Last week, news outlets went crazy after a small Bay Area paper reported that servers in San Francisco were demanding a mandatory 25% gratuity on every check. Far from being an organized movement, the sources turned out to be a few servers talking about how that kind of guaranteed tip would sure be nice. (Perhaps the author will do a follow-up on an area man who plans to win the lottery.) But if a bevy of waiters really did start making demands, would that kind of mandatory tip be legal?
For instance: Stealing light bulbs from a hotel, and stealthily swapping in dead bulbs you brought from home.
Huh? Apparently, restaurant customers tip for all sorts of reasons, and the main reason we’re supposed to tip—good service—actually has little to do with how much we’ll leave on the table.
Also, is it wrong to take advantage of freebies? And: How much should you be saving for college? (If you’re dropping off your kid at school next week, this is an issue you probably should have addressed earlier.)
