Nothing for Something - Tipping in SL and RL

In Australia tips are usually cash so not taxed at all because they never officially appear on the books unless you chose to declare them on your annual tax return.

I look at it an entirely different way. It's a system that empowers the customer to determine the value of the service provided.

It has the obvious advantage of providing a strong incentive for servers to provide good service, since those receiving the service are the ones who decide how much the services are worth.

As I said above, I've been in countries where tipping is strongly discouraged. Lovely countries, but they'd be lovelier still if they'd adopt tipping for personal services.

You seem to be assuming that the service provided by taxi drivers and wating staff isn't worth any more than minimum wage.

If these positions actually were limited to minimum wage, I bet you'd be very dissatisfied with the service you received, or the fact that you could never get a taxi when you needed one (because there are much easier and less stressful jobs than driving a taxi where one can make minimum wage).

It's not fraud, it's just freeloading. If you're barely making ends meet, it's understandable. If you're living on Easy Street, it's not admirable. In any case, it's not criminal.

... which would be tax evasion? At least, here in the US it would be.

G'day Lear. That's part of my point - in some societies it's taken that service is part of what you pay for, otherwise you'd be eating at home. In a place with a $50 main I expect a very different ambience and experience than a place with a $12 main. People just choose the type of experience they want, depending on their own variable factors.

A professional will treat each and every customer exactly the same (hopefully to a high standard) and if a tip follows all well and good. But to breed a sense of expectation, and to even assess the worker's next year's taxable income on tips he hasn't earned yet is bordering on mercenary, imho.

Technically yes it could be, whether it's worth tracking or likely that the Tax department hunts people down for it I doubt, considering in reality it's probably only going to be 1-5% above what your wage is, as tips aren't so likely over here.

Morally if you can coax over 5% tips from your customers that have 0% obligation to tip you, you probably deserve it anyway.
It's not like companies never hide income.

I get a cash tip, the boss would never even know or care about it unless there was a tip sharing system, non-cash you don't have any choice. But Australia is also a largely cashless society, most of us wouldn't carry around more than $100 at anytime, most wages are deposited into our bank accounts, I repay all my loans and bills with electronic transfers, I can go for weeks with a single $20 note in my wallet, using EFTPOS cards for buying food, petrol etc. A good side effect of this is mugging people here is a pretty useless effort for the risk required.

Do people on tips in the US actualy record how much they recieve every day and admit that to the tax department? My guess is probably not everyone does participate in an honesty based system which is why they would be taxed higher than normal wage owners.

If an establishment does provide exceptional service you will find they charge more of course, but the staff will also be on higher wages, hence people providing services above their obligations will be likely to be tipped compared to those just performing what they are paid to do. And if they don't provide the minumum friendly smile and manner that the owner is paying them to provide the onus is on the owner to be responsible to fit that.

I think if you read the information I posted from the federal labor
department's web site, you will see that the employer DOES have
to pay them the minimum wage (if they don't make that much in tips).

I can't think of any way to say it more plainly.

Yes, an excellent idea. However, harder than you might imagine on an ice road where you may have ground yourself into the ice itself. Or you may have blown your spare also. Or spares. It's difficult when the ice is mushy or you've trapped yourself on a road that isnt plowed by graders (not a guarantee). Conditions in hard to reach places can be catastrophic for the unwary or arrogant.

Back to the tips.
I was thinking of "tips" - what is the highest you have ever tipped?

A friend was doing a dj gig for the first time and the club he was in wanted him to dance also. Well his rl wife and I are friends so I popped in and seen what the *price* for him to bare all and tipped it. (just to embarrass him) it was $L1500. Not before or since have I ever tipped that much.

My highest was 500 and average is 100, I do it when I have gotten something I really like for free, like a class or some scripts or objects, if I can't find a tip jar I sometimes buy something, but only if I will use it. Most I have bought as a tip was 1000.

I would simply call it Capitalism.

I've tried it both ways, and I prefer the tipping system.

And I like being able to go to a place with main courses under $10 and getting very good service -- something that's typical in the US but rare in Australia and NZ (because inexpensive places are nearly always self-serve, not because service is bad).

In most of the world, I get to choose how much the service I got was worth. In AU/NZ, I did not.

$5000 Lindens at a place I liked - and which needed the help. But not as 'me.' ;p

I like giving people money in sl - they really act surprised and a little guilty but it's just a gift. I send men gifts like that coz I do that in real after we've had a night. I mean I buy a piece of jewellery or a cologne or something. Here I just send them some cash and tell them to buy something with it. It's a gift, not a payment for services rendered.

Well, as my bookstore was a grateful recipient of your largesse . . . I can attest personally to the veracity of this.

And I didn't even have to sleep with you!

No one else was there when I did it - it's how I like it.

I am always available Hal gets back to civilization on 24th. Imagine! A whole month with crappy internet connections. Seriously hampers real economic development, doesn't it?

She does, it's true. Then I buy us matching dresses. Young girls and all those boyish jeans today, sniff

Do you need some cash, Laurin? I'll send you some

Stereotyping.. Tisk tisk

Is he in England and dependent upon British Telecom then?

Pep (Milton Keynes has worse internet connectivity than anywhere else in England!)

Careful, the next one could be...PINK

That is what comes from living in Milton Keynes which swallowed up gorgeous villages in the 60s and became an yesore. It's taking business from Northampton and environs and is really the worst of London overspill in an environment that doesnt welcome it. Personally I like the quieter life in the rural midlands but Milton Keynes really damaged the smaller market towns (we were never to mention Milton Keynes in my Uncle's presence)
Mind you, he would throttle you if you suggested an end to fox hunting and he had a thing about black wellies which he insisted were worn by criminal classes and "luddites" and whatarethose traintrack workers called ... "skivs?". I was called a "Luddite" only a few years ago before he died. But I have NEVER had black wellies. I had red ones when I was small and green ones now. We all had a big row and it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening all round. He was easily softened by a hamper from Harrod's.
His wife broken his nose when she married him in a game of two-aside rugger in the garden.

So the insanity is an inherited characteristic then?

Pep (Did the referee perform the ceremony?)

That's a hoot, no matter how you parse it!