Ah, tipping. It’s like cilantro — you either love it, hate it, or tolerate it in small doses. But just like cilantro, the topic of tipping seems to spice up every conversation it touches. In the good old United States, it’s almost a ritual. You enjoy a meal, you loosen the purse strings, and leave a tip that would make your grandma—bless her generous soul—smile from ear to ear.
But not everyone is a fan of this commonplace tradition. Some brave souls boldly declare that the practice has simply gone too far. They argue that employees should be fairly compensated by their employers and not rely on the goodwill of diners armed with calculators. This debate? Well, let’s just say it brews hotter than your morning coffee.
Here’s an interesting morsel: did you know that 90% of those visiting full-service restaurants actually leave a tip? The average tip, just so you know, hovers slightly below 20%. And the tipping ritual? Well, Americans are asked to perform this charming dance up to five times a week. Ouch! That’s a lot of couch and car floor coins.
Enter Dustin Anderson, a man with a video and a viewpoint that’s shaking social media tree. In his now-viral TikTok video, Dustin (let’s picture him wielding a metaphorical megaphone) declares that he is officially done with tipping.
#tips are for cows and canoes
♬ original sound – therealdustinanderson
Our intrepid anti-tipper passionately proclaims, “Remember back in the day when tips were a thank-you note for exceptional service? Now it’s like they hand you the check with a side-eye, expectation baked right in: ’20 percent, 25 percent’. Hold up, you did your job! You made the food, you brought it to me, and you fetched my Diet Coke—gold star! But 25 percent for that? Hard pass!”
In his spirited monologue, Dustin insists he’s not the villain here. “Hey, restaurant owners, why not just tell me what the darn thing costs? I’m here to dine, not attend an economics lecture,” he pleads. “I want people cared for, not moonlighting their way into the next Peter Pan novel. So, just tell me what it costs to eat without leaving your staff catching the first train to the poverty line.”
Apparently, Dustin’s tune resonates with quite a few folks. Many seem to agree—and not just for the convenience of a plump, math-free final bill. Some shout from the comments section rooftops that, “I don’t get tips for saving lives as an ER nurse!”
And let’s not forget the European model disciples. You know, where folks pay properly, and tipping is a wink between the lines—a discreet nod to exceptional service, not an unspoken law. So, is there a lesson here, or will this debate just be a perennial pot stirrer? Ask ten people, get eleven answers.
