I don’t mind you expressing your opinion, but leave you bad language off the site.

Your last comment has been edited.

And Duane is worried about “negative comments regarding our tipping.”

That’s pretty funny.

John L.

If my “logic is extended out,” it doesn’t lead to different menus…because the subject is NOT menus, but tipping.

If you think that stat about wealth disparity is meaningless, take a look at Randall Robinson’s “The Debt: What America Owes Blacks,” or Hacker’s “Two Nations: Black and White, Hostile, Unequal,” or any number of other texts that examine the results of institutional discrimination in amerikkka.

“And by my definition, if you cannot afford the tip in a restaurant, then you couldn’t really afford the meal.”

That ONLY applies to yourself: your definition, your decision, and your wallet. :>)

Yep, just keep on tipping people that are going to criticize you whether you tip or not, whether you even eat there or not, etc.

I’m not.

John L.

John L.

There’s absolutely no way institutional discrimination could last this long, and be sooooo pervasive, affecting a significant percentage of People of Color(African-/Arab-/Asian-/ & Latino-Americans and Indigenous Peoples) without a significant percentage of whites participating.

John L.

John, if you extend that logic out, then maybe we should have different menus for blacks and whites at restaurants – one with black prices and the other with white prices.

That would eventually lead to blacks sitting in specific areas of the restaurant or just having restaurants for black and whites, respectively… oh wait that’s already happened in our history!

How about this: if people are actually worried about meaningless statistics like the “average” white family having 12 times the wealth as the “average” black family, then don’t try to live beyond your means – you might begin to accumulate more wealth that way.

And by my definition, if you cannot afford the tip in a restaurant, then you couldn’t really afford the meal.

Please tell me I am missing something here…

Maybe, maybe not. “Running up a bill of $100″ doesn’t automatically translate into the capacity to pay a $15 tip.

If you can afford to do so, then do it. If you can’t, then don’t. Pay what you

can afford.

If the average white family has 12 times the wealth of the average Black family, then Blacks shouldn’t be expected to tip as much.

The thinking that “a Black person doesn’t need as much as a white person to live on” is still a prevalent thought in this racist society.

I recall watching a show about the Harlem Globetrotters, where one of the Black players found out that the white team members traveling with them were being paid more money per game than the star attractions: the Globetrotters themselves.

When the player approached the manager about it, the response was “a Negro doesn’t need as much money as a white man to live on.”

The player responded “When I go to the store I have to pay the same amount for a bottle of milk as a white person.”

Hence, as far as I’m concerned…when I see a whole bunch of whites working for an end to discrimination in employment, then I’ll start to tip better.

Until then…white waiters will get what I think they should receive…and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.

When whites start to put as much energy into fighting discrimination as they do in criticizing us about tipping, then I’ll tip them more.

John L.

If the service is sub-standard then I talk to the manager about my perceptions. So hopefully we can get on track and still have a mutually satisfying experience.

One of my beloved aunts worked in bars and clubs most of her life and she relied on her tips to pay for her home and bills. I know that the people who work in the service industries are like my aunt and they need tips in order to provide for themselves and their families.

Many people do not realize that service workers often make far less than the minimum wage and that tips are the bridge that helps them to make a living wage.

Not all blacks are poor tippers, but many of us are crummy when it comes to tipping. I have friends and associates whom I prefer not to go out with because of their cheapness when it comes to leaving a tip.

A few summers ago, I went out to Red Lobster with some very nice ladies from a work setting that I was acquainted with. The bill came to about $150.00 for about seven or eight of us – and they made a big deal about leaving one dollar each.

I made a big deal about leaving the server 20% by handing my tip directly to the server, so she would know that I was not a cheapskate. I also left some additional money at the table to supplement the one dollar each that they had left.

The others at the table thought that I was leaving too much money, but I truly thought that the server deserved a decent tip.

Moreover, I only use service and friendliness when determining how much of a tip to leave. If the food or beverage is not good, then I speak to the manager or chef about that; but I do not punish the server by withholding their deserved tip.

My motto is that if one cannot afford to leave a proper tip at a full service restaurant then go to a fast food restaurant where you are not expected to leave a tip.

I have personally seen my people walk out without tipping after running up a significant bill and have found myself providing an extra tip to that waitstaff because of my guilt and anger at that behavior.

Duane said it correctly – if you can afford a $100 dinner, you can afford $15 more in tips.

By the way, another thing that I have seen everyone do is use a coupon that may be for 20% off of the total bill and then only tip on the discounted amount. If the meal was initally $100, you tip on that amount.