Some Cultures Are At A Tipping Point

I work in a restaurant in a rather touristy area. To avoid awkward situations, we have signs stating the expected customs. One of these is that tipping is neither expected nor wanted.

A patron walks up to the bar to settle their bill and is just staring at the sign, and then flags me down.

Customer: “You don’t want tips?”

Me: “No, we don’t.”

Customer: “But why not?”

Me: “In our culture, it’s seen as insulting, and we don’t expect tourists to tip us either.”

Customer: “Insulting? Why would it be insulting?”

Me: “Well, firstly, it implies that you think that the owner is cheap and isn’t paying the workers sufficiently, so it insults the owner. And secondly, it implies that you think the workers are poor and would need your loose change, so you’d insult the worker too.”

Customer: “But you’re a server, of course you are poor!”

I settled their bill in silence, and they had the audacity to wonder why I acted like they had insulted me.