Tips: Where Do You Draw The Line?

[Gabriela]

In a lot of countries, waiting tables is a respected profession. Obviously there people earn a living wage (and more). I agree that tipping in the US to make up for exploitation wages is a bad idea. Which is not to say we shouldn't tip. I think we should. I just also think that servers should make a living wage (and more). I think that serving should be a legitimate, respectable lifelong career.

 

In Norway, eating in a restaurant is so expensive (because everyone in the restaurant makes a living wage, and more!) that most people do it only a few times a year. Imagine what our family and community life would look like if we went back to making our own meals, to eating around our own tables, to re-centering our foodways in our own kitchens. I think it would be beautiful.

 

Unfortunately, American life is so fast-paced that few people have time to cook. But maybe if the price of restaurants skyrocketed and we returned home to eat, we would feel the time pressure to such an extent that we would finally stand up and demand more leisure time from our employers, more "slowness" from our culture, more value on family and the home from media.

 

Just an idealistic thought...