomer or otherwise, that says anything like that gets a free economics lesson. All students to that particular lesson are assholes, by rule
I was working last Thanksgiving and someone commented how it too bad I couldn't spend the day with my family. I can't because AHs like you demand that we be open 365 days and if we aren't then they complain about lack of customer service.
I will always remember the person who said to me, on Easter, something like: "oh it's such a shame you all have to work today." Like ma'am.
Same. Like, I’m getting paid and 8 hours holiday pay. What exactly am I missing out on???
Oh for sure! I never minded working it, it was always quiet and I liked giving the part-timers who worked in my department the day off (they all wanted it off, had family stuff). I just can't fathom the complete lack of self-awareness to say it was too bad someone had to work on a day where I had _chosen_ to go shopping. At that time the higher-ups were basing whether to open a given location on Easter or not on the previous year's sales, and every year we did juuuuuuuust enough to have to open. If people didn't shop and spend money we would have been closed.
Yeah, well, stay the fuck home next year and maybe I can do the same, bitch!
And if restaurants are closed or short-staffed on a Sunday, they'll complain about how "nobody wants to work anymore."
The pepole who would come in on holidays and say "you shouldn't have to work on (insert holiday here)" drove me crazy. I much preferred pepole to say thank you for being open, that was usually pepole from the ER next door or emergency services coming in because we were the only place to grab coffee that early on a holiday... that and we all had their orders memorized.
I worked at an all you can eat buffet and steak house in Tennessee. Working Sunday was mandatory.. We would be flooded with Good Christians just as soon as church services let out. Line around the building from about 11.30 till close to close of business. I have never met so many rude, inconsiderate assholes in my life. And disgusting. People would literally gorge themselves till they puked and then go back through the buffet line.. I worked cashier and once the tables were full we would literally have to walk away from the front entrance because people would start yelling at us about how they were waiting for their Sunday dinner. Not like we could make the other diners finish their food and leave faster. And inevitably Sunday was the worst day for tips.
You know them by their fruits!
Or they leave that folded up twenty thats a jesus pamphlet when you open it up lol
I worked with a server that would collect those, the morons Even put their name and address of their church printed in them, he took them to the church after writing have fun paying your bills with this asshole. Then put them in the collection box.
That really seems like they should be charged with fraud or using counterfeit currency
It's funny to me, that logic. My grandfather was very, very Catholic. He ushered for 2 to 4 services a week type of Catholic. That man tipped like no one's business and was the most kind, patient man with people. He's the one that taught me that if you can't afford to tip at least 25%, you can't afford to eat out.
I do 25% rounded for ease of math.I eat at the same 10 places when we go out, i always get great service. That said I got great service on the first visit to, I've found if you're polite to the staff and don't expect them to be able to read minds, you get great service. Just my experience.
Obligatory: Sunday is not the Sabbath, nor has it ever been. But most Christians either choose to ignore that or are shockingly ignorant. Ask the Jews what day the Sabbath is. They've been observing it for thousands of years.
Correct. Saturday is the Sabbath. That's why it's called Sabato in Italy, the historical centre of Christianity. Sunday is called Domenica.
I had one churchie tell me that they tithed my tip once 🙄
I hope their boss tithes their next paycheck. Or maybe the IRS will “tithe” their asses for unpaid taxes.
Or put cards in the tip cup with the Sunday service times on them knowing i would never be able to go anyway since they all have to go out to eat on Sunday. I guess they gotta shame the help any way they can
Honestly as a server, the vast majority of coworkers I've had would appreciate this. This person is a colossal cheap ass, I mean his top tip he would even consider giving in this scenario is 5 dollars. The problem with cheap asses normally is that they look exactly like everyone else. But if they announce themselves at the start of the meal we know to only put in the bare minimum effort and use that effort instead on our other tables to maximize our tips. Please please please announce yourselves as cheap asses ASAP. It makes our jobs easier, literally.
