I don't tip, Most Australians don't. Guess it's a cultural thing.
Well we do tip, just not out of an automatic response we've been programmed to do. But when we feel someone has given us exceptional service above and
beyond what we're paying for or we're feeling generous.
For us though we have the belief that we're paying for a product or service in the cost of what we're buying.
Be it a meal, a taxi fare, or a new TV.
Maybe if like here, peoples pays were the responsibility of the employer, not the customer, folks wouldn't hate on non tippers so much in countries
where tipping is the norm, folks wouldn't feel they are owed a tip for just doing their job.
Plus where do tippers draw the line? If you tip a waitress on minimum wage, do you also tip an underpaid secretary at offices you have business with.
Drop $5 in a jar on her desk on the way out? If not why not?
You know, equality and all that.
The real solution may not be to hate on or vilify non-tippers, but maybe people need to campaign their governments to get people better working
conditions and fair days pay for a fair days work.
But be careful how you proceed. And if you look at countries like Australia as an example. Which I often see many Americans doing, be prepared for a
domino effect.
Let me give you an example. Figures are just examples I am pulling out of my head and are not exact. Just trying to get the point across.
One meme I often see on social media is McDonalds as an example.
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It's goes something like:
In the U.S A McDonalds worker gets $8 an hour and a Big Mac costs $6.
Yet in Australia a Mcdonalds worker earns at least $16 hour minimum with a 2% pay increase each year, and a Big Mac costs them $4!!!
HOW IS THIS SO WHEN THE U.S IS THE MIGHTIEST CAPITALIST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
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I then see a lot of Americans like and upvote such posts. While I sit there pissing my self laughing.
Because there is much to consider with such things. Like facts.
First time I saw such a post. I rang two Mcdonalds. One in the U.S and one in Australia. I asked how much a Big Mac cost. U.S Big Macs were not just a
lot cheaper than Australia, when you just went $1 = $1 but when you actually did an USD to AUD conversion, Big Macs were even moreso cheaper.
Because $1.00AUD = $0.77USD is not the same thing.
See our costs of living are some of the highest in the world. Especially being so far south with transportation costs.
So we pay more per gallon for petrol (gas) food, houses and rent, and basically everything than an American does.
Sure you may hear us being paid $20 AUD an hour in SOME NOT ALL jobs. Yes AUD not $20USD as many seem to ignore. So that's currently actually $15USD
an hour.
And while you may pay $0.50usd for 2 litres of Soda, we're paying $3.80usd for it.
A house that may cost you $50,000usd we could pay $230,000USD for a similar house here.
So it is really important to keep such things in mind when making a comparison to other countries. Many of us here are honestly not as rich as many
seem to think we are. Hence why we have a lot of what is termed "economic refugees."
Now with that in mind, what's all that got to do with that
"domino effect" I mentioned earlier?
Well see we used to have things cheaper here back before the late 80's. Before our dollar went on the international market, and we had much lower pay
rates much like the U.S has. Yet still tipping was not a common practice. So we literally only had what our employers paid us. So you guys were still
in front thanks to tipping.
Anyway, we got higher and higher pay rates thanks to unions, going on strike etc. And demanding better conditions.
Which sounds great. A win for the common folk.
But here the thing, you knock one domino over, they all start tumbling.
Workers now had higher pays, so do you think CEO's and company boards said:
"Okay we need to pay our workers more, it's all good. Instead of making $10 billion profit this year, we'll make $9billion. It's all good because hey
we're still making an insane profit."
Nope they said:
"No @#$%ing way that's coming out of our pocket and profits. Increase the prices of our products. It's all good because those plebs can afford it."
They said:
"Hey if the workers can get a pay rise, then I the manager/the ceo/the directors should get a pay rise too! But make it way more than the workers get
each year."
So while our pays went say from $10 to $20 over quite a few years. The ceo types pays went from $100,000 to $1million a year.
And the cost of living inflated much higher and faster than our pay rates did. Houses that were from $30,000 20 years ago, can cost $250000 - $500000
now. (Not helped by foreign investors snapping up properties when they were cheap which also drove prices up.)
The knock on effect was great and the only winners were those at the top of the social and monetary food chain.
So yeah, two points I am trying to make here.
1.) Don't hate the tipper. hate the system that forces minimum wage earners to be screwed without tips.
You work hard, you should be paid a suitable amount. e.g enough to live comfortably on, regardless of if you flip burgers at a McDonalds or are a
brain surgeon. If you're not being paid enough. Don't bitch on the internet. Go do something IRL about it.
You think you'd have independence if Americans only complained about the British on facebook?
2.) Be careful what you wish for. Because you might just get it. As the saying goes.
Learn from Australia's mistakes, and be sure when you get a proper standard of living wage there are blocks in place to stop the inevitable domino
effect that will follow. Inflation like everything including currency is a man made thing.
Things only get more expensive because humans say they should. Make sure you ask for laws that give a pay rise and a lock on the rates of interest and
inflation.
But yeah. This is what happens in Western capitalism based societies. You cannot say capitalism is great, but ignore it and cry when it's screwing you
over every day.
Tipping may not be a city in China, but in a civilized modern society where all are supposed to be equal. Maybe a fictional city is all it should
be.
But yes. It's not gonna change like nothing ever does, if all you do to fix it is bitch and rant on facebook, twitter, youtube and website forums and
nothing else.
Get off your arse and change the world like our ancestors did. No one is going to do it for you.
"Viva le revolution" as they used say. It's the only thing any government or the controlling rich will ever pay attention too.
Or keep on typing and earn $3 an hour +tips and work like a pack mule until your dead simply struggling to get through each day on the basics.
Seriously if people would just undo the programming and 'learned' habits of nonsense man made concepts like national pride, patriotism, labels such as
left or right, US vs THEM, realised things only have value because some rich types say they do and used a bit of common sense and logic. We could
honestly be living in a Utopia where everyone is living the dream instead of the majority of us living to keep a select few above the water line and
livin' large.
Stop fighting among yourselves and take it to the real enemy. That's what your 2nd amendment and such is really for after all yes?
/rant
edit on 3-4-2018 by AtomicKangaroo because: (no reason given)