So this is where we start.
In some recent discussions surrounding the pros and cons of the cultural practice of tipping and how it seems to have invaded every customer/provider relationship in our marketplace, I suggested that maybe what I would start doing was to chronicle every time I came across a "tip cup" and didn't - as I have never done - actually put money in said cup.
I thought that would be pretty funny.
Buy a coffee. Take a picture of the little cup with the desperate plea for change. Then walk away.
I'm thinking now that in addition to doing this I will also keep track of every time I spend money in a tip-worthy (as deemed by the owner of whatever establishment I'm visiting) fashion. The lady who cuts my hair expects a tip, so I generally will provide her with one. The kid who throws newspapers at my door also expects some kind of bonus at Christmas but I have a feeling that he'll be calling me Scrooge for a long time.
Anyways. I'm not totally sure how I'm going to do this but I will do what I can to keep track of how I spend money in situations where a tip is expected and whether or not I actually provide such a bonus. Maybe someday I'll have some fancy tally of how much I've spent this year and what percentage of that has gone to tipping.
Maybe.
Probably not.
