Maybe I was you.

I honestly don't see how your life is ****** from this. Yes, tips have become some extremely common in the US, so much so that many feel obligated to tip. They are still optional in my opinion. Btw, I have been a waitress for the past 5 years. Yes, ten percent is less than a usual tip, specially in the form of a gift card, but it was something. I really hate coffee, but I would have traded it with another server or just used it on one of their vanilla bean shake thingies. They also sounded like a easy, polite table. As a server, you really do live on the generosity of people and the amount of business the restaurant gets. Don't like it? Go work in the kitchen where they get a reliable wage or move on to another job. By the way...if you have really only made $5 in four hours, I really think you need to find a better place to work. What kind of restaurant has one table in four hours? :P

They have a shit ton more at their stores to get, don't be ungrateful.

I agree w/ #188. And to those people who make rhetorical comments such as "Why doesn't a doctor get tipped for their service," etc., that is probably one of the dumbest comments I've read for obvious reasons..

um dont be ungreateful dickface

You could get something else at starbucks...tea, a snack, gum, a cup....idk. Or exchange it with a friend. So you get 5 dollars to spend on something else or save...

Jeeze how selfish can you get? You should be grateful to get any tips. People aren't required to tip & you definetly didn't deserve any.

Mothafucka deal with it

#234 why exactly is comparing dr. to waiters one of the dumbest comments? Both jobs require dealing with rude/annoying clients. Both jobs require you to work long hours (hell most doctors, excluding private practice, probable work longer hours than waiters) And we cant forget that Doctors save lives while waiter deliver food. So if we look at what a tip REALLY IS (not what it has become, pretty much the customer paying solely the serve). A tip is "supposed" to be a way to reward your server, dont you think a Doctor deserves a tip too. So if you ask me if waiter "deserve" a minimum of 15% than Doctors "deserve" a minimum of 30% I do not see nor understand why it should fall on me, the customer, to be "culturally obligated" to pay your rent/pay you more for doing your job. I am not saying that waiters should just live off their $2/hr. (i am not that mean), but that they should just instead receive a FAIR hourly wage (because from what i know with tips waiters sometimes become overpaid) and abolish tips or use tips how they were originally intended, for TRULY EXEMPLARY, service

For all you bitching at anyone.. shut up lol.. obviously everyone has their own views on whether tips should be optional or not and its annoying to see people saying '**** you' when you don't even know the person! these e-fights are disgusting to look at .. cant we just enjoy this site reading about peoples effed up lives?.. hahah yeah, we find enjoyment in other peoples misfortunes.. we are a great bunch of people.. but anyways EVERYONE can shut up. YES tipping should be optional if the waitress/waiter makes 2.13 or w.e you are saying an hour. but i also agree with the 'they are doing their job, why pay extra part' those are both valid arguements and it honestly depends on the situation. i used to be a server and my minimum wage was whatever student wage was back then.. so tips WERE OPTIONAL.. if my wage was 2 bucks an hour then yes, tips would be a must.