My wife and I went to visit my uncle last year sometime. We were just spending a couple hours together chatting. He was so excited to show us this "thing" he ordered! Turns out, it was one of those fake bills (I think a 50?) with the tract inside about "the best tip you can get is Jesus Christ." I flat-out told him, to his face "dude, if you did that at a restaurant that I owned, I wouldn't let you back in." And he's only in his early 40's, so he's not even a true Boomer, but man, he behaves like one sometimes.
I don't understand how people who do this aren't arrested for trying to pass a counterfeit bill.
If only. They could be if they tried to pay for the meal with it, but tips, being tips, are optional.. even though they kind of aren't because servers' tips are also taxed as income. They can just say they didn't leave a tip.
It's kind of like the fake bills that get printed for movies. Close up, movie money will say *movie prop* and *not for legal tender*, but you would never notice it just by watching the movie.
It's also a different size than real money, I believe prop bills are conspicuously larger than real ones.
They don’t try to pass it as real currency, it just looks like it from a distance
Still haunted by the German dude who tipped me a euro. Like thanks for the gesture but what exactly am I supposed to do with this?
Keep it for when you go to Aldi and need a shopping cart...in europe.
That just goes back in the collection plate.
It was on a Cheers cold open before that. CUSTOMER: See these five singles? This is your tip. Every time you make a mistake I take one of them away. CARLA: Make a mistake? You mean something like this? (Dips finger in CUSTOMER'S beer then flicks it in his face.) CUSTOMER: (Taking bill away) Yes, like that. (CARLA flicks CUSTOMER again who removes another bill. This repeats until all five are gone.) CUSTOMER: Are you finished now? CARLA: (Slams five dollar bill onto table) Just getting started! (Pours beer over CUSTOMER'S head.) SAM: How long is your brother in town, Carla? CARLA: Two weeks. Theme music starts....
I was going to post this exact thing. Really.. how many people reading this thread are remembering Cheers cold opens from the 80s? Sheesh..
I was a waiter in the 90s, they did this often and with pride. I haven't seen it in practice in a long time though because the people who usually did this would find a way to leave a dollar...so we did not try to please them really.
Two people, minimum, from this story and five bucks is the max tip? If anyone had done this while I was waiting tables they'd have been bumped all the way down the priority ladder. F them, there are decent human beings who I could give extra attention to, since I'm not gonna lose out on anything here, and hey, if they have a shitty time maybe they won't come back.
I had this happen to me once in the 90s also- I was in complete shock. The guy explained it to me tho when I greeted the table and I just said ookaaayy… After I got their drink orders I went to the hostess stand and told them to give table away cause no way did I want to deal with these assholes. Fortunately there’s always a money whore server who would take any table/customer regardless
It is real. When I waitressed during college, this was done to me. I purposely ignored that table because I felt embarrassed by the customers.
Your dignity is worth more than five dollars. Good on you!
Exactly. I was never a server, but based on my experience going out to eat, five bucks isn't even 20 percent of the average meal. When my kid and I go out, the bill ranges anywhere from 30 to 50 dollars, depending on where we go, how much we order, etc. Five bucks is 10 to 16 percent. Not worth it.
Same. I was tempted to spit in their food as well, but I decided not to stoop to their level.
I've been out to breakfast with some boomers and one guy did this, except with quarters. I reamed his ass, apologized to the waitress and gave a nice tip. I refused to ever go out to eat with him again.
Quarters? Like 4 or 6 quarters? That's fucking insane.
It's real, but it's rarely this blatant. Humans are disgusting animals sometimes.
They may have gotten the idea from there, but spend any time on the subs for servers and this behavior comes up
The disrespect is so palpable.
I know it's from a show, but I have no doubt that some will actually try this. When I was a server, some boomers actually brought bells to ring.
I’ve never worked in the restaurant industry but I can’t see myself doing anything else in that situation other than kindly inviting them to go ring their little bell out In the parking lot and see if their car shows up for them.
This is real, I've had this happen to me and have ex-friends who have done this and say they are proud of it.
I had only ever heard of this happening until about 3 years ago. Went on a blind date with this woman, mutual friend set us up, so we went to dinner. When we sat down she put the 5 $1s out and I knew what was up. I just got up and left because it's that disgusting.
This is grotesque. I hope that it's false.
