Past the tipping point

I’m perfectly aware that most of the people I’m directing this to, probably won’t take the time to read it. Nevertheless, I will still attempt to educate the MCLA students who come into the restaurant which I work at, and pay only for their meal, not leaving a cent for a tip. Maybe they forgot, maybe they weren’t taught how to tip when they were younger, maybe they had no money – but most college students aren’t rolling in dough, so if you do not have the courtesy to tip a few dollars on your $100 bill, then maybe fast food restaurants with no waitresses are a better place for you to go.

Before I was a waitress, I admit that I was not the best tipper either. I have never stiffed a waitress, but I did always think that the typical “20% rule” for tipping was far too high. I somehow believed that waitresses already made enough money doing their job, since I knew there was a minimum wage in every state. I thought that waitresses had to be receiving at least the state’s minimum wage, however, little did I know that most local waitresses make $2 to $3 per hour. This equals to less than $15 for an entire 8 hour shift after taxes are taken away. Around here, restaurants aren’t always booming the way they are in more populated areas, so during slow days, I make barely enough money to put gas in my mom’s car for my commute to and from Florida Mountain.

I have always found it interesting, that the dirtiest jobs seem to pay the least, while the cleanest white-collar desk jobs receive the highest salaries. No, I am not saying that one is easier than the other, but if you have never been a waitress then you have no knowledge of what the tasks actually entail. Remembering the orders of 10 different tables, and somehow seeming calm and collected while keeping a smile on your face no matter how much your feet hurt, can be difficult for anyone. Thankfully, I get wonderful tips from almost all my customers, except some of the MCLA students who seem to have forgotten common courtesy. One of my favorite quotes, puts it well: “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.” ~ Dave Barry

–Marissa Zelazo
Class of 2012

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