All that stuff you were told about living in a cashless society well it ain't true!

That's a good one !

Although it sounds funny, but that's true, i gues....

Montreal Mike - Apparently! But I am one of those people who finds that money burns a hole in my pocket, so it has to be spent! The other day, quite out of the blue, OH was scouting around to find the $2.50 our son needed for school, thought to look in my purse - to find $19 in notes and change! Well we were both shocked and stunned - who trusted me with that money, and how did it stay in there? Brain like a goldfish clearly.

You just triggered another thought.

Many years ago I returned from the UK and had a few half crowns left over. No problem because I would keep them for my next trip. Eventally I returned and went to a Chinese restaurant in Soho, Lee Ho Fook (is it still there?). Upon leaving I got some of those coins out and they became part of the tip. The waiter looked astonished and said NO GOOD. Only then did I discover these coins were no longer legal tender although surprisingly the two shilling coin was still being used. The UK had converted its currency to decimals.

One of life's embarrasing moments!

I think the same applies in the UK if memory serves me correctly (UK residents will be able to confirm or otherwise) - 15% "gratuity" is usually added to the bill. Or used to be.

I am a regular tipper, usually 15 - 20% unless service is bad. However, this discussion has come up in our local newspapers lately, and many argue that tipping should not be expected or required, because many of the people we tip actually earn as much, if not more, than the customers. I know that is true of my hairdresser!! And that the server/whoever who chose to take a low-paying job shouldn't expect the customer to subsidize. Any thoughts on this viewpoint? I'm kind of split because I always tip the kids who work at restaurants and not just the servers but the bus-boys as well. But many people work for minimum wage in other industries that don't get tips.

Well that is (sad) news to me. But i was last back in 1999.

It's common in Toronto too. That often results in the customer tipping twice but I don't know if the waiter actually gets any of the mandatory tip.

the only time i've seen that they automatically add the tip to the bill is when there's a group booking of over 8 or 10 people.
i think that if they add the tip they have to tell you (usually a note on the menu) that an "optional" amount will be added to the bill. since this is optional, surely you have a right as a customer to not pay that amount in the end if you don't agree with either the policy or have not had the service to deserve the reward?
it probably comes down to apathy (can't be bothered to work out the bill without the tip and then work out what tip to give) or people just not noticing their bill is inflated

When I waited tables I didn't choose a low-paying job. I chose the job because I knew it was a job that I could make a lot of money in as little time as possible. Most people who wait tables would likely say the same.

I worked in the right types of places, on the right types of shifts, was very good at it and I made buckets of money.

If customers stop subsidizing labour costs, they should expect the prices on the menu to rise.


Different industries, different rules.

Personally I would much prefer it if restaurants put their prices up and abolished the 'tip' altogether.

I rarely used to tip in England and when I did it was only a few pound coins no matter how much the bill was.

I have started to tip 15% since arriving in Canada as generally speaking the service has been excellent, what I object to though is tipping bar men. I just cannot for the life of me get my head around that idea what so ever? Why? All they do is pull a pint for Gods sake and even then they only fill the glass 3/4 why do I need to leave a tip?

Thats odd.. I never tipped bar men/women unless they brought the drinks to our table... if I was at the bar getting the drinks, I'd just pay whatever amount for the drinks plus tax & thats it. And I'm half Canadian!

Do you go to really posh bars or something?

Whilst I don't mind tipping, I find the actual placing of cash in hand very embarrassing and couldn't ever do it your way.

Highest on the embarrassment scale for me is doormen getting cabs, they're almost always seniors and I just feel like a patronising little git giving them a few dollars. If I could do that "anonymously" too then I would.

The first place we ate at in England while travelling last summer was "The Flying Pizza" in Leeds. That was before everyone told us not to bother tipping. My wife paid for that one with her card and thought I was going to leave cash for a tip. I thought she was going to put the tip on the card. We left without leaving a tip. I felt bad about that until I looked at the bill and saw that a 15% tip was already included in the price.

The waiter thought we were Americans anyway so its just as well we didn't leave extra.

Just curious about the tax thing. It was my understanding that the CRA automatically assume a certain income from tipping anyway. Is this true?

The implication being that if people dont tip, or tip below a certain level, the server not only doesnt get the tip, they lose money as they have to pay the tax on the income they didnt get too.

I've heard that for certain US states, but Peas said not in Canada when I asked that last tipping thread.