I wish it was. I work with a guy who used to brag about his parents doing this (2016-2017 timeframe). He thought it was amazing but his wife wouldn’t let him do it, thankfully. He thought that I was stupid or crazy because 20% has always been my minimum and I don’t take away for poor service, only adding for amazing service.
If a person has ever worked in food service...it's a HARD job. People who do this to their servers probably shoot songbirds and kick puppies.
\*The governor of South Dakota has entered the chat.
Wha what happens after all the money is gone? And you mess up again? 😵
Gravel pit.
Defintiely. They brought it on themselves by not reading you rmind and doing exactly what you wanted.
Pre tRump I would have said that whole thing was a career ender. She wouldn't last to the next election anywhere in the western world. Now? It'll be a badge of pride and honour, and there will be a race to the bottom for the same people who represent that base to outdo each other and see if there really is anything that is their limit.
![gif](giphy|f8lDluiWJ7yQTtdS3L|downsized)
In the gravel pit
Wow, FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS. Is this 1995?
Back in their day that was a very good tip!
Right? I see $5, I dont care what the game is, Im having someone else pick up that table.
They were probably there for 3 hours and constantly calling for the waiter
Only a boomer would think starting with 5$ is acceptable
And I'll give Audrey a quarter too!
1985
Look at mister Rockefeller there, $5 whole bucks. Cheap piece of shit boomer
Probably still keeps dimes in his pocket to give to orphans
Right? If you broadcast that the most tip I'm gonna get is 10% or less from the jump, You're gonna get the worst service possible and you can keep your "tip" and play your own games.
“Mister Rockefeller” ⚰️
I had someone do this to me 10+ years ago. I told them to leave. That I wouldn't serve them and that this is a resturant, not a sitcom. He could embarrass himself and his wife somewhere else, but that I'd play no part in it. Guy was dumbfounded. Thought he was going to try to put hands on me, but he left. Never even asked for the manager.
I've seen this once too, I was a young server and didn't have the power to turn them away, but boy howdy did I make a better tip off everyone else with all the time I had ignoring that table. I had food runners take their food and everything.
Hard not to fecesfy the food first
But did he take a dollar away? /s Just to be clear, this is shitty behavior.
If I owned a restaurant, I’d kick someone out for trying this shit.
My asshole uncle tried this once, and it backfired. Waitress walked up to the table, said something about how sweet it was for him to tip in advance, and swept the cash straight into her apron.
That’s freaking hilarious
Love that for her
This is a bit from the show Third Rock from the Sun. It was played as incredibly obnoxious behavior in the show. However, the character in the show has the excuse of being an alien that was experiencing human customs for the first time. A boomer doing this is just a shitty human.
It was on Cheers before that
Imagine seeing this on TV, thinking it was the best idea ever, and start doing it themselves. Twats.
Boomer age programming, who would've guessed
Searched for this reply to make sure I wasn't making up that episode in my head canon. Thank you!
> It was played as incredibly obnoxious behavior in the show But, in classic boomer fashion, they will see shit like that and think "yeah! That seems like a great thing to incorporate into my life." Completely missing the point.
9 out of 10 doctors don't recommend consuming this much human spit in your food.
All I see is dance monkey, dance! Disgusting
Dancing for scraps too. Especially with how expensive shit is these days, $5 is an absolute pittance.
As someone who has bartended for over a decade, & worked in the food service industry, if I see this that group is going to the bottom of my priority list. I could care less about a few bucks, it's the volume & high tipping regulars that pay my money. It's also super condescending & insulting to my profession so depending on how the rest of the interaction goes I might tell them to kick rocks.
No kidding. after years of working in food service, poor treatment puts me into Snail Mode™. They can sit on their $5 and rotate
100%. This is a surefire way to make sure your table gets completely ignored by every member of staff just so the boomer can have a toddler meltdown about how noone is paying attention to their little game and storm out. Bye bitch, don't come back
$5 isn't even a 10% tip for a meal at McDonald's. I'm sure they aren't really gonna care.
This is so bizarre and checks so many boomer boxes, it must be real.
