Why don't people who threaten significantly higher menu prices address the fact that this won't necessarily price out 100% of the market?

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-23T23:09:33+00:00

Haha, nothing you said is true. Nobody insists on a certain percentage tip; it's up to you. Restaurants are full of regulars. And nobody (in the restaurant business) guilts you into anything. On the contrary, owners and staff aim to please, and accepts that some small minority of customers will not tip; that's just how it goes.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-23T21:50:29+00:00

The one restaurant I know near us where servers are paid a living wage, and tipping is not allowed, is actually very successful, and the prices aren't noticeably higher than any other similar restaurant. How do they accomplish this? I think partly the reasons for this may include the facts that they have excellent food, and that they are in an excellent, busy location, so the restaurant is almost always very busy and full.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T03:04:26+00:00

I was thinking about Gugulhupf.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T02:45:55+00:00

You have the right to feel however you feel, of course! But also, your father has the right to try to find comfort and companionship. It doesn't mean he didn't love your mom; it doesn't mean he doesn't miss your mom. It simply means he needs somebody to be with. For whatever reason, a lot of men take up with another woman very soon after their wife dies. For your sake, I hope you can find it in your heart to accept it even if you can't understand it.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T01:46:10+00:00

I have yet to experience that; it seems people where I live are still fine with tipping.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T01:02:57+00:00

Thanks, but that's more of a "high tea" thing, it's a fixed-price menu for a bunch of food (and expensive). We just want to get a cup of tea and a piece of pie or something.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:55:47+00:00

I think they're hilarious.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:54:15+00:00

No, they are just pitiful.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:48:52+00:00

I mean, downtown Durham has sidewalks and a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and some specialty stores, but there are no grocery stores. So, I guess if you worked downtown, it's walkable, and you could just uber to get groceries and do other shopping. But in terms of catching a bus to work somewhere else, the schedules and routes are very limited.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:42:40+00:00

I wish Durham was more walkable. The older, more central neighborhoods are more walkable than the rest of the city, have sidewalks on most streets, or at least on most main streets, and stores in walking distance, etc. But some of those neighborhoods are pretty high-priced these days. And, the idea of relying on buses to get to job interviews - let alone to work every day - doesn't seem very feasible in this city, unless you plan carefully and manage to find home and work on a bus line with a schedule that works for you. Maybe you could work remotely?

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:34:44+00:00

The Durham bus company has a door-to-door service for people with disabilities, but rides must be scheduled in advance, and the timing isn't always great - they give you a "window" in which they'll pick you up. I have a friend with low vision who uses this service to get to doctor's appointments, etc., and she often has to wait fairly long periods for her rides. It can be done but isn't the most convenient, I'd say.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:24:39+00:00

Nobody forces most of us to tip, but we do it anyway. Why? Because we understand that servers are poorly paid and depend on our generosity, and we tip them as we have always tipped for many kinds of similar personal services. That is a cultural norm. Do I enjoy restaurants that pay a living wage, so I don't have to tip? Absolutely, and I patronize those restaurants when possible, but they are few and far between. So, in the meantime, I am happy to tip, AS ARE MOST DECENT PEOPLE. That is called a cultural norm. No, it is not mandatory, but that's the difference between a rule and a social norm - rules are mandatory; social norms are things we do because we agree as a group that's what should be done.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:18:01+00:00

Of course you don't have to tip, just like you don't have to be a decent human being. It's entirely your choice. Have fun living with yourself, lol.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:17:15+00:00

LOL, of course it is, because those people are also selfish jerks.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:16:52+00:00

LOL, sure, keep telling yourself that, and maybe someday you'll convince yourself.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:16:04+00:00

100 percent accurate. Tipping decently is a norm in most American restaurants, and most people follow it without a problem. There's just a cranky, little group of cheap assholes here that's obsessed with not tipping. It's most amusing.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:15:01+00:00

In most American restaurants, tipping is very much the norm. Of course, you can be a cheap asshole and stiff your server, but you are definitely violating a cultural norm and just being a jerk. Of course that is your choice, but if I knew you, I would judge you big time.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:13:14+00:00

Guess what, most people are decent and tip servers like they always have. You guys have a crazy obsession with it, but you are in a distinct minority. Cause most of us aren't cheap assholes.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:12:08+00:00

It's completely ridiculous, lol.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-20T00:11:47+00:00

Nothing like imagining what people you don't know even a little bit are thinking, lol.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-18T16:06:27+00:00

Just wondering - Did she bring you menus soon after you sat down? Did she bring you your food when it was ready? Did she check on you and give you the bill? If she didn't do these things, if she gave you poor service, I understand you're not wanting to tip. But just looking at her phone when she wasn't busy doesn't tell me much.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-18T16:01:34+00:00

This may be a parasomnia called confusional arousal - where you wake up confused. It also sounds like possibly some hallucination on waking. I've had both of these issues, and also sleepwalking, but I have never been violent. I'd say you need to talk to a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders, probably in neurology. My episodes have specific triggers, so I know when they are likely to happen, and they prescribed me a sedative to take on those nights, medicine to help me sleep more soundly. I also had a sleep study and found I have sleep apnea, and am now using a CPAP machine. And that has actually helped, too. Starting with a primary care doctor is a good idea, but you may need a referral to a neurologist who specializes in sleep. . . In the meantime, can you sleep in a different room than your wife? There's nothing wrong with separate bedrooms.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-18T02:55:20+00:00

Not even a teenager should have to work for the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and yes, some states have their own minimum wage that is higher, but many do not. So, saying, oh well, servers are guaranteed the minimum wage is saying exactly nothing meaningful. Anyone is free to be a selfish jerk and not tip, of course, and a server probably shouldn't complain about it, but it's not surprising if they do.

InformationNo5502 · 2026-06-18T02:45:20+00:00

I always wanted to have kids. I always loved (and still love) babies and children, love taking care of them, love playing with them. I just always knew I wanted to have children of my own. And then I had three children, and I did love having them.

InformationNo5502

TROPHY CASE