Battleangel

One odd thing struck me the other day. I was surfing around and came upon a discussion thread about tipping. As in giving a tip or gratuity to in return for a service, beyond the agreed-on compensation. Anyway, this was something I was only peripherally aware of before, having seen it through the eyes of popular media, movies and such. But to think people actually tip, in this day and age, and in Sweden of all supposedly forward and enlightened places is quaint at best.

As I read up on the subject here and with some common practise and even though that reflects US standards more than it does Swedish, I get even more perplexed. I was under the impression that tipping just didn’t happen here. Such theoretical social norms that are taken to the extreme, resulting in physical and psychological discomfort for the customer can only be described as devotedly clandestine. It’s the kind of thinking that I would have though resided in our past, along with paying one’s bill with a sack of potatoes, haggling over a price and such. If we’re going to go all medieval here, why not pay the restaurant bill in carrots and salted meat and try to bargain down the price for infinity?
But I understand full well why receivers of tips would want to keep it a social tradition and a bit covert instead of raising it to an open debate. The very phenomena thrives on being shrouded in mystery and the fear of being socially inept and making a fool of oneself in a tightly packed and stressed environment like a restaurant. And the employers can obviously get a bigger cut themselves. Those are shackles that none but the most inconsiderate, rebellious and progressive among us can break free of.

In other terms, the stance of tipper and their beneficiaries would be as easy to argue as proving the earth is flat. Yet there are people who advocate that too even to this day. It’s a quite nasty thing, not at all as open to discourse as one would have thought. On the one hand the Swedish tourist board says that “Tips are always included in the price” but “but feel to round off upwards when taking a taxi, or at the restaurant etc. Naturally you can leave a little extra tip if you are very satisfied with the service.” The same double standards seem to apply in other texts too. Thankfully, Europe as a whole is less focused on the idea of tipping than other similar countries. One place where tipping is particularly rife is the United States, where staff often rely on tipping as part of their income. Why is that? Some say it improves and ensures service, i.e. a metaphorical carrot and not the carrots I was rambling on about previously. Be that as it may, it’s not really a ‘why’. I’m guessing it is deeply linked to the protestant work ethic which is still predominant in the US, more so than anywhere else perhaps.

I find the arguments for tipping poor at best. Some say that minimum legal wage in those service sectors in question makes tipping a necessity. Well, how do you think the socio-evolution of this practise came about? It is simply a way for employers to earn more money in the time allotted. Over time, the blame has shifted towards the customers being cheap instead of focusing on the real culprits here.
I simply do not believe that anyone in Sweden today, if employed by a legitimate business, would have to rely on tipping. I think the real effort should be put on raising minimum wage in global areas where the tipping problem is rife and rout out unlawful business practises and profiteering. Call me biased, but restaurant owners are a special breed, tempered and corrupted as frontrunners of aggressive capitalism. Everything from hygiene and food quality to their understanding of the tax system leaves a lot to be desired. Especially with many camel jockey (implying an immigrant from the middle east) kebab and pizza places that seem to exist outside of the fabric of society. Perhaps it is even so that we have them to thank for colonizing our society with a renewed “interest” in tipping. I’ve seen far too many examples of “industrious” individuals opening up their own food businesses, running the staff into the ground and then cashing out. The entire sector could need a clean sweep if you ask me. Restaurants for example can not be allowed to profit off of its employees to such lengths that they are left at the mercy of customers. That is truly degrading.

There are a million ways to go about the subject but I feel that I have made my point clear. Accept no excuses or willy-nilly social norms! Dare to refuse tipping because it’s the right thing to do!