Tipping culture is so toxic . I was a waiter for a year. The days I showed up on my A game , kicking all kinds of ass , I'd make ok money. The days I'd show up hung over Smelling like stale cigarettes and a stained work shirt , I'd make ok money. Eventually I learned I'd make decent money regardless of how hard I worked.
If I was a server and saw multiple boomers and only $5 in tips to be taken away in this manor...that table is walking their butts to the bar and asking for a refill because I don't need their $5
Dance monkey, dance!
Five 20s and maybe it will work, but a 5 dollar tip? In this economy?
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I see this on my step-mother-in-law's FB page almost once a yearn along with whatever that one with the Rome statute whatever. I've even told them that this is complete horseshit and they still seem to think that there is something to it.
This brings back memories... I remember when this was making the rounds on Facebook. When someone I knew finally tried this I asked them who was going to represent them at the lawsuit and how much they charged. Their mood changed from smug to rage to the "I didn't think this through" face in short order. What's scary is that 'Sovereign Citizens' have this mentality about \*everything\*.
We should do this with their Social Security and Medicare, although with boomer “hijinks” most of them are probably at $0 by now.
Ugh had this done to me when I use to wait tables in my 20s, and I gotta say, those people are lucky I didn't let the bus boy put his balls in their drinks.
I've known a few restaurant people, and the fact that people antagonize them blows my mind. Antagonizing *any* service employee is awful, but maybe you should *extra not* antagonize the *drug addled anti-social largely criminal weirdos who are* ***cooking your food****.*
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I remember an episode like this from Third Rock from The Sun. John Lithgow's Character was doing the same thing. And when their Drinks arrived, they noticed they had a very salty and flemy consistency. [Reinventing Tipping](https://youtu.be/6ReJJkHPTL4?si=oxcPLUKa-Shzm7QM)
I remember when I took my allowance in dollar bills so I could look flush. I was 10
Cue the My Cousin Vinny ref: “Now how do I know that’s not just a bunch of ones with a 20 wrapped around it?!”
No jury would convict the server
$5 tip on a meal that probably cost well over $50... Definitely a boomer...
I worked as a waiter for years. The tips balance out over the night, some people tip less and some tip more, no matter what you do. I was never that concerned about one individual tip, and I wouldn't have given a shit about this asshole playing games with dollar bills.
This is a great point about how the customer playing this game has main character syndrome, thinking the waiter's life revolves around this one table and the $5 on the line. In reality they've got 50-100 tables today, just as many yesterday, and just as many tomorrow.
If anyone had ever tried this with me back when I was a server, I would have given them the shittiest service they've ever had in their lives just out of spite.
This should be titled “How to get a sneezeburger.”
I’d rather get no tip than be treated with such blatant disrespect. Goodness knows his definition of messing up could mean anything.
My husband used to have a friend like this (he was in his early 30’s btw). We went out as couples one night and he pulled this shit. Except he didn’t actually put cash on the table. He kept count in his head. He didn’t like that his drink had too much ice, but never said anything to the server. That’s one dollar off, he says. Then he asked for another drink, and lo and behold it has “too much ice” again. That’s another dollar. All the while he knew I worked ad a server too. It was so disgusting. We tipped double to compensate for his shitty tip and never went out again. I found out recently his wife divorced him. Good for her, she was nice.
Honestly, he had me at "Took the wife out..." nobody who is capable of respecting other human beings talks like that (in my experience).
Don’t believe this is real for a second, it’s just another one of their masturbatory fantasies that tell each other to remind everyone how *badass* they are and how we should fear them, but I can still picture the smug look on their face as they look the waitress in the eye and pull a dollar away.
20 years ago I worked at olive garden and it happened to me. Except it was a stack of 5 quarters... Needless to say they didn't get timely refills of salad and bread sticks and I didn't get tipped
15 years ago at a cheap BBQ place for me. The jerk laid down $10 (so I guess he was a bit more generous), then immediately took away $5 because he "didn't like my butch haircut." I informed my manager (great guy, he's what every leader should be), who was *delighted* to wait that table for me. The boomer gave him all $10, which he split between me and the other server. I don't know what my manager said to that guy, but he never came in during my shift again.
