Who invented tip

It is socially acceptable on occasions such as weddings, funerals, and special events, but on more common situations, it can actually make the receiver feel belittled, if not insulted.

The philosophy is that good service should be expected in the first place. Even on occasions where tips are expected, it follows a protocol that includes handing the money in special envelopes as a sign of gratitude and respect.

Hotel personnel, who are almost universally courteous and prompt, are trained to politely refuse tips. In , France passed a law requiring restaurants to add a service charge to bills - a practice that then became common around Europe and other parts of the world - as a way to improve wages for waiters and make them less reliant on tips. The Rainbow Nation features here for a specific service not usually covered in many other countries: car guarding.

People in Switzerland are often said to financially round up bills and to leave gratuities to hotel staff and workers such as hairdressers. Thus, they are not as dependent on tips as their American counterparts. Many restaurants in India levy service charges on the bill, so it is considered OK not to leave a tip. It is not uncommon to find restaurants which display signs against tips.

A survey revealed that Indians were amongst the highest tippers in Asia, behind only Bangladesh and Thailand. Although small handouts will not cause offence at hotels, restaurants and taxis, gratuities can be a thorny issue in Singapore. Tipping is deeply ingrained in Egypt and a gratuity is known as baksheesh. Well-off Egyptians regularly tip all kind of service workers, from waiters to petrol pump attendants. Visitors to Iran might come across the taroof ritual - the practice of deference in which payment is initially refused as a matter of politeness - it can happen even in cab rides, where the driver will initially refuse to accept payment.

But it won't happen with a tip: gratuities for services are part of daily life. In another tweet in the thread, the account added a link to a Time magazine article reporting the history of tipping, titled: "'It's the Legacy of Slavery': Here's the Troubling History Behind Tipping Practices in the U.

On Nov. The 15th Amendment — the last of a trio that abolished slavery and freed enslaved people, gave them citizenship, and gave formerly enslaved men the right to vote — was ratified in , after the Civil War. But its passing wasn't the direct or only reason that tipping became popularized and a mainstay in the United States. More: Fact check: Historical claims about constitutional amendments lack context.

The practice of tipping workers has unclear origins but likely began as a result of the caste system in Europe in the late Middle Ages. The new custom was thought of by many as un-American because it was classist, Saru Jayaraman has explained to several reporters over the years.

Jayaraman wrote "Forked," a book about restaurant worker pay, and, in , was co-founder and president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and the director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. That anti-tipping sentiment found its way back to Europe, contributing to labor movements that ended the practice. But in the United States, fresh out of the Civil War, formerly enslaved people were able to find most work in food service or as railroad porters, jobs that relied on tips.

Many employers who wanted to hire the formerly enslaved also wanted to keep them at a low wage. In , several states passed laws prohibiting tipping, which was a growing practice but unpopular at the same time.

All six of the bans were overturned or ruled unconstitutional by Of six states that made tipping illegal, five were in the South, where the idea was that only Black workers were making tips because "you only tip inferiors," Jayaraman explained.

Also in the early s, Pullman rail company was investigated by the Railroad Commission of California. Constitution abolished slavery. It was the 13th, not the 15th. Write to Rachel E. Greenspan at rachel. By Rachel E. Get our History Newsletter. Put today's news in context and see highlights from the archives. Please enter a valid email address. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up.

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