One of the most interesting articles I’ve read this year. It prompted me to ponder my own tipping behavior and here’s what’s coming up for me:

I’m generally obsessed with ensuring that service workers at food and coffee venues are tipped properly.

In fact, I NEVER tip less than 20% at a restaurant for two reasons: (1) Us black folks have a horrible reputation when it comes to tipping. So I am singlehandedly trying to break that stereotype. (2) I learned from a veteran server that they are responsible for tipping out part of their own tips to bussers and bar backs. So irrespective of how much I’m tipping them they typically have to share it with others who were a part of the service experience.

Lately, there is one thing that has been annoying the heck out of me relative to tipping, namely, the point of sale screen that many of these places ask you to swipe and sign on automatically request (and sometimes recommend) a tip. In these cases, I typically tip only about 50% of the time. And if so, I select the lowest amount among the series of options.

Finally for a bit of lightheartedness, I am totally a sucker for a hot bartender. I’ve had many a woman sweet talk me into another drink and then another…. The magic here is that they’re convincing enough to get me to think that they like me. In some instances, I’ve tipped as high as 50% for nothing more than a fist bump goodnight.

Vegas bars are the worst. Women bartenders there are magicians.