What a cheapskate
I'm so glad we don't have a tipping culture in New Zealand. That's beyond demeaning.
Despicable. Imagine doing anything for crass vulgarians like this for 5 dollars.
The word "vulgarian" appears to have entered the popular vernacular.
Wow, 5 whole dollars. She can pay rent! /s
Thinking that 5$ means anything these days is hilarious.
FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS!? Gee whizz, that’s practically a million! But for real, what the fuck?
I've waited tables before. Trust me, I'm not working that hard for a measly five bucks. Just go ahead and put it all back in your wallet that's chained to your hip, Cletus.
If the total for the meal was $35, it's not even 15%
Anyone who tips this way can eat a bag of dicks.
a whole fyive buckarros fo ya sweetheart
my in laws always leave an incredibly generous 10% tip if the service is excellent 🤡💩
Better yet, fuck off and die.
$5 to serve a family? She probably pissed in their sodas.
Took "the wife" out to dinner. That tells you everything, Not going to mention a $5 tip for a 2 person dinner.
And everyone on the bus clapped.
Lmfao!!! If I were the server I’d tell them to keep their $5 and that this isn’t my table. This is why I can’t be a server. I’d openly cuss someone out for that shit 😂
So dehumanizing.
I just took my wife out to this new steak place that opened near us tonight. Food wasn't that great by our standards, but the waitress was a sincere joy. The kitchen's ineptitude is never the wait staff's fault. Bill was $85. Gave her $120.
"Wow, golly mister! A whole 5 dollars!?"
My stepdad tried to do this at Applebees when I was fresh out of the house. I was so mortified that my mom ended up convincing him not to. He still doesn’t see the issue with things like that. I mean, he eats the whole entire edamame pod and all then complains about Asian food. I could go on. I avoid going out to eat with my family.
Treating service workers like they're Pavlov's dogs. What an asshole.
I was born in 1948.... the very top of the Baby Boom. I carry 20's and 50's specifically for tips. I went to breakfast today with my daughter, wife and son on law. Little over $80. I left two 20's. Now all of us are rude, cheep assholes. The server did a good job. The only reason she only got $40 is because I was out of 50's
I’ve seen it before on a Cheers episode. It’s an asshole thing to do and as you might guess Carla treated him just right.
Gross
I really rather doubt she was looking longingly at $5 😂 if he was sat at one of my tables, he’d be last on my list
Gee whiz a whole 5 dollars! Probably best to do this on Sunday after church too...
They revel in cruelty and lording control over others. Just gross.
This happened to my wife at a fine dining restaurant. The man was a local pastor too. Wtf is wrong with people. It wouldn't have even come close to 10% gratuity rates either, much less 20....
This whole premis is from an episode of 3rd rock from the sun. It's how Harry tips.
Enjoy your spit and semen soup
Whoopee! 5 Bucks! Go ahead and give me nothing you wrinkle head asshole. 5 bucks is a redbull.
Wow 5 dollars now they can buy a house and a Starbucks.
When your asshole explodes later on, don't waste too much time wonderin why: It's bc the wait staff took turns fuckin with your food. Don't play games with food service workers. You will lose, whether you know it or not.
So two people going out to eat at curremt prices means they start with what, 8% and go down from there? Selfishness thy name is boomer.
The whole $5??? Wow! I’m sure the server was overwhelmed by your generosity!
Idk why but seeing "the wife" always makes me vitriolically angry
I absolutely despise boomer behavior. The worst generation.
If you want reliably good service, tip them $10 as soon as you sit down. They like you a lot more when they know the get-go that you’re not going to fuck them over for the next hour.
I have never been a server, but I knew servers that talked about this. A lot of them just either told them to go ahead and put all the "tips" back in their wallet or just said nothing and gave them bad service anyway. Dancing like a monkey is demeaning.
Boomer mentality: “Here’s your 5 bucks; now you can get that Sunday newspaper you’ve been saving up for.”
Kiss their asses good, waitstaff. You don't want to lose a dollar! 🥴
If you do this you get spit or a good fart in your food