Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
Sense of fairness?

It is the same 'sense of fairness' that makes it OK for landlords to hike up rents in the knowledge that we will all pay the increase through housing benefits and that makes it OK for employers to pay poverty wages in the knowledge that we will all pay the difference to a living wage through social security payments or tax credits. The tipping culture in the USA seems to be one based on low pay and exploitation of workers and customers. It is my definition of unfair - a warped system that should be ended by paying people a proper wage and leaving space for tipping where there has been exceptional service.

I have never been to the USA (apart from transit airports) and this fleecing culture is one of the disincentives for me. I have though just come back from Australia and (as someone above said) there is little or no tipping there (just rounding up on a bill) and service from people on a proper wage was always excellent.
People in the West have an unusual sense of fairness. People at the bottom of the ladder have it very good compared to those at the bottom in Asia, Africa and South America. In India if you are born into the lowest caste then you will treated as filth for the rest of your life. It is the same in most places. In the West not only do we treat outsiders as equals but we sometimes give them preferential treatment – e.g. positive discrimination. That is so unusual that Third World people must think we are mad or